How to Make a Pom Pom with a Fork
Learn how to make a pom pom with a fork for beautiful, consistent results! If you loved this, you’ll want to learn how to make a faux fur pom pom too – perfect for your hats. This post contains affiliate links.
If you’ve been trying to make pom poms around your fingers, like I did for years, you’re definitely missing out on how to make a pom pom with a fork!
I recently discovered the fork method for making your own yarn pom poms and I’m in love. Today, I’m going to share with you the results using a few different types of yarn.
These pom poms are fabulous for so many crafts!
- Turn them into keychains
- Add them to knit and crochet projects
- Upgrade zipper pulls in projects like cosmetic or pencil cases
- Turn them into seasonal garlands
- Create funky and colorful jewelry
The possibilities are endless!
How to make a pom pom with a fork in three different sizes
One thing that I discovered when making a pom pom with a fork is that the size of the yarn will heavily influence the size of the final pom pom. While it might seem worthwhile to use a larger fork, you actually don’t need to.
While that will allow you larger strands, it’s also a bit harder to handle. I’m going to be sharing with you how to make a pom pom with a fork with different sized results derived from different sized yarns.
One of the things I learned was that the amount of times you wind your yarn around the fork depends less on your desired size and more on your yarn thickness. So the smaller pom poms used thinner yarn and were wound around more times. The larger used thicker yarn and were wound around fewer times.
Of course, winding it around more times will make your pom poms fuller, however it might be harder with thicker yarn. And I got my bigger pom pom more easily by using a thicker yarn.
The size of your final pom pom will heavily depend on the size you trim it as well!
I’m going to be comparing three types of yarn for you here. All of these were made using the same fork!
Making mini pom poms using dollar store yarn
For starters, I used Dollar Tree yarn. What you save in $$, you make up for in a thinner yarn. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and here, I got a really nice pom pom for jewelry crafts.
I wound it around about 80 times since it’s a very thin yarn. That is, quite frankly, a LOT!! However, it made an adorable little pom pom that I’m a little in love with!
Slightly larger pom poms using super saver type yarns
Slightly thicker, much fluffier, and far better quality than dollar store yarns, the Super Saver variety is probably the one you’re most used to seeing for crafts.
When you learn how to make a pom pom with a fork, you’ll find that this is a fabulous size. It’s perfect for pom pom crafts and other medium-sized uses, such as garlands and decor.
I wound this one around about 50 times, but you can definitely go for more if you’re trimming your pom pom a little larger!
Large pom poms with thicker, textured yarns (great for hats)
The final pom pom that I made uses textured yarn and is super fluffy, cozy, and the perfect size for hats!
I wound it around 40 times – and it was challenging to do so! It’s not huge, so if you want to make it larger, I would use a larger fork so that it can be wound around more. However, you definitely can make quite a large pom pom with a dinner fork.
Other large sized yarns (such as chenille) would work as well, however keep in mind that it does take up more space on the fork, so a larger fork is a good idea.
Of course, there will always be different methods and opinions for how to make a pom pom with a fork the best way possible. You may see slightly different methods out there.
I did try it a few ways and this way worked best for me, but definitely play around and discover what works best for you!
What you need to make easy DIY pom poms
- Yarn such as Super Saver or Homespun, depending on your project needs
- A regular dinner fork or, for larger pom poms, long barbecue forks
- Small scissors with a pointy edge, such as detail scissors
How to make a pom pom with a fork
1. Start by cutting a string of yarn a few inches long. Place it on the fork so that it sits in the same direction as the fork. This will be your tying string.
2. Start winding your string around your fork. Take the end of your skein and wind it around a few times.
3. Grasp the fork in your strong hand and the trailing yarn from the skein in the other. Holding the yarn in a comfortable position, turn the fork in circular motions to wind your yarn, between 40-80 times, depending on what you can fit on the fork.
As you wind, make sure the cross yarn remains free and doesn’t get tangled in.
4. When you’re done, tie the center yarn around the bundle loosely and trim from the skein.
5. This is the trickiest part. You need to double knot your yarn as tightly as possible. Start by pulling your knot you made before removing from the skein as tightly as possible. Hold that position bu pressing down on it and knot again.
6. Cut your loops using sharp, pointy scissors. Pointy scissors will help you get it into the loops well.
7. Fluff them out into a pom pom shape.
8. Now trim it as much as you can so that it makes a neat, fluffy pom pom!
I hope you loved this tutorial on how to make a pom pom with a fork! What will you be making with yours? Comment below!
How to Make a Pom Pom with a Fork
Instructions
1. Start by cutting a string of yarn a few inches long. Place it on the fork so that it sits in the same direction as the fork. This will be your tying string.
2. Start winding your string around your fork. Take the end of your skein and wind it around a few times.
3. Grasp the fork in your strong hand and the trailing yarn from the skein in the other. Holding the yarn in a comfortable position, turn the fork in circular motions to wind your yarn, between 40-80 times, depending on what you can fit on the fork.
As you wind, make sure the cross yarn remains free and doesn't get tangled in.
4. When you're done, tie the center yarn around the bundle loosely and trim from the skein.
5. This is the trickiest part. You need to double knot your yarn as tightly as possible. Start by pulling your knot you made before removing from the skein as tightly as possible. Hold that position bu pressing down on it and knot again.
6. Cut your loops using sharp, pointy scissors. Pointy scissors will help you get it into the loops well.
7. Fluff them out into a pom pom shape.
8. Now trim it as much as you can so that it makes a neat, fluffy pom pom!
Notes
One thing that I discovered when making a pom pom with a fork is that the size of the yarn will heavily influence the size of the final pom pom. While it might seem worthwhile to use a larger fork, you actually don't need to. While that will allow you larger strands, it's also a bit harder to handle.
One of the things I learned was that the amount of times you wind your yarn around the fork depends less on your desired size and more on your yarn thickness. So the smaller pom poms used thinner yarn and were wound around more times. The larger used thicker yarn and were wound around more times.
Of course, winding it around more times will make your pom poms fuller, however it might be harder with thicker yarn. And I got my bigger pom pom more easily by using a thicker yarn.
The size of your final pom pom will heavily depend on the size you trim it as well.
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