Handmade Pom Pom Bookmarks

Long, long ago in a land about seven minutes from where we live now, I learned how to make pom poms with yarn. It’s a skill all little girls need to have to survive in this world, as there are so many uses for them, and this adorable bookmark is just one of them. When I was growing up, I made puppies and bears with these pom poms, but - sadly - my googly eye collection is sadly lacking these days.

I also remember using a homemade yarn wrapper made of a piece of wood and dowel, adjustable to different sizes and shapes. I’m not sure where that amazing contraption is now, so I just use my fingers. Each pom pom is wrapped 60 times.

Then I slip it off and pinch the center before cutting it off the skein.

The secret now is to wrap it as super-tight as possible to keep it all in one piece when the cutting begins. Super. Tight. Says the voice of experience. The pictures aren’t pretty. 

Once the loops are cut, a little fluffing and a little trimming creates this adorable pom pom! I cut the yarn about a foot and a half long because there is more to come.

And...repeat. I used three pom poms for each bookmark, so I added some pretty reddish-pink yarn in for the fun of it.

These colors make me smile.

And to finish it off, I braid the three ends together. Another skill learned in childhood that has so many applications!

There you have it - the cutest handmade bookmark ever! Because I have four skeins of yarn in these two colors, I’m going to make as many as I can in the coming months and include them in our Christmas Shoeboxes this winter. What a sweet thought that these could go across the world and make a child smile, too.