Instructions for Making Cheerleading Pom Poms
Whether you want them for a kids' party, a sporting event or part of your cheerleading ensemble, pom poms are a fun accessory. Though small, cheap versions are sometimes available in the toy aisle of a dollar store, the large, full pom poms are often hard to find locally and can be expensive to purchase. With a little creativity and a steady hand, you can make your own cheerleading pom poms with items you can find at your local grocery store.
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Things You'll Need
- 10 plastic trash bags, 33 g (33 inches by 39 inches)
- Stapler and staples
- Scissors
- String
- Electrical tape
Instructions
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1
Stack 10 trash bags one on top of the other on a hard surface. Line them up exactly so that they are even. Trim off any handles or extra flaps.
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2
Fold the stack of bags in half lengthwise. Take care that they stay precisely lined up on all edges.
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3
Staple the folded edge of the bags ½ inch from the edge approximately every 6 inches to keep the inner layers from shifting.
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4
Cut the bags into ¼-inch strips, starting each cut at the unfolded edge of the bags and ending 6 inches from the folded edge.
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5
Roll the bottom (folded) part of the bags as tightly as you can into a cylinder, starting at one narrow end of the bags and rolling toward the other narrow end. Tie the cylinder tightly with string at the top, middle and end of its length.
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6
Wrap five loops of tape around the cylinder where it connects to the strips, and continue wrapping down the uncut part of the pom pom, covering the strings, to form the handle. Overlap each wrap of the tape by ½ inch; when you reach the end of the handle wrap five more loops of tape and fasten firmly.
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7
Place a few of the strips at a time between your hands and gently rub, roll and crumple them to fluff your pom pom.
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Tips & Warnings
Plastic trash bags are now available in many colors, so it's possible you can make pom poms to match your team colors. If you can only match one color, use black or white as a second color.
To make two-toned pom poms, use two colors of trash bags. If you want the colors evenly distributed, alternate the colors of the bags when you stack them. For a color-spot look, lay out five bags of one color with five bags of the other color on top of them.
You can use black electrical tape to tie the handle or find colored tape to match the colors of the pom poms.
Cutting wider strips will give the pom poms less fullness.
The longer you rub the strips between your hands, the fluffier the pom poms will be.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit cheer learder with pom poms image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com
