Scrappy Pom-Pom Bows

I’ve been waiting for this idea for so long… finally a use for all those discarded quilting (or otherwise) strips of fabric- a reuseable pom-pom bow.
And it couldn’t be easier to make. Follow these easy steps:
If using strips of fabric, find something to wind the strips around. (you can also use small scraps instead of strips and just stack them up instead of wrapping) I used a roll of paper but any sort of bottle or small can will work. The more strips of fabric you use, the fuller the pom-pom will be. Alternate the ‘right’ side of the fabric facing in and out as you add strips.
You want a pretty fat stack by the time you’re finished wrapping layers. My pom-pom ended up being very full (from the layers you see above and below).
Slide the layers of fabric off roll and hold then in place in the middle, wherever you decide that will be. I made the middle right where my thumb was and where I started wrapping each layer.
Tie the middle off tightly with a small piece of fabric, string or medium gauge wire. Make it as tight as you can.
With sharp scissors, snip all of the loops, a few layers at a time.
Once all the loops have been snipped, your pom-pom should now look like this (above). At this point you can trim the longer outer layers to match the shorter inside layers or wait until the pom-pom has been shaped.
Hold the pom-pom on it’s side and with both hands (one on either side) begin to pull the layers out of the middle with equal force on either side.
Separate a bit in all areas and sides first, then go back and separate the individual fabric layers until you have a nice round shape. Loose pieces of fabric will fall out here and there, don’t worry, they’re the pieces that didn’t quite wrap with perfect length. Trim the lengths to even up the look of the pom-pom.
And there you are- a pom-pom bow made from junk, leftovers, stuff you were going to throw away.

For variety add ribbon, tulle, rick rack in with the layers or even glitter. You could make them in any size- decorate a room, a party, use them instead of bean bags, as an indoor soccer ball on rainy days… and the list goes on.
We had some spray glitter laying around from a previous project and a bit of sparkle really added to the charm (hard to see, very subtle but elegant).

I dare you to make pom-poms until every scrap of fabric you have is gone, It will happen sooner than you think!