# Is there a way to make a pompom that doesn't fall apart?



## HaveNeedlesWillKnit (Jun 30, 2011)

The pompom (cherry) atop the cupcake hat I made my granddaughter has fallen apart. I searched and read the entries for pompoms on KP, but no one suggested a way to keep the short strands of yarn from coming loose and ruining the small pompom. Has anyone devised a technique for keeping these short strands intact in the pompom?


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## Jokim (Nov 22, 2011)

HaveNeedlesWillKnit said:


> The pompom (cherry) atop the cupcake hat I made my granddaughter has fallen apart. I searched and read the entries for pompoms on KP, but no one suggested a way to keep the short strands of yarn from coming loose and ruining the small pompom. Has anyone devised a technique for keeping these short strands intact in the pompom?


A similar question was asked on KP sometime ago. My way of making a pompom: Wrap the yarn around whatever you use to wrap it around, cut it and then tie it very tightly with a WET buttonhole twist. Wet buttonhole twist is strong and does not loosen up (slide back) when pulled tight. Have made many pompoms that way and the grandkids haven't taken them apart yet. The ones I made before, in a different way, have all fallen apart.


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## barcar (Jun 16, 2011)

What is a buttonhole twist?


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## Knitish (Feb 8, 2011)

Make sure you make it very full: the fuller the tighter it stays together.


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## 44gram (Dec 10, 2011)

I use a wire brush and gently fuzz it up. Mine don't come apart. Hope this helps you.


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## Yarnie.One (Jul 13, 2012)

barcar said:


> What is a buttonhole twist?


 youtube


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## Jokim (Nov 22, 2011)

barcar said:


> What is a buttonhole twist?


Buttonhole twist is very heavy, thick thread that you sew buttons on heavy coats with. I bought it years ago and I'm not sure if you can still purchse it. If it's no longer available, the heaviest sewing thread will do; perhaps upholstry thread. I haven't tried crochet thread (size 3,5, or 10?), but I wonder if that would work if it were wetted.


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## Tari (Jul 31, 2011)

You can still get buttonhole twist (or buttonhole gimp) at most stores. Just look in the thread section, or ask. It comes in assorted colors.


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## tenaj (Feb 22, 2011)

I use clover pom pom maker and get perfect pom poms every time.

You can purchase them at you craft store. Here is a web site to give you info on them.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pom+pom+maker


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## didough (May 30, 2011)

HaveNeedlesWillKnit said:


> The pompom (cherry) atop the cupcake hat I made my granddaughter has fallen apart. I searched and read the entries for pompoms on KP, but no one suggested a way to keep the short strands of yarn from coming loose and ruining the small pompom. Has anyone devised a technique for keeping these short strands intact in the pompom?


How about tying very tightly with embroidery thread - or even dental floss?


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## Avalon37 (Aug 2, 2011)

I can't ever remember a pon Pom falling apart . I use the Clover ponpom maker and I have used the others ( circles of plastic) and even cardboard. I am guessing that it's because I tie them really tightly .


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## RUSTYDANCER66 (Apr 1, 2011)

the one word or variation of it in all the suggestions--TIGHT-. No matter what you wind your yarn on, no matter what you tie it with after cutting it, the thread/yarn must be tight. A lovely lady from S Africa told me the other secret is to always wind wind with a double . She measures out her yarn -always right on the money- and doubles it and winds away. she has the most solid tight pom poms you ever saw. We all gave her our yarn and she made them for us often. Now she has moved to the west Coast of Fl and we are on our own.


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## MartyCare (Feb 16, 2011)

To make a cherry, I use a pattern from Ravelry. I made a cupcake hat, and the pattern referred me to patterns for a cherry and for a strawberry. 

To make a topper for a hat, I use a corkscrew piece: Cast on 15 stitches or so, knit one row. Then knit a second row, increasing in each stitch. So you have 30 stitches or so (twice what you started with). Then bind off those stitches. I put three of those curliques on a hat. It works better if a person puts a hood over it.

Carol K in OH


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## lharris1952 (Jan 8, 2012)

Thanks for the tip about using buttonhole twist.I crocheted a lot of hot pink Santa hats for our ladies ministry with pompoms on them.Hope they don't come apart,but at least I will know how to make them better.


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## barcar (Jun 16, 2011)

Thanks! I'm making the Easter eggs from Morehouse and I need a nice looking pom pom.


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## Donna1 (Jan 26, 2013)

I knit baby hats for a local hospital, for new borns...always
put on a pom pom. I use a pom pom maker..available at all knitting supply places..has three sizes and directions..
EASY...


