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How to create pom pom garlands (like the ones on our porch swing)

    girls on front porch swing

    We’ve been spending a lot of time out on the front porch this summer which means I’ve been showing more photos of it. And in nearly every one of those photos is the porch swing with pom pom garland draped above.

    I mean, how adorable are those girls?! But the questions and comments I most receive when showing the porch swing is “where is the pom pom garland from?“.

    And so, here I am today to tell you.

    The garland was originally made for a Christmas decoration, but I ended up liking them so much, they’ve become a year-round decoration. They are super easy to make, the supplies are minimal and you can just flip on your favorite show and keep your hands busy creating.

    Here is how to make a simple diy pom pom garland.

    To start, gather your supplies:

    pom-pom-supplies

    chunky yarn (about 3 rolls) / pom pom makers (2 sizes) / embroidery thread / upholstery needle / scissors

    HOW TO MAKE THE POM POMS

    wrap-yarn-for-pomOpen up the pom pom maker and wrap the yarn round and round the first side. The more your wrap, the fuller your pom pom will be.

    Once the first side is full, string your yarn across to the other side and wrap.

    cut-pom-maker

    Fold the sides in together and trim through the center ‘trough’ to cut the yarn. Make sure you keep the pom pom maker closed so you don’t loose all that yarn!

    Next, cut a piece of yarn just a little bit longer than the circumference of the pom pom maker. This will be used to wrap around the center to hold the pom together.

    tie-pom-and-pull-apart

    Tie the piece of yarn around the center of the pom maker, extra tight.

    Now pull apart the pom maker and your pom pom is free.

    trim-pom

    Trim long pieces of yarn and fluff.

    Continue this process a bunch of times until you have a big, gorgeous, fluffy pile of pom poms.

    HOW TO MAKE SMALL POM POM GARLAND

    cut-string-for-garland

    Cut a piece of yarn to desired finished length of the garland.

    needle-and-thread-through-pom

    Thread needle with embroidery thread in a color that matches your yarn. You don’t necessarily want to see the thread. Knot one end a few times to make a thick knot.

    Place the poms where you want them on the garland, poke the needle through the center of the pom (so it catches the knotted piece that holds it all together) and stitch into place.

    stitch-through-pom

    You can stitch a few times back and forth to make sure the pom is secure

    stitch-through-yarn-garland

    In between poms, run the needle through the center of the yarn, then stitch on the next pom. This just allows you to use one continuous piece of embroidery thread instead of tying off knots, trimming and starting again with each pom.

    small-pom-garland

    Then hang anywhere and everywhere!

    small-pom-garland-hanging

    TO MAKE THE LARGE POM POM GARLAND

    how-to-make-a-pom-pom-garland

    Start by making large poms using this pom maker (3 3/8″). The big pom poms take much more yarn to make, so grab an extra roll of yarn just to be sure.

    braid-yarn-1

    Cut three long pieces of yarn in desired finished length and tie knot in top. Tape to tabletop to hold in place.

    braid-yarn

    Loosely braid the yarn and knot the end. This will give you a more substantial garland to stitch the poms onto.

    stitch-large-pom

    Thread your needle with the same embroidery thread, knotting a few times at the end to catch. Now run the needle through the center of the pom (trying to grab onto the center string that ties it all up).

    stitch-large-pom-to-garland

    Stitch onto braided yarn (a few stitches to hold securely).

    needle-through-braid

    You can knot, cut the thread and start again with the next pom, or in between poms, run the needle through the center of the braid, then stitch on the next pom in desired spacing.

    large-pom-garland

    Isn’t it fantastic?

    I went on a spree a few Christmases ago making a bunch of these garlands after seeing them hanging in my friend Erica’s house when I took photos for a Coastal Christmas house tour:

    I made a bunch of my own and they’ve made their rounds, first at our old house, and now at the new.

