Obviously, this is not a new DIY. Originally I wasn’t even going to write it up, however I ran into problems. Below is the picture of my second try at Pom Poms. I didn’t even have the heart to take pictures of the first trial. For the first one, I used 8 pieces of tissue paper as per Martha Stewart directions and it was the saddest, most pathetic looking paper ball.
I was surprised and discouraged. It seemed like every bride on the Internet had made the Martha Stewart Pom-Pom and not to sound arrogant, but I usually can do DIY projects (see here, here and here). So after a couple days, I tried again with 14 pieces of tissue paper. As you can see, there is a big gaping hole along the side and the Pom Pom is oval shaped.
I almost gave up at this point, but after a week I still had 1,000 sheets of tissue paper in my bedroom so I tried again. Here are my overly detailed directions.
Materials
Tissue Paper (Source)
Floral Wire (Source)
Scissors
Directions
1. Stack 14 sheets of tissue paper as neatly as possible and fold accordion style until complete. Try to make folds 3/4″ apart, but perfection is not necessary.
2. Fold a floral wire in half and slip around the middle of the tissue paper
3. Check that the floral wire is centered by folding tissue paper in half. Since you will be cutting off the edges, perfectly even is not necessary.
4. Once centered, twist floral wire to give a secure, but loose closure
5a. For round petals, cut one or maybe two folds at a time. Since I am right handed, I cut the right hand side of the fold first and then flipped it around to cut the other side. I found that I had more control of the cuts if I held the rest of the folds tight behind.
5b. For the pointy edges, I did the right side and then flipped it the same as for the round edges, but I was able to cut 2 or 3 folds at a time.
6. Pull up the top layer. Make sure to alternate between sides to avoid the giant side gap.
7. Pull up half of the layers toward the top
8. Flip it over and start to pull layers on the other side up making sure to alternate. I held the Pom Pom between my knees so that the bottom wouldn’t get squashed.
9. This is what it looks like after all the layers have been fluffed.
10. Even all the layers out to make a round Pom Pom.
These are the end products from the side
and from the top.
The two things that helped most making Poms was:
1. Make sure the edges are cut at least 2″ to 3 ” down the sides. The deeper the cuts, more spread the edges will be and the more space they will naturally take up.
2. Try to make the accordion folds as sharp as possible.
The main problem with my second trial was how flat all the layers are in the finished product. Deep cuts and zig-zagy tissue paper = less open space between layers.
Since I am making the Poms in DC, but getting married in VT, I am packing the unfolded Poms in order to save travel space. I cut 60, 20 blue, 20 red, and 20 white, with 10 pointy and 10 round of each.
all photos by me or J
I have a secret. I wanted to do this pompoms and even ordered the tissue paper. I tried to make them and they came out horribly! I was so upset because all over the internet people were making these and here I was and they looked so so so bad. YAY for making a tutorial!
Thanks for the tutorial! And YAY for Vermont (my current residence).
you are a crafting maven. dang girl.
The pompoms are so deceptivly tricky and I had to write this so no one else would feel as incompetent as I felt.Let me know if any one tries it. YAY Vermont back at you.
I’m planning to do this for my wedding, too, and I have found that starting with square-shaped tissue paper makes it MUCH easier. I’m going to both make hanging poms and ones that are only half-fluffed, like a flower, for napkin holders. I still have to work a little more to come up with exactly what I want! Your folding-and-storing in a box idea is fantastic–I’m totally going to copy that!