DIY: WOOL Pom-Pom Garlands

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Pull off a piece of wool roving from the loose end of a skein using your fingertips, like pulling cotton candy, to create a small tuft. Repeat about 20 more times until you have a pile of fluff the size of a large sandwich. Repeat with the rest of the first skein to make about 24 piles, each roughly 10 grams (⅓ ounce) for golf-ball-sized pom-poms, or 5 grams for smaller ones.

2. Step 2.

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of dish soap with about 1 cup of hot tap water until sudsy. Add another 7 cups of hot water and stir to combine.

3. Step 3.

   Working with one pile of wool on a clean counter, separate the fibers into a space about as big as a sheet of paper, peeling apart any thicker hunks. Wet your hands in the soapy water. Starting from one corner, roll the wool into a ball, folding inward from the sides like a burrito, filling in indentations, until you have a neat rolled bundle.

4. Step 4.

   Working next to a sink, submerge the bundle in the hot soapy water, then remove it. Use your hands to roll the ball between your palms, squeezing and rolling; it will collapse at first but gradually become smaller and rounder. Dip the ball into the soapy water again and repeat until it is very soapy.

5. Step 5.

   Run the ball under hot tap water, squeezing, rinsing, and rolling until it feels clean and looks like a hairy golf ball. Rearrange the wool as needed to create a round shape; trim stubborn stray strands with scissors or wind fresh wool around lumps. Keep rolling to remove excess water, applying more pressure as the ball tightens. After 2 to 4 minutes of constant rolling, when the ball feels compact and the surface looks uniform, the pom-pom is done. Set aside to dry on a kitchen towel.

6. Step 6.

   Repeat steps 3–5 with the remaining wool piles. Replace the soapy water with a fresh hot batch about halfway through, once the water starts to cool. Repeat the entire process with the remaining 2 skeins of roving.

7. Step 7.

   Dry the pom-poms for 1 to 2 days, turning occasionally.

8. Step 8.

   Using a needle and thimble if needed, string the pom-poms onto thread or embroidery floss with desired spacing. Optionally tie knots on either side of each ball to prevent sliding, though tight pom-poms should stay in place.