    The garland looked sweet hanging from the shelves in my old office (see lots more of that room here).

    small-pom-garland-on-shelfRemember our old cottage kitchen? It was so light and pretty. The big bummer about it was that we looked out our kitchen window directly at the side of our neighbor’s house and so I put up the pom pom garlands to distract my eye from looking much beyond.

    At Christmas, I made a few and hung them in the windows with beaded garland and a boxwood wreath in the center. It was so pretty and gave the window Christmas spirit without being bold and colorful.

    I liked the garlands on the window so much that after christmas, I pulled off the beaded garlands and the wreath and left up the poms.

    And then in February, I moved them over to the diy chalkboard as birthday decoration for our son.

    chalkboard-birthday-pom-pom-bannerAnd now, here they are on the porch swing. I don’t actually remember why I put them up outside? I must have done it when we were moving and I came across the pom pom garlands and didn’t know where else to put them so I tied them up to the chain. I didn’t intend to leave them there, but they add such a whimsical touch, so I guess I’ll just leave them.

    Making a pom pom garland is just about as simple of a craft project as they come. I love how they add subtle texture to any space and look great year round. Go ahead, my crafty friends, and make a few pom pom garlands for your home!

    pom-pom-garland-by-jones-design-company

    (Pin it and save for later!)

    Enjoy!

    19 thoughts on “How to create pom pom garlands (like the ones on our porch swing)”

    1. I made this garland to hang over my black porch swing and LOVE it. My friend loved it so much that I made one for her for her birthday! Thanks so much for your fun tutorials!

    2. Seems like using the yarn tails, as some people have already suggested, to tie on the pom poms would be so much faster and easier than sewing them to the yarn. Is there some advantage to sewing them on?

    3. I love an inexpensive DIY project! My kids are 2, 4, and 6. Just wondering how long this project takes, thinking about if it’s something I can knock out during naptime.

    4. I popped out to Michael’s today for supplies and wondered if you used white or ivory (aran) yarn for these. I debated since the aran looked so yellow but now I’ve got a pile of snowball looking pompoms. Thanks for the great inspiration!

    5. Always enjoy your tutorials! Sometimes I link to one of them in my monthly e-zine because I know my readers would also enjoy them. Here’s my question:
      I love your large stag head above your fireplace and looked up the details on Restoration Hardware. It’s a bit large for my space. I noticed the small stag’s head in the background in some of the photos of the pom pom garland. Where did you buy it? Thanks for being a source of inspiration!

    6. Several of my favorite bloggers included the pompom garland from Anthropologie in their winter decorating, and I really liked how it looked. How fun to see a tutorial for making something similar! Thank you!

    7. I made this type of pom pom garland for a baby shower using three different colors. I also used the tails to tie the pom pom to the yarn. After the shower, I was able to snip off the colored poms and just left the white for everyday – so cute!

    8. Love these! My Mum used to sit us down in the evenings when we were little and give us pompoms to make. I remember making a huge white one for my tail when I was to play the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland! I still find them therapeutic to make now, although I always make them by placing two discs of cardboard together (with a hole in the middle of both a bit like a doughnut). Though your little gadgets look fab! I love the garland, I might have to get my wool our this weekend!
      B x

    9. Cute garland! Whenever I make pom poms they always feel like they are going to fall apart with the slightest tug. Has anybody else had that problem? I have used dental floss, a surgeons knot and all sorts of different combos with no luck. Any suggestions?

      1. They are not the most secure things. I tried using twine to tie but didn’t feel like it made a huge difference. Because these poms are just garland and don’t get much wear and tear, they work fine.

    10. Beautiful! There are so many fun ways to make Pom poms without the cute little Pom Pom makers you can purchase. I recently found a tutorial for making them using a fork and I made a plastic template with a plastic lid that is shaped like a letter C. I always enjoy the satisfaction of making things using supplies I have at home without spending money. I love how you braided the yarn for your large Pom poms and love that you used he neutral color so it can be used for more than one season!! When I put mine together I just used the tails from the Pom poms to tie them on…….

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