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## Donna1 (Jan 26, 2013)

I knit baby hats for a local hospital, for new borns...always
put on a pom pom. I use a pom pom maker..available at all knitting supply places..has three sizes and directions..
EASY...


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## henhouse2011 (Feb 20, 2011)

Wet the string. Hallelujah! I quit making pom poms all together after wasting so much yarn on the last disaster. They were bulky yarn to finish off an earflap hat. So glad to find this tip. Thank you.


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## didough (May 30, 2011)

barcar said:


> Thanks! I'm making the Easter eggs from Morehouse and I need a nice looking pom pom.


I posted this a while back, which may be worth keeping:

http://www.knittin4britain.com/2010/12/in-search-of-perfect-pompon.html

ALSO, similar thing for making bows:

http://www.eskimimimakes.com/2012/03/fork-bows-how-to-tie-bow-using-fork.html


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## HaveNeedlesWillKnit (Jun 30, 2011)

Thank for the great tips!!! I will try the wet buttonhole twist thread and tie very tightly!


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## JEANNE STAUSS (Aug 29, 2011)

I use 2 heavy plastic rounds with a cut down to the middle on both - place 2 of them together with the slit opposite. Wind with same yarn as pompom - TIGHTLY - then cut between the two plastic disks and place the same piece of yarn in between the cuts (the 2 pieces of plastic)to make the knot. Tie the first part of the knot with a surgeon's knot, then the second one, to make a square knot, and pull the plastic pieces off - the slit makes it easier to remove them. The rounds of plastic are 2" and the inside cutout is about 1/2". Try it - I make them for the hospital and they have to wash them first, and the little threads never come out - I think it is the surgeon's knot, pulled tight, that does it. Good luck


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## onegrannygoose (May 13, 2011)

I can not state strongly enough DO NOT USE DENTAL FLOSS on your yarn. Many times it will cut your yarn. Perhaps not at first but give it time.It will cut it.
I use the yarn that is the same as the Pom-Pom for the the center tie I've never had one come apart. Good luck to you and Happy Knitting


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## didough (May 30, 2011)

onegrannygoose said:


> I can not state strongly enough DO NOT USE DENTAL FLOSS on your yarn. Many times it will cut your yarn. Perhaps not at first but give it time.It will cut it.
> I use the yarn that is the same as the Pom-Pom for the the center tie I've never had one come apart. Good luck to you and Happy Knitting


Sory, I didn't know dental floss was a problem, just thought it was strong enough not to break when tying very tight ... we live and learn, even if we are nearly 70 years old ....

Di


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## deeswoman (Feb 4, 2013)

To make a pompom I cust two circles of out of heavy paper, cardboard or the kind that's on the back of a writing tablet do nicely. Then I draw a smaller circle in the middle and poke through the center of that with whatever works, like a large eye darning needle, pulling it all the way through the two pieces of cardboard. With small sharply pointed scissors I cut out the smaller hole. Keeping the two circles together I then wind my yarn over and through evenly around until I can't get any more through the center hole, leaving the end of yarn at the larger perimeter of the cardboard pieces. With the same scissors I find my way between the two pieces of cardboard and begin cutting the yarn. Having gone all the way around I make a diagonal cut from the outer edge of the cardboard to the center and gently make some space between the two pieces so that I can tie a piece of yarn very tightly through the center of the pompom. Then remove the cardboard and you have a well rounded pompom, which can always be trimmwd where necessary. Good kluck. Julie from Tennessee.


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## purplelady (Aug 23, 2012)

A big key is the wetting,[ of cotton or other shrinkable material , as that allows the material to shrink, gets tighter that way.
bets


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

Buttons stay on longer when sewn with 6 strands of embroidery floss -- would that work for pompoms?

Also use the surgeon's knot -- think of tying a shoelace - yarn around yarn and then instead of making loops - wrap one end of the yarn twice around the other piece of yarn and tie tightly - it's less apt to come apart.

Also works with shoelaces that constantly come untied.


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## jo smith (Mar 10, 2013)

buy a pom pom maker !


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

Doesn't it have more to do with how the pom pom is tied than how the pom pom is made before it is tied?


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## purplelady (Aug 23, 2012)

true, but the maker is very helpful in the tie portion of making a pom pom.


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## damemary (Mar 14, 2012)

I crocheted the cherry with sock yarn and loved it.


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## MadelineB87 (Nov 5, 2019)

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