These paper poms are perfect for party decorations! They can be made in any color or size so you could use them to decorate a birthday party, baby shower, hen do or even a summer BBQ. Hang them from ceilings, beams, or curtain rails, or add them to a wall display. Once you have mastered your first paper pom, you’ll want to make them for any celebration.
Paper Poms
Paper Poms
You will need
(makes 1 pom, 14in / 35cm in diameter)
8 sheets 20 x 30in (50 x 75cm) colored tissue paper
60in (1.5m) white or colored ribbon, 1⁄4in (5mm) wide (alternatively you can use fishing line)
Scissors
(Keep the tissue-paper trimmings from rounding the ends and use them as confetti!)
1. Lay out your eight sheets of tissue paper on top of each other and cut them in half—you should be able to use an existing fold line as a guide to cut them evenly in two. Place all the sheets together (you should now have 16 layers of paper). Starting at one of the shorter ends and keeping the stack of paper together, fold over approximately 11⁄4in (3.5cm).
2. Turn the stack of paper over and make the next fold, using the first fold you made as a guide. Continue in this way, making concertina-style folds along the whole length of paper. Make sure the folds are even—you will soon get to know how wide 11⁄4in (3.5cm) is by eye! Don’t worry if you end on a “half” fold, as this can simply be trimmed off.
3. Tie your length of ribbon around the middle of the pleated tissue paper to hold the folds in place.
4. Now you need to cut the ends of each fold into rounded petals. Work on just one fold at a time to make cutting easier and to stop the paper from tearing or scrunching up. Start by cutting a diagonal line about 1⁄4in (5mm) from one corner of the fold and make the cut about 11⁄4in (3.5cm) long. Use the first cut as your guide for the subsequent cuts.
5. When you have made all the diagonal cuts, start cutting the ends into rounded shapes. Pinch the top of the folds between your thumb and forefinger and use your forefinger top knuckle as a guide for the scissors to rest on.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 at the other end of your pleated tissue paper. Make sure your pom is even on both sides by checking the ribbon placement or by fanning open the pom and seeing if it looks unbalanced.
7. You are now ready to unfurl! Fan out both sides of the pom and pull up the first layer on either side outward and as far into the central knot as possible. If the first layer isn’t pulled up into the center point, it will be difficult to open the pom into a lovely round shape and the result will be a slightly oval-shaped pom.
8. Keep pulling up the layers on this first “quarter” of the pom until they are all opened out.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 on the opposite side.
10. Turn the pom over and repeat steps 7–9 until all the layers are open and you have a lovely, even, round ball.
