How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath for Any Occasion

Whether your design aesthetic is boho chic or modern minimalist, you can step up your home décor game for holidays and special occasions with a cute, yarn pom-pom wreath that suits your style.

We share four soft and touchable ideas that you won't find anywhere. Here's how to make a statement with a DIY pom-pom wreath.

We believe yarn pom-pom decorations should be touchable soft. But we've seen dozens of pom-pom DIYs that involve prickly pins, stiff metal wire, and sticky, hot glue. Not so cuddly, right? Our mega pom-pom tutorial explains how to make plush wreaths without the ouch factor. You won't find these tips anywhere.

Related: How to Knit a Lion's Mane for Your Dog​​

Materials and tools:

• Pom-pom maker (we share what to use in a jiffy)
• Yarn
• Sharp scissors
• Fabric glue
• Crochet thread size 10 — Pick a color that works with your yarn
• Embroidery needle for crochet thread
• Wreath frame

You can use any wreath frame you wish for your pom-pom project. We used the following to make two different pom-pom decorations:

• 12-inch metal wire wreath frame (shown on the right)
• 12-inch extruded foam floral wreath frame (shown on the left)

There are two ways to make yarn pom-poms.

The old school method (shown above) involves wrapping yarn around a homemade cardboard tool that tends to warp. It's a DIY solution that gets frustrating fast if you're making more than a dozen pom-poms. 

We suggest going new school with a plastic pom-pom maker. 

We purchased a large set and a small set of pom-pom making tools at our local craft store. Each one cost less than $10.

Each pom-pom making tool is made up of two separate semicircular pieces that snap together to form a complete circle. To use, wrap yarn around each section, one semicircle at a time. More on that later.

Before we start making pom-poms, let's talk yarn. If you knit or crochet, you already know that yarn weight, ply, or texture will determine the look of a project. 

If this is brand-new information, take a look at this boho-chic half wreath created from yarn remnants. It incorporates a mash-up of fuzzy, fluffy, and plush pom-poms made from different types of inexpensive acrylic yarn. Let's take a closer peek next.

Related: Understanding Yarn Weights

First off, here's a quick yarn primer:

• Yarn weight or worst applies to strand thickness.
• The term ply refers to the number of twist in a strand of yarn. In a nutshell, the fewer twists, the fuzzier the yarn. 

For instance, the red and magenta pom-pom on the left looks extra fluffy and downy because it consists of a single-ply yarn. As you may have already guessed, the single-ply yarn has only one twist in it. The yarn's fuzzy texture is perfect for making plush, cloudlike pom-poms.

Yarn thickness also matters. The colorful orange pom-pom on the right resembles a popcorn ball because it was created using a thick, chunky yarn. 

Want the individual strands in your pom-poms to pop and drape? Go with a four-ply or higher type yarn. To get the idea take a look at the orange pom-pom on the left.

The green pom-pom on the right appears thicker and fuller because it consists of a medium weight yarn that is four-ply.

Grab your yarn — it's time to get making. Here's how to make perfect pom-poms in five easy steps.

Step one:

• Open one section of the pom-pom tool as shown on the right. Next, wrap yarn around the curved "arm."
• Close the wrapped arm.
• Open the second section of the pom-pom tool and wrap.
• Shut the wrapped arm as indicated on the left. 

Tip: Looking for consistency in size and shape? Make a few test pom-poms to determine how much yarn to use.

Step two:

• With both wrapped arms closed, insert your scissors into the tool's groove and cut the yarn one side at a time.

Tip: There's a real chance your regular household scissors will be too big for this step. If that's the case, pick up a pair of small precision scissors designed for paper cutting. Be warned, scissors like these are super sharp so always store with the safety cap in place.

 Step three:

• Tie off the pom-pom by inserting a piece of crochet thread around the groove as indicated. 
• Pull tight and knot. 
• Turn the tool upside down and pull crochet thread tightly again and double knot to prevent wrapped yarn from loosening

Tip: Why crochet thread? The tighter the knot, the fuller the pom-pom. While many tutorials suggest regular sewing thread, it snaps and breaks when pulled tightly making it nearly impossible to create perfect pom-poms. What about those other tutorials that use yarn to tie off? Since crochet thread is much thinner, it creates a fuller and rounder pom-pom.

 Step four:

• Open the pom-pom tool and remove the pom-pom.
• Make sure your knot never loosens with a drop of fabric glue. 
• Cut off the extra crochet thread. There's one more step — promise!

 Step five:

• Shape and fluff your pom-pom using your hands. 
• Does your pom-pom look a tad imperfect? No problem! Using sharp scissors, give it a trim for a neater appearance.

 Step one:

• Wrap yarn around the wreath frame as indicated. 
• Afterward, knot and secure yarn with a dab of fabric glue. 

Related: 10 Yarn Crafts for Kids

The reason for wrapping the forms in yarn? There are two:

• First, it makes your wreath look neat and cute from behind. After covering the frame with yarn secure the loose end.  To do, knot, and glue the end of the strand on the pom-pom side of the frame. Then when you start adding pom-poms, cover the knot.
• Second, you'll be hand sewing the pom-poms into the yarn. It's super easy to do, no sewing skills required!

 Step two:

• Thread your embroidery needle with crochet thread.
• Create a loop at the opposite end of crochet thread and knot.
• Pierce your pom-pom through the center as shown.

 Step 3:

• Pull the needle through the pom-pom.
• Remember and loop you created when you knotted the opposite end of the crochet thread? Pull the needle through the loop to secure the thread to the pom-pom.
• Now pull the thread through the pom-pom.

 Step 4:

• Sew the pom-pom into place as indicated.
• If pom-pom feels too loose, using the needle pull the thread through the pom-pom again to tighten.

Step 5:

• To attach the next pom-pom, loop the needle under one of the strands of yarn around the wreath form.

 Step 6:

• Next, pull the needle through the middle of the next pom-pom and attach as you've done before.
• Continue adding pom-poms until done. 
• Knot crochet thread.
• Dab a little glue onto knot.
• Trim ends from crochet thread.

Before you start sewing, you may want to layout your design. While there are no hard-and-fast rules, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• You can create this cuddly, white pom-pom wreath using either a metal or foam frame. For the record, we used the latter.
• We used two skeins of Wool-Ease Thick and Quick by Lionbrand in Fisherman. 
• First, attach a ring of pom-poms to the inner edge of the form around the circular opening.
• Next, add a circle of pom-poms to the front facing side and then the outer edge.

Here's another design idea. Again, you can use a foam or metal wreath frame — for this project; we went with the latter.

• This confetti-inspired wreath was made using 10 large pom-poms created from one skein of Color Waves by Lionbrand in Ocean Drive and five small pom-poms in different colors plucked from a package of Bonbons by Lionbrand in Brights.
• First, cover roughly 80 percent of the wreath with the large pom-poms. To do, sew into place as shown in the earlier steps.
• Fill the remaining empty section with small pom-poms.

You can make this boho-chic wreath using yarn remnants in different colors and textures. Here's what we did:

• We wrapped a metal 12-inch form with multicolor yarn.
• Afterward, we covered half the frame with pom-poms.