Pompoms!

I'm back on the POMPOM train!!!  I don't know where the last week and half went, so don't even ask.  But here we are on Monday and the pompomery is rolling and I have just the cutest little pompom project that is perfect for fall.  Tiny acorn pompoms, yes, tiny acorn pompoms!!!

Mark and I went to an awesome park last week and found tons of acorns.  I knew I "needed" to bring a bunch of them home for projects, squirrel feeding, etc...  Luckily for me my husband understands (and accepts) my madness and he helped me gather a bunch of them.  *Side note:  I go for quantity and Mark goes for quality, finding perfect specimens while I just get as many in the bag as I can carry.  We are a perfect team!

After a bunch of the acorns became disconnected from their little caps, I decided that an acorn cap plus a pompom would equal total fall cuteness!  

I mean seriously, are these not just the cutest little acorns!?!  I love them and they are just the easiest to make.  You can make a pompom, which is what I did, but you could also just glue a pre-made pompom from the craft store onto the cap.  I made a tiny hole with a drill bit so that I can hang them from a piece of yarn.  But you don't need to do that if you just want to put them in a bowl.

Get going, go find some acorns, it is pompom acorn season!

It's a Wrap!

I am tired of paying for gift wrap!  I am tired of not having it when I need it, I am tired of having to store it when I do have it, and I am tired of paying $5 for a card, not to mention wrapping paper, ribbon, etc...

I took a stand this weekend!  No more buying of gift wrap!!!  It was my mother in laws birthday, so I decided to paint a shopping bag to use for her gift.  I dolled it up with a bunch of flowers and then painted a card.  

Look how cute it all came out!
And btw, it didn't take any longer than it would take to go to the store to buy gift wrap!

Flowers on the front and on the back.

Do you recognize those ribbon handles?  It's an old Anthropologie bag!  I thought about putting a different ribbon in for the handles, but I got side tracked making the card.

I got the idea to make my own cards from all of the cool kids who make their own cards for birthday parties!  I just love making them! 

 Would you ever paint your old shopping bags and make your own cards?

Yea!

What happened to PomPom Week???

Life happened, that's what!

But don't you worry, PomPom week will happen, but it looks like next week is actually PomPom week.  I have no idea how I got that mixed up!!!  :)

By the way, I found this graphic on pinterest, I pinned it, but the link led nowhere, so I don't know the original source.  But boy does it speak to me!

What are you doing this weekend?  I have a dear friend from high school visiting me.  We are going to spend the entire day on Sunday here, I can't wait!!!  And maybe we will eat here, it's one of my favorites!  Or here!

PomPoms!

I LOVE POMPOMS!

It's true, I LOVE pompoms!  There, I said it, and now it is in writing, although I am sure this comes as NO surprise to anyone who knows me, or anyone who has seen me, or has stepped into my house!  In fact, during one marathon pompom making session here at Factory 506, my friend Shane named my patio table "The Pompomery"!  I love it, and the term has stuck.  

I have been making, finding and buying pompoms for more years than I can remember.   I may or may not have even gotten some of the neighborhood crafting wizards in on this affliction  hobby!   I most likely have a serious problem, but it is one of those harmless issues that keeps me happy.  Pompoms make me happy, very happy!  In fact, they make me so happy that I am declaring this week, POMPOM WEEK!!!

Let's begin with the latest batch from the Pompomery!

I love how my stick star looks all dressed in pompoms!  

It is super easy to make pompoms. You can make them by hand with just a bunch of yarn or you can buy a pompom maker, better yet, a set of pompom makers in all different sizes.  I make them by hand and with a pompom maker.  And they are all fabulous!

Through much careful research here at the pompomery, we have found that a pompom maker will give you a fatter and "meatier" pompom and making them by hand will give you a cute pompom that looks a little more like fireworks.  Same pompom shape, just not as fat.

The pompom on the left was made with the pompom maker and the one on the right was made by just wrapping yarn around my hand.  Obviously, both are awesome, just a little bit different.  I have a friend who makes her pompoms by using two circles cut out of cardboard.  What ever the method, it's very fast and easy to make pompoms.  And guess what?  There are about 10 million things that you can do with your pompoms.  Don't worry, we'll get into that later this week!

  Have you ever made a pompom?  If so, what did you do with them, I would love to know!

Should I give "How To" instructions tomorrow?