DIY Beaded Pom Pom Wall Hanging
Today on the blog we’re throwing it back to 2017 craft project vibes with a Beaded Pom Pom Wall Hanging! Can you believe that after five years of teaching how to make pom poms here at TNTP, this is our first pom pom wall hanging DIY on our blog?! I’d say it’s about time!
There are so many reasons to love this project: it only takes a few supplies but yields major impact; the more random you are with your color/bead choices, the more fun it looks (read: thinking less = better results. COUNT US IN!); and it’s an awesome project to do with kids.
To get that intentionally “random” look with your beads, our Bead Blend pony bead jars are key! We are pretty obsessed with pony beads and hand-pick each bead style that makes its way into our Bead Blend jars. With each jar you’ll find a playful mix of shapes and colors that you can’t find in your average craft store bead container — trust us, we’ve looked!
When crafting with our Bead Blends, you’ll find that no matter what order you put the beads together, the pattern will look fabulous every time!
While I think this playful wall hanging would look super sweet in a children’s space like my daughter Sofie’s bedroom, I decided my office deserved some fresh pom pom wall hanging love — and I’m obsessed with the vibe it brings to the room! (Pro Tip: Youthful craft projects can add massive amounts of joy to a grown-up space. 😉 )
Alright, let’s get crafting!
DIY BEADED POM POM WALL HANGING
YOU’LL NEED:
FOR POM POMS…
- Yarn* (We used Favorito for this project, but Omegacryl would look equally awesome!)
- Loome tool*
- Strong string such as embroidery floss*
- Trim Guides*
- Sharp scissors
- Tray or bowl to catch trimmings
FOR THE WALL HANGING…
- Pom poms
- Pony beads
- Worsted weight yarn
- Yarn needle*
- Wooden dowel or sturdy stick
- Scissors
HOW TO MAKE COLORFUL POM POMS
Colorful “haphazard” pom poms, as I call them, have no rhyme or reason to their patterning. In fact, just like the beads you choose to string between each pom, the less you think about the colors you wrap to make your pom pom, the more fun they’ll turn out!
My favorite approach to making colorful haphazard pom poms is to use yarn scraps and small, leftover quantities of yarn. You can even undo small crochet or knitting swatches or unfinished projects to repurpose yarn that’s collecting dust. If you don’t have these sorts of bits lying around, you can also use regular ol’ yarn in a smattering of colors.
To get haphazard patterning, wrap a little bit of each color at a time, and even wrap a few different colors at once, switching off as you go, wrapping a little of this and a little of that around your pom pom tool until you have a nice plump bundle of yarn.
Check out our tutorial on how to make pom poms to learn how to tie and trim them to perfection! You can find more fun pom pom pattern instructions here!
HOW TO MAKE A WALL HANGING
Begin your project by tying as many strands of yarn to a dowel or stick as you’d like. Make sure your yarn strands are at least 1 foot longer than your desired strand length so that you have plenty of extra string with which to tie a knot at the bottom. You can tie each strand to your dowel/stick with a double knot, leaving a tail with enough length to thread them into the beads at the top of each strand. More on that later!
Add pony beads and pom poms to each strand using a dull yarn needle. When adding pom poms, we recommend poking at your pom pom with the needle until the pom pom slides on. Before pushing the pom onto the strand of yarn, eyeball the needle sticking out of the pom to make sure the pom pom is centered. Adjust as needed, then push the pom onto the yarn when it’s good to go!
Tip for crafting with kiddos: Below the eye of the needle, you can tie the two ends of yarn together to keep the needle from falling off. The pony beads and pom poms should slide right over the knot.
Repeat with each strand of yarn until you’re happy with your design! You can stagger your beads and pom poms so that the poms are positioned at different heights and don’t bump into each other. We also recommend ending each strand with a pom pom to add weight to the bottom and ensure beads don’t slide off. Here’s how we recommend tying a thick knot below each pom pom:
Below each pom pom, begin a knot just like you would a regular knot by crossing the end of the yarn over itself and looping the tail through. Then, wrap the tail around the outside of the loop multiple times, as in the third photo above.
Stick your yarn needle into the center of the loop and gently pull the loop closed, then push it (with the needle still in the center) up to meet the pom pom. Give one last gentle tug and remove the needle. Finish the knot by cutting off the excess tail.
However you tie your knot, make sure you tie a thick knot so that the pom pom and beads don’t fall off! You can also add a dab of hot glue to your knot to make it thick and secure.
You’ll want a clean finish at the top of each strand as well. Use your yarn needle once more to thread the tail into a few of the top beads. Pull the tail through and trim the excess.
The last step is to tie a strand of hanging string to either end of the dowel. Secure each end with a double knot and trim the excess tail. For extra security, you can add a dab of clear craft glue to each knot.
And there you have a joyful beaded pom pom wall hanging to add a big dose of happy to any space! As I conclude writing this blog post from my office desk, my beloved new pom pom wall hanging is making me smile and has me wondering why it took me this long to make one!
