Are you a crafter or a ‘Cool Kid Crafter’ looking for a fun and sustainable project? Look no further! In this tutorial, we will make fun pompoms using up cycled plastic grocery bags and bottles. Not only is this a great way to show your team spirit, but it’s also an environmentally friendly way to reuse materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill. This demonstration will be led by Lexi, the youngest member of the Bowdabra Design Team. Get ready to grab your supplies and join me in this exciting and eco-friendly crafting adventure!
10 plus – Plastic grocery bags per PomPom
Three 12” x 26” sheets of Silver Bowdabra Scrunchy Ribbon per PomPom
Three 6” x 26” Sheets of mylar/foil wrapping paper in a color of choice per PomPom
Two Soda bottle or Water bottle tops – cut off, with the lids… 1 per PomPom
Hi, and welcome to this tutorial on sustainable kids’ crafting! Today we’ll be making pompoms using upcycled plastic grocery bags and bottles, a fun and environmentally friendly way to show your team spirit.
First, carefully cut off any sealed edges, the handles, and any printing on the bags. Then, fold your bag in half and start cutting strips to your desired width. It’s okay if they’re not perfect! Just keep cutting until the whole bag has fringes. Stop about 1 inch from the top where the bag is folded.
Next, unfold the bag and you’ll see that both fringed sides are connected in the center. Repeat this process for all of your bags until you have a big pile of fringed strips.
Remember, everything you cut is enough for one pompom, so you’ll need to repeat all of these steps for the second pompom.
Next, add some extra sparkle to the pom poms! Cut off three pieces of foil or Mylar wrapping paper, each one measuring 12 inches by 26 inches. Fold each piece in half and repeat the fringing process.
Now, for the last pieces of fringe, cut off three 26-inch strips of Bowdabra Scrunchy Ribbon. This ribbon adds an extra metallic look to your pom poms. Again, repeat the same process as before.
Assemble the pom poms in the Bowdabra! Cut a length of Bowdabra Bow Wire and fold it in half. Then, place it down into the Bowdabra and tuck the ends underneath and out of the way.
First, start with the fringed sheets of Mylar wrapping paper. Take one sheet, open it up, and scrunch it down into the Bowdabra. Next, scrunch in two pieces of the plastic grocery bag fringe, followed by one strip of the Scrunchy Ribbon fringe.
Use the Bow Wand as needed to Scrunch and compact everything down and to hold everything in place if you need to Straighten up the fringe.
It’s important to note, the more grocery bag fringe you layer into the Bowdabra, the fluffier your pompoms will turn out!
Add in two more pieces of the grocery bag fringe, and then start the pattern all over again with another sheet of Mylar fringe. We’re layering them so all of the colors will be evenly distributed. We started with the red and silver Mylar, so we will end our fringe stack the same way.
At this point, the process is repetitive until you’ve reached the end of the fringe. However, I did notice a helpful tip while making these pom poms. If you want the red side of the Mylar to show up better, on the first and middle pieces, you should have the silver side facing up. On the end piece, have the red side facing up. The Bowdabra Scrunchy Ribbon is the same on both sides, so its placement doesn’t matter. For these pom poms, I chose to use the silver Bowdabra Scrunchy Ribbon, but it also comes in gold and red.
I really enjoy using the combination of plastic bags, metallic Mylar wrapping paper, and Bowdabra Scrunchy Ribbon for my pom poms. The plastic bags give the pom poms a realistic feel and sound, while the two metallic materials add a sparkling glam that makes them look like the real thing!
Once all of the fringes have been scrunched down into the Bowdabra, give it one last scrunch with the Bow Wand. Then, carefully pull the Bowdabra Bow Wire ends out from underneath. Using the loose ends of the wire, thread them through the looped end, creating a slipknot. Pull it tightly while everything is still in the Bowdabra. Then remove the pom pom and separate the loose ends, bringing them to the backside. Pull everything tight again, then tie the loose ends into a double or triple knot.
Now for the fun part – we’re going to attach cut-off bottle top handles to the pom poms! Take off the lid and simply thread the excess Bowdabra Bow Wire through the bottle opening. Pull on the wire tightly until the funnel area of the bottle is full of the attached portion of the fringe ends. Continue holding the Bow Wire tightly and screw the bottle cap back on. Now you can let go and tie the excess Bowdabra Bow Wire in a knot to be able to fit over your hand and hang on your wrist!
That’s it – you’re finally done and ready to go shake your pom poms! These pom poms are great for showing your team spirit, as a fun party activity, or even as a costume accessory.
Thanks for crafting with me today! Don’t forget to share your finished creations with us and keep spreading the cheer wherever you go.
Music: Rain Is Falling, Musician: Plain Strolls, Album: Plain Strolls, Source: VCG
