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POM MAKER TUTORIAL

The best way to tie a pom pom

Learn the secret to a fluffy and tightly pulled pom pom

POM MAKER TUTORIAL

The best way to tie a pom pom

Learn the secret to a fluffy and tightly pulled pom pom

Tying your pompom well is one of the keys to making a perfect fluffy and dense pompom. A loose center means a sad pompom!

If you’ve ever wondered why sometimes your pompom looks loose regardless of many layers of patiently wrapped yarn or ever struggled to pull that thread so hard only for it to loosen again, you’ll love this method!

The pom pom challenge

Your pompom needs to be tied as tight as possible for all the yarn to gather closely in the center to make it as dense as it can be. Don’t trim excessive amounts of yarn when you can pull the yarn tighter to the center first.

You pompom will be stronger and longer lasting and you can minimise the amount of trimming. However this essential step is not as straightforward as it should be.

Well, this is now all history. We’ve discovered waxed thread, tested to perfection and we’re very happy to say the method below is the ultimate answer to tying a pompom – it’s THE BEST way!

Watch our video and read more below. We’re pretty sure that this will be a cherished secret to your perfect pompoms from now on. : )

What is waxed thread and why it's the best thing ever to tie your pompoms?

We’ve tried tying our pompoms with every thread around. Eventually we came across some waxed cord which worked wonders without slipping back, but they were too thick. To cut a long story short, after ordering multiple types of waxed threads from around the world, we found Fil Au Chinois waxed linen thread from France, which is the best thing ever. We’re using this for all of our pompom making now. No more loose pompoms, no more frustrating manoeuvres, no more insecure knots! (ie. knots that don’t feel good about themselves)

Ok, so what’s so special?

Waxed linen thread is very strong linen thread dipped in beeswax and starch. Very cool. It’s normally used for jewellery making and leather work… and now for pompom making!

Because of the mixture of wax & starch, the surface is ‘waxy’ (it’s not sticky to the touch at all) and it feels smooth. When you loop the thread a few times, there’s a point when enough friction is caused between the surfaces that the thread stops slipping back.

We ran many tests and the magic number seems to be 3. If you loop the waxed thread 3 times,  it will stop slipping back and stay in the position that you pulled it. You can then simply add a knot or two to secure it without your pompom loosening during the process.

So we call it the rule of three. Every time we make a pompom, small or big, we make three simple loops, pull tight and tie a knot. Spot on every time!

If your thread still slips back after 3 loops in odd cases, just add more loops until it stops slipping. Simple!

About Fil Au Chinois

This special brand deserves more mention. Fil Au Chinois has been manufacturing high quality linen thread in France since 1847! Sewing machines didn’t even exist then.  It’s still manufactured in France and the name reflects a time past when everything from China was exotic and super hot in Europe. Silk, teas, beautiful ceramics and prints… everything from The Orient inspired countless artists at that time. 

We tried many other waxed threads, some were made of polyester (this for the dental floss as well), some probably with petroleum based wax, some were too thick, most of them just didn’t have the appeal and quality of Fil Au Chinois.

Fil Au Chinois threads on Pom Maker are 100% linen thread made with beeswax, manufactured in France by a historical company.

And it makes pompom making a breeze!

What more can a pom maker ask for?

26 replies to “The best way to tie a pom-pom

  1. Where did you get your wooden pom pom maker. I have the plastic clover ones and I feel like they do not work as well. Please feel free to email me at [ deleted ]. Thanks!

    • Hi Michelle
      Thanks for your interest! We make and sell them here : ) Please click the ‘shop’ link on the top menu. I’ll also drop you an email (and I’ll delete your email address here as you may get spam mails)

  2. Were do you get the pom maker from ive got loads but never seen these . X

    • We make and sell them here : ) Please click the ‘shop’ link on the top menu. Hope you try it! We designed it after making pompoms for years ourselves!

  3. Hi! I want to order a donut but i need different sizes. You only have one size donut? .. so i can make one size pom pom? You send order to Europe? Thank you

  4. Hello I would like to send me many emails so I can learn more to make pom pom

    • Please subscribe to our mailing list! Thanks : )

  5. Awesome, haven’t ordered a donut yet, doing EXTENSIVE research before hand because it would essentially spend all my savings currently(I get two bucks a week allowance wise, and have 19.50, over a month of saving) and was really interested in anything and everything people have had to say about it. Ive always had trouble with the Insecure Knots, and was excited to learn about this, Thank You for an Awesome way of doing this, so far no problems found with the donut, except which flavor to choose :)

    • Thank you so much! Yes, I’m so familiar with the trouble with insecure knots too : ) this is a great solution, some pom pom makers have said it’s a game changer ; )

  6. Hello,
    Thankyou for this page on tying pom poms. I am working on three small pom pom rugs for my three young nieces , and it’s important to me that they don’t get pulled apart immediately.
    All the pom rug tutorials use the same yarn for tying, but I find a lot of the yarns a tad slippery, wich brings me around to my question.
    The thread you talk about sounds great, but I am low income, and on a budget (also had nooo idea how much yarn it takes to make a rug) and i am concerned that one spool would not get the job finished .
    So, how many poms can one make with one spool?
    And would you possibly have advice on a runner up, more economical product?
    Thank you for your time,
    New pom convert, hooked for life:)
    I

  7. I ordered one and it came very quickly. I love this thing! The video on tying the knots really helped.

  8. Hello
    What sought of yarn do you use to make your pom poms.
    Thanks
    Cindy

  9. Hi What type of wool do you use to make the Pom Pom shown in the You Tube video. Many thanks Mel (please can you delete my email from the message )

  10. Where can one get the waxed thread locally for tying and how many spools does one need. Can I use a white for which ever colour of yarn I’m using or do i need the same colour yarn that I’m using

  11. I use waxed dental floss. It works pretty much the same way.

  12. Hi, where can I purchase the small rounds of waxed thread?

  13. Interesting! Do you sell a ‘set’ of the wax thread (star card size)?

    • Hi Shelly
      Sorry, we don’t have a set, just individual ones… we’ll consider a set.
      Thanks!

  14. Hi,
    Please how do I get the wax thread and the pompom maker? I need them….

  15. I would like to get a Pom maker and the waxed thread.

  16. Where can I obtain a Pom maker and waxed thread?

  17. What is the best yarn to use, I started off making pom poms from wool, but it kept on falling apart & bits of wool was everywhere. Please can you help me. Thank you in advance.

  18. Do you not sell your Pom Pom makers anymore? Your shop button doesn’t work.

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