How to - 5 Great Pom Pom Crafts

I just love Pom Poms! They're easy to make and can be turned into so many things.

All you need to make them is yarn, scissors and some form of Pom Pom maker.  You might want extra bits, such as wiggly eyes, pipe cleaners and felt, to turn them into creatures

As a child, Pom Poms were made using 2 circles of cardboard. Of course, you can still make them this way but I thoroughly recommend the new Pom Pom makers that split in the middle and make Pom Pom making so much easier. They also come in lots of different sizes to. You can buy these from most yarn and craft shops as well as online.

Pom Pom Animals

Pom Poms are great for creating animals. From bunnies to sheep, cats to octopuses, just add some wiggly eyes, bits of felt and pipe cleaners and you've got yourselves a menagerie of creatures! 

Pom Pom Monsters

If animals aren't your thing, why not create some monsters? Let your imagination run wild and create some truly scary monsters. Combine yarn colours, Pom Pom sizes, add lots of eyes in different sizes, create multiple arms with pipe cleaners. Before you know it, monsters will be taking over your home. 

Check out this great tutorial - http://thepurplepug.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/yarn-pom-pom-monster-tutorial.html

Pom Pom Garland

These are just perfect for decorating your room or even the garden. 

Make lots if Pom Poms in different colours. When you tie the middle, leave a long tail to attach them to one long piece of yarn. String them up everywhere and enjoy.

Pom Pom Flowers

Another great decoration for any room.

You'll need lots of Pom Poms, sticks (the ones you use in the garden are great or, if you want a more natural look, why not go out and collect some?) and some glue.  Just blue your Poms Poms to the top of the sticks, leave to dry and then display in a beautiful vase.

Pom Pom Book Marks

You can never gave too many bookmarks and these mark your pages perfectly.

You'll need Pom Poms, lollipop sticks (you can buy these from craft stores and the children's craft section in the supermarket) and glue. Just glue your Pom Poms to the top of the lollipop stick, leave to dry and then enjoy.  You could turn your Pom Poms into animals or monsters! 

How to Finger Crochet

                       

The summer holidays are well under way here in Wigan!

Sadly, the weather isn't what it should be: it's raining, cold and I've had to put a wooly cardigan on as I refuse to turn the heating on in July.

Miserable weather doesn't have to mean miserable children. There are lots of exciting art and craft activities you can do at home that will keep your little ones (and yourself) entertained. 

Finger Crochet

Finger crochet is a fantastic introduction to crochet. Children often find it tricky to co-ordinate the hook and yarn and finger crochet offers them a way try it out.  I taught finger crochet as part of a family learning session last year, and the children lived making great long chains which they then plaited together to make necklaces and scarves they adored wearing. 

All you need to get started is some yarn and your fingers! You want something quite substantial and thick: chunky yarn, a few strands of finer yarn held together or you could even cut up an old tshirt or  fabric to make your own yarn! 

This is a great video, showing you how to finger crochet. I recommend that you just stick with the chaining for children (shown at the start of the video). How to work into the stitches is shown later in the video, great for teenagers and for yourself as I'm sure you'll be joining in to! 

Once you get started, there's no limit to what you can create - from one skein scarves to beautiful rugs -  there'll be no stopping those crocheting fingers.

Felting with Children

Last week was awesome! I was lucky enough to spend the entire week working with Lowton Junior and Infants School in Wigan on an enormous felt wall hanging.

The theme was New Beginnings, as they had just had a large amount of building work done, and the hanging was for the new entrance to the school. We decided to create a garden with flowers and insects in lots of beautiful bright school, some sparkle and beads.

I worked with every child in the school to make individual pieces for it. We made various flowers, bees, butterflies, caterpillars, snails, leaves and even a frog! Reception did a follow me style workshop while Year 6 worked from photographs, identifying shape and colour.  Year 5 and 6 also helped to blend the background using drum careers - they found this very exciting - and to put it all together and felt it.

I took it away to dry (which took some time) and then to add a bit of stitching and a few beads to enhance it (I was very careful not to do to much as I wanted it to be theirs).

I went in yesterday to hang it and it looks so beautiful, Working with the children was amazing! They loved the process, getting wet and making bubbles. They all made a piece they where proud of and can now spend hours hunting for their little work of art.  It is such a tactile piece and I'm pleased to say that the children will be encouraged to touch it - if we want to they surely will! 

Here are a few photographs of the children's work! 

     

      Fabulous flowers by Year 3 and 4

     Bees and ladybirds by Reception

    Flowers by Year 5 - working from photographs 

    

    Beautiful butterfly by a very talented Year 6 child

    Such a little character!

    

     The completed wall hanging - the collective work of 150 creative and talented children