Valentine’s Day has always been one of my favourite holidays, single or not. I don’t know if it’s the abundance of red and pink that light up retail displays everywhere I look, the smell of fresh blooms (spring, is that you?!) or the fact that we actually celebrate a holiday based on the most beautiful thing in the world, LOVE, but either way I’m a sucker for St. Valentine.

I’m always looking for an excuse to craft, and with Valentine’s Day around the corner what better time to put a little extra love into some DIY projects. This week has been filled with trips to Michaels (I honestly wish I could buy the entire store) and Dollarama, so stay tuned for some of my favourite DIY projects this holiday. I decided to create my own pom pom garland this year, and holy batman, it is way easier than it looks! Get ready to surprise your friends or significant other with this one-of-a-kind, handmade garland, strung with love!

What You Need

1. Yarn – I went to Michael’s and picked up the most cost effective yarn I could find in the colours I liked. You don’t need anything fancy. I used this brand, this brand and this brand.
2. Sharp scissors – If your scissors at home are on the dull side, you can pick-up a pair of sewing scissors at Dollarama for less than $2.
3. Needle and Thread – If you don’t have a needle and thread, you can pick-up a set at Dollarama for $2.50.
4. Your hand.

 

How to Decorate

Wrap the yarn around your hand 150 times. Be careful not to make it too tight (my fingers turned blue a couple times, oops). If you want multi-coloured pom poms, use two pieces of thread (one in each colour) and wrap around your hand 80 times instead of 150. The more you wrap, the larger your pom pom will be. For smaller pom poms, try wrapping the yarn around a fork, or two fingers only.

Once you’ve wrapped the yarn, gently pull it off your hand.

Cut a piece of yarn and lay it on a flat surface. Put your bundle of yarn on top.

Tie the piece of yarn around the entire bunch (do not string the yarn through the middle). Tie a tight knot a few times to prevent the yarn from unraveling.

Take scissors and cut the yarn through the middle. Repeat on the other side.

Trim the longer pieces of yarn until you get to your desired pom pom shape.

Put thread through needle, and poke through each pom pom until you have your desired garland length.

TIP – If you want to use the pom poms for decorating presents, make sure the piece of yarn you use to tie the bunch is long enough to wrap around your present.

Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day lovies!

xo, Kiki