Pom-poms for purses—craft quick and easy bag charms in no time

Bag charm from pompoms—supplies:

Bag charm from pompoms—instructions:

1. Lift both arms on one side of the pompom maker and wrap them fully with yarn, as shown.

2. Repeat the same steps for the other side of the maker. When both sides are wrapped with yarn, insert the tips of sharp scissors between the yarn and the maker, and cut the yarn little by little on both sides.

3. Cut about 20 cm (8 in) of yarn and wrap it around the center of the pompom maker twice. Pull it tight so the yarn is pulled inside the maker. Tie at least three tight knots. Open the maker by first lifting the arms. Then grab the center of the tool and pull the arms away from each other to release the pompom. Trim the pompom into a round shape by cutting evenly on all sides. You can also make pompoms using a fork or cardboard circles.

4. Make a tassel pompom by wrapping yarn around your palm about 60 times. Thread a piece of fishing line through the top of the tassel, then carefully remove the wrapped yarn from your hand. Tie a few tight knots in the fishing line. Wrap more yarn around the tassel neck and secure it neatly with a wrap knot.

5. Cut the loops at the end of the tassel and trim them evenly. A quick spray of fragrance-free hairspray on the finished pompoms keeps the strands in place.

6. If you’re making a shoulder bag charm, create one large pompom, three small pompoms, and three tassels. Assemble the charm by starting with the tassel that goes at the bottom. Take a piece of fishing line, fold it double, and make a knot on one end. Thread it onto the needle and insert the needle first through the tassel from below, then through the small pompom. Add beads to the line, and repeat the same steps for all three small pompoms and tassels. Pass all the lines through the eye of the needle at once and insert them through the large pompom together. Divide the lines into two groups and tie a few knots. The knots disappear inside the pompom once you pull them tight.

7. You can attach the lobster clasp directly to the fishing lines you just tied, or use a separate metal chain. In this version, one end of the chain is tied to the pompom with the fishing lines. Feed the lines once more through the pompom with the needle and tie a few more knots. Then trim the ends.

Colorful backpack charm from pompoms—supplies:

Colorful backpack charm from pompoms—instructions:

1. A colorful backpack charm or keychain is made with multicolored pompoms. To create them, wrap the pompom maker with different colors of yarn in sections. Otherwise, assemble the backpack charm in the same way as above.

2. Tie a double strand of fishing line to the lobster clasp for the backpack charm.

3. Thread beads onto one end of the fishing line. Use letter beads to spell a fun message or your name. Pass the other fishing line end through the needle’s eye. Insert the needle through the pompoms and tie it to the line that runs down the middle.