Making a pompom

[Flossyfloof]

Why can't I make a decent bloody pompom? Brownies can do it, why can't I? I have bought a pompom maker, waste of time. PLease can anyone advise?

What's going wrong? Why isn't it working?
My initial suggesting would be either that you are not wrapping tight enough, or that you are not tying the centre tight enough but without knowing the issue it's difficult to say

I bought these pompom makers (Darice pompom tutorial) - sorry can't find out how to do the link. I have practised a few times with the small size and thin yarn. Don't know if it could be this which is the problem. I have wound as much yard as possible I think. Then when I snip it, the pompom just looks like a sheaf of rug wool. I do have a cardboard template somewhere, I remember not being terribly successful with them at Brownies (mind you that would have been 45 years ago, I may have improved since then). When I tried to tie the centre nice and tightly the yarn broke!! So bloody disappointed.

Just fond the pompom maker I used on Amazon and it has dire reviews. I have ordered another set which has great reviews! Thank you 2cats!

I just use 2 pieces of thick cardboard.

You have to tie the centre really tight.

I wrote a tutorial last year on how to write tutorials... and the topic that I used was how to make a pompom... Hope that it might help you :)

I'm not sure what a sheaf of rug wool looks like. I've described my method below. Will try to help as much as possible

Cut two circles of stiff cardboard the same size, with a circle in the middle. The outer size of the cardboard circles will be approx the same size as your pompom. Hold the two cardboard circles together (so it looks like one circle). Wind wool all the way round the cardboard circles (at least double thickness). I am aware this is a terrible instruction. What i mean is you should cover your cardboard circles by passing wool through the centre hole of the two circles held together, and round the outside over and over again until you can not see any cardboard and until you have covered the first layer of wool at least once. Take your wool between the outside of the two circles and wrap it tightly round the centre and tie. Cut the wool between the two circles. Pull the cardboard off and trim.

I suspect from what you are saying you know all of the above. Provided your pompom doesn't fall apart after tying i think you will be tying the centre tight enough (wool does snap easily - you can always use thread instead). Do you trim afterwards? All pompoms I have ever made look awful until trimmed.

Sorry if this isn't helping....