Ostara Craft: DIY Tissue Paper Pom-Poms

Seasonal baking and crafting are my favourite elements of any celebration, so with Easter coming up this weekend I thought I would share a suitably Springlike craft with you: DIY tissue paper pom-poms. I first made my own a few years ago after trying and failing to track some down in the colours I wanted, and discovered you could make them yourself via Pinterest (here). After a bit of trial and error, I developed the below method: they’re easier to make than they might look, and are cheaper than the shop bought version – I made six for £2.20, from two packs of tissue paper. To make two large and four small tissue paper pom-poms, you will need:

2 x 5 sheet pack of sustainable tissue paper
Thin craft wire or baker’s twine
Scissors and a ruler.

1) Flatten out one pack of tissue paper – you should have five sheets in your stack.

2) Make folds (approx 2.5 cm wide) along the length of the paper, like an accordion, creasing with each turn.

3) Once folded, cut the strip into two pieces: one 15 cm long and one 36 cm long.

4) Take the 15 cm piece. Open, then fold in half lengthways, then cut along the fold to make two stacks.

5) Refold the pleats so that they’re about half the size, as these will make the wee pom-poms.

6) Next, use the floral wire or baker’s twine and tie firmly around the middle of the refolded tissue paper.

7) Using your scissors, curve the edges of the tissue paper so it will make a nice scalloped shape when unfolded.

8) Very gently pull the top layer of tissue paper up and towards the middle. It helps if you start pulling at the bottom rather than top, as the paper tears easily!

9)Separate the layers one at a time, pulling gently towards the middle. Repeat until you’ve fluffed out all the layers.

10)Repeat the process for the second small pom-pom, and then the big one, then repeat the whole thing again with your second pack of tissue paper to create six pom-poms altogether. You can use them to decorate surfaces or attach more twine round the middle to hang them.

For fuller pom-poms, you could add more sheets of paper. If you accidentally tear your pom-pom while you're separating the tissue, don't worry - there are so many layers that it will blend in - I bet only you will notice! Practice makes perfect.