How to Make Tissue Paper Pom Poms

 

 
Tissue paper pom poms and flowers make great decorations for almost any kind of function or themed party you could think of.    Giant flowers would be perfect for a garden or mad hatter themed party, while pom poms are perfect way to add a splash of colour to any kind of function.  While you can buy ready-made tissue paper pom poms, they are quite easy to make and allow you to customise the size and colour.  Here are some step-by-step instructions to help you get started!

You'll Need:

-Scissors
-Tissue paper
-Curling Ribbon
 
Step 1:  Decide how big you want your pom poms or flowers to be.  If required, cut the sheets to size and lay them out in front of you stacked on top of each other.  If you want different colours in your pom pom or flower, make sure you layer the colours in the order you want them to be.  For the flower, I used 2 sheets of 5 colours to give me 10 sheets in total.

For the large flower (about 44cm), I used the whole sheet of tissue paper.  For the smaller purple pom pom (about 23cm), I cut the sheets smaller.  For all of these, I used 10 sheets which gives them a really lovely ‘full’ look.  This was really handy because the pack of tissue paper I used had 10 sheets in the pack. 
 

Step 2:  Fold the layers of paper in a concertina fashion right up to the end.  The size of fold can be as big or small as you like.  For the small pom pom I folded about 3cm, for the large flower I folded about 5cm.

 
Step 3:  Tie a piece of ribbon around the middle of this bundle.  I used a piece or curling ribbon so that I had something to hang them with once I was finished.

 
Step 4:  For a nice finish, the ends of your bundle need to be cut.  For a ‘spiky’ look on the purple tissue paper pom pom, I cut the ends to a point.  For the giant paper flowers, I cut a semi-circle into the end.  Make sure you cut both ends.

 
Step 5:  Flip the bundle onto its edge and spread the folds out as much as possible.

 
Step 6:  Then begin to separate the layers, making sure you separate them as far into the centre as possible.  You need to be very gentle at this stage so as to not tear the tissue paper. 

 
Keep separating the layers until you have a fluffy pom pom.  You may need to ‘tweak’ your pom pom by moving the layers about until it looks round and full. 

 
If you want to make a flower, separate all of the layers as you would with the pom pom.  Find the centre of the bundle and gently bend all of the layers to one side so that you have a base (as shown in the picture).  If necessary, straighten and flatten the bottom layers to encourage the flower to sit nicely.
 

 
Now you have lovely tissue paper flower to decorate you next party with!
 

 

 
Once you get the hang of making these, try different colour combinations and different cuts to create a myriad of different effects – but be warned, it can be addictive!