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Tag Archives: pom pom craft
pom poms + zinnia and the bees yarn bomb!
You know how I like book crafts, right? Well, since now I have a book(!), I thought it would be fun to have a craft for it. So I enlisted my friend, the very talented teacher and illustrator, Kait Walsh, to create a Zinnia and the Bees inspired craft.
Since my middle grade novel’s main character, Zinnia, is a knitter and yarn bomber, Kait opted for pom poms. They’re a super simple yarn craft that don’t take a lot of time or materials to make.
You can make one pom pom. You can make a bunch of pom poms. Or you can make pom poms with others, like say a group of kids, and then yarn bomb something together (no knitting skills required). Pom pom tree! Pom pom chair! Pom pom bulletin board! Pom poms are fun.
Here’s how to make a pom pom with just yarn, scissors, and some cardboard, in Kait’s wonderful hand drawn tutorial:
And here’s a printable PDF of the instructions!
Kait generously invited me to visit the Makers Mess summer art camp to make pom poms and yarn bomb a tree with the mini makers there! It was loads of fun! (We had permission from the park.)
Here’s a photo of the finished pom pom yarn bomb!
First we made pom poms.
The kids showed me how it’s done.
Then we set off to the park.
And a few of us talked about the book while having lunch.
We made more pom poms.
We yarn bombed!
Big thanks to Kait for the instructions and wonderful craft idea (as well as Chloe, the other art camp teacher)! And for spearheading the yarn bomb! It was such a special time. (Some of these images were taken by her as well.)
Kait Walsh is a Kindergarten teacher turned full-time artist. You can find her creating illustrations in her Silver Lake studio, teaching kid art classes at Makers Mess, or letting loose at her local dance studio. Follow her daily creations and discoveries on Instagram and feel free to contact her if you want to make something together or just say hi. @sealedwithakait
p.s. I’m coming to Green Bean Books in Portland August 13th and we’ll be making pom poms at the event!
pom pom panda gets the grumps + pom pom panda craft!
Pom Pom Panda Gets the Grumps by Sophy Henn (2015).
Sophy Henn‘s debut, Where Bear? was exceptional. (See my post on what makes it A+). And her second picture book does not disappoint.
Pom Pom is cute as a button. He’s in a mid-century-inspired world with colors that pop while remaining pastel.
(click image(s) to enlarge)
But he can’t find his blanket, his hair’s all messed up, and it’s generally a rotten day. You know the kind. To this, Pom Pom says, “Harrumph!”
He takes it out on his friends when they try to play with him. He yells, “Go Away!” which is kind of like a “harrumph” blown up. The whole page explodes in red and Pom Pom’s friends are smart enough to flee.
Pom Pom is left very very alone. He realizes his mistake—that he let his grumps get the better of him. You know the feeling.
He repairs. He plays with his friends. And then, well, something small happens. Again. This may not be the end of Pom Pom’s journey. Because really, don’t we all have to learn things over and over in order for them to stick?
Thanks to Sophy Henn for images!
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This is a book that calls out for a craft! That cute Pom Pom! This one’s super easy to make too.
What you need:
Black construction paper
White computer paper
Scissors
Pencil
Fabric glue (Elmer’s might work too)
One large white pom pom (like this)
Shave off the sides of the pom pom with scissors to make a more square-ish shape for Pom Pom’s head.
Cut out ears, a tiny sliver of a mouth shape, and the main eye patch shape from black paper. (I traced from the book, which always helps.) Then cut out white u’s from white paper. Glue all the parts in place.
You can cut out some starry shapes as well for Pom Pom’s background if you like.
Voila!
You might also be interested in making a Beekle character!
