Santa Pom Poms - Red Ted Art

Do you love making pom poms? We certainly do, they are a super fun craft to make all year around.. but for some reason, pom poms are especially lovely at Christmas! Of course, you can make bold one color pom poms to hang in your christmas tree and add as decorations to your gifts.. but what if you upped your pom pom making skills and learned how to make pattern pom poms?? Yes, that is right, making striped pom poms or color block pom poms isn’t actually as hard as it looks.. when you know how. Today, we get to share with you how to make this fantastic Santa Pom Pom and learn how to hone your color block making skills! Any of these pom poms would be amazing as part of a Christmas Ornament Exchange too!

how to make patterned christmas pom poms

Please note: this project has been reproduced with permission from the publisher and is not allowed to be republished in any way, without their consent. It is for personal use only.

Also note: affiliate links have been added to this post – should you choose to purchase via these, I will earn a small commission that goes towards the upkeep of this site!Pom Pom Pom Christmas – the book

Pom Pom Pom Christmas by Henry Le

how to make patterned pom poms christmas

Credit: Pom Pom Pom Christmas by Henry Le, GMC Publications, RRP £16.99, available online and from all good bookshops.

If you haven’t connected with Henry Le on Instagram, then you really must! Henry is the genius pom pom making artists and if you thought you know how to pom pom… well, Henry takes it to the next level. That said, he is always generous to share is pom pom making skills and hasn’t written just one, but three pom pom books. And today is all about the Pom Pom Pom Christmas book – 40 festive pompoms to make.

This really is the ultimate guide for Christmas Pom Pom making!!

It has everything you need to know. From how to make pattern pom poms to how to shape a pom pom to how to make the cutest pom pom details. Whether you want to make striped pom poms, speckled pom poms, or pom poms with pictures snoemen, santas and gingerbread men. Whether you want a delicate snowflake pom pom or a pom pom shaped liked a gift..

You can learn it all in this wonderful book, that is packed with detailed step by step photos as well as illustrations to help with the pom pom pattern making.

Today, we have a go at the Santa’s Belt Pom Pom – we chose this as a sample project, as it gives you an insight to the detailed instructions you will receive, plus how you add little details to your pom poms (the buttons) and tidy them up for that perfect finish. It is a great introduction to patterned pom pom making and I am sure it will whet your appetite for having a go at the rest of the 40 festive pom pom designs.

So.. before we move along..

You can buy Pom Pom Pom Christmas from Gifts to Me for only £13.5 (+P&P)! Usual RRP £16.99
Visit giftstome.co.uk and use the offer code R6255

Offer ends 31st March 2027

Grab yourself a copy of Pom Pom Pom Christmas on Amazon and all good bookstore!

Pompom making supplies

Pompom making requires very few tools and materials. Those you’ll need are listed below.

Pompom Makers

There are a variety of pompom makers with different shapes on the market. I recommend that beginners use a pompom maker with two sets of semicircular arms, such as the brand I use, Clover, from Japan. I have been using these pompom makers since I started making my very first pompoms,
and I have found that they are high-quality, durable and easy to use. If you can’t get this type of pompom maker, you can use whatever type of pompom maker that you have, or you can make your own with cardboard. However, it will be more convenient if your pompom makers look similar to
mine and are a similar size.

The best set of four clover pom pom makers (you won’t need the very large one in this set for the book – but the set if a good price)
The mini pom pom maker (this is needed for projects like the snowman and the christmas tree – but not for our sample Santa Belt Pom Pom)
You can also make your own cardboard pom pom maker – but it may take a little trial and error to match Henry’s pom pom sizes (especially relevant for the number of wraps!).

Scissors

I highly recommend using 41/2in (115mm) Clover Patchwork mini scissors, which are small, very sharp and great quality. The pointed tip allows fine cutting and perfect trimming, and it’s worth investing in a pair. If you use other scissors, avoid using big scissors such as fabric or kitchen scissors as these might make your hand tired after trimming for a while. And don’t forget to make sure the blades are sharp.

Tweezers

You will need a pair of pointy tweezers to help you arrange your pom pom strands for the perfect neat edges. This is the key and “secret” to great looking patterned pom poms.

Black thread

I recommend using black 2-ply thread with 100% cotton. You can also use black darning thread – just make sure the thread is not too thin or too thick.

Glue

Adding small details, if often best done, with a little extra yarn and glue (you will see and example of this below.

Health and safety

As a precaution, it’s best to wear a face mask when you are trimming pompoms to avoid inhaling the lint.

In the Book You will be given additional information for:

As this is only a taster project, I can’t of course share EVERYTHING from the book, but I did want to highlight that it has very detailed and helpful “front section”, give you lots of extra tips for pom pom success. This includes:

How to read the diagrams
How to make a basic motif
Common mistakes at the last stage of wrapping
How to tie the pompom
Tips on trimming and adjusting yarn ends
How to add a yarn bundle
How to turn the pom pom into an ornament (different ways of hanging the pom pom)

As mentioned, if you would like this fantastic additional information, please do head over to Amazon and grab yourself a copy of this delightful book!

Make your own Santa Claus pom poms

Pom Pom Maker Size

You will need the Clover pom pom maker size 65mm (approx 2 1/2 inches) – the turquoise one in this set of clover pom pom makers.

Yarn colours

Pure Black (101)
Rose Red (113)
Mustard Yellow (123)

Here is a graphic from the book – to show you how you get additional info, the better you get at making patterned pom poms. However, as a beginner, I would follow the step by step photos below!

Follow the diagram to make the basic pompom.

Upper:
1. Mustard Yellow: 6 rounds, 1 layer.
2. Pure Black: 22 rounds, 2 layers.
3. Mustard Yellow: 40 rounds, 2 layers.
4. Pure Black: 30 rounds, 2 layers.

how to make colorful christmas pom poms santa

5. Pure Black: 30 rounds, 2 layers.
6. Rose Red: 272 rounds.

Lower:
7. Pure Black: 90 rounds, 2 layers.
8. Rose Red: 310 rounds.

9. After cutting and tying the pompom, remove it from the pompom maker.
10. Use tweezers to adjust the black yarn area to make it straight. This creates the strap.
11. Then trim the pompom into a round shape about 23/4in (7cm) in diameter. Use tweezers to adjust the yarn ends to create the Santa’s belt motif.

12. & 13. To make the buttons, use the technique on page 50 to add a white yarn bundle.
14. Use tweezers to open the area above the buckle.
15. Add some adhesive to the yarn bundle

16. & 17. Put it into the pompom. Cut off the excess yarn.
18. Repeat this step to make two more spots for the other buttons.

And done! You have made your very own Santa Pom Pom ornament!! I hope you have learnt a LOT from Henry with this fantastic Christmas pom pom making project. There is so much more to pom poms than “just” our childhood pom pom memories!