How to Make Yarn Pom Poms for Shoes

Use variegated yarn for a colorful pom-pom.

Pom-poms turn an ordinary pair of shoes into something stylish. Make pom-poms to match outfits, hair ribbons or for special events like parades, holidays or team activities. Make the pom-poms removable by tying them to a small metal ring and sliding the shoelace through the ring rather than tying the pom-poms directly to the shoelace. Teach your kids how to make these fun pom-poms and they can make them for their friends.

Things You'll Need

• Yarn
• Scissors
• Shoelaces

Instructions

1. Grasp the end of the yarn in the palm of your hand. Hold the end of the yarn against your palm with your thumb and wind the yarn around and around your hand, securing the end of the yarn under the wrapped yarn. Remove your thumb and continue wrapping the yarn until you reach the desired thickness of your pom-pom.

2. Cut the yarn with scissors and tuck the end under the wrapped yarn on your hand.

3. Slip the yarn off of your hand and set it aside.

4. Make another wrap approximately the same size and set it aside.

5. Cut two lengths of yarn, approximately 12-inches long.

6. Lay one length of yarn on the table and set your wrapped yarn on top of it. Draw the length of yarn over the yarn bundle, pulling it very tight and tying it into at least two knots. This dissects the bundle in two, creating a gap on either side of the length of yarn.

7. Slip your scissors through the gap in the yarn bundle between the yarn bundle and the tied yarn that dissects the bundle. Cut the loops , making half of your pom-pom. Cut the other side in the same fashion and shake to make a full pom-pom.

8. Tie the pom-pom to your shoe laces using the excess yarn from the 12-inch piece. Trim away the excess yarn.

9. Repeat this process with the other yarn length and yarn bundle to complete the pom-poms for your shoes.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute a piece of cardboard for your hand for wrapping your yarn.

• The thicker the yarn bundle, the larger the pom-pom will be. The larger the surface the yarn is wrapped around, the larger the pom-pom will be.

• You may need to trim the final pom-pom for an even look.

• Be very careful when cutting with scissors.