WEDDING CRAFT ROUND-UP: TISSUE PAPER POM-POM TUTORIAL AND OTHER WAYS TO MAKE YOUR PARTY CEILING PRETTY.

The pom-pom wedding trend is nothing new...if anything it is a little 2012; but since I first saw our venue (a very plain concert hall), I knew they would be a perfect solution to make the hall seem more festive and fun. It is easier than ever to pop into a craft store and buy the fluffy wonders, flat-packed in threes and in different colours, if you are willing to spend at least £5 (or in Germany nearly 8 Euros)for the privilege. They are also available on ebay and actually for some reasonable prices if you aren't a crafter, or have no time before your wedding to fit in a few evenings of paper folding. But the best option for anyone who has basic folding and cutting skills, and a week of free evenings is to make your own. I made over 35 pom-poms for less than 10 Euro, and still have packs of tissue paper left over for future crafting. If you want to skip ahead for alternative ceiling ideas.....scroll down to after the tutorial! So here's how you make them:

You will need:

• Tissue paper (I bought 25 sheets (50x70cm) of 20g paper)1 of these packets will make four10 inch pom-poms and around ten 3.5 inch pom poms.
• Scissors
• String of any colour
• Clear nylon string
• Time!

Step one: Cut your tissue paper into a square, remembering that the width of the square will roughly equal the diameter of the pom-pom. From a large sheet of tissue paper, you will get two stacks of larger squares and also enough paper left over to make mini pom-poms which will look lovely sewn into a chain to make a garland.

Step two: Count out your paper into piles. Most tutorials say that 8 sheets of paper are enough, but I found that for anything larger than 7 inches requires at least 10 sheets to look appropriately fluffy. I think the general rule should be, that the bigger the pom-pom the more sheets you need to make the final result look sumptuous.

Step three: Fold the squares into a concertina. The bigger the folds, the less fluffy the result. My folds (for the bigger size) was about 2 cm. Try and make the folds as even as possible.

Step four: Snip the centre a bit and then attach the string. I wind the string around a few times in order  to make sure it is secure. Leave a little 'tail' on the string. This won't be seen in the final product, but will make it easier to attach the nylon later.

Step five: Shape the ends. You can make points or round the edges. I used rounds for softer look.

At this point in the process you should probably stop and make all of your 'flat' pom-poms before you start fluffing. This is particularly important if your party is still a few months away. The final products are really hard to store without them become limp and squished. We fluffed all of ours the day before we set-up. Please notice I said 'we'.....gathering some friends to help with the process makes the whole thing less stressful and actually fun. You may not think that you want to be finishing ceiling decorations 48 hours before a wedding, but I found it quite meditative....the tea and sweets helped! We hung them over night on an indoor washing line!

Step six: Fluff away! Gently pull one sheet at the time up and towards the centre. Tuck the centre down as far as possible in order to allow for a full fluff. As you are making an orb, you need to fluff half on each side. I have changed colour and size with this pom-pom as the others I am making for a friend and don't need to be finished until August!

Step seven: Attach a couple of metres of nylon. Tie the nylon to the string and then roll into a look. Use a peg to keep it in a loop and stop it becoming a mess of tangled strings.

Step eight: Hang them up! Or get your brother and his talented friend to do it for you. My pom-poms took about three hours to hang, with two people working on it.

Not into pom-poms? Then why not try some of these other ideas:

Ribbons and Fairy Lights - seen on Style Me Pretty

Umbrellas work well both in and outdoors. Parasols as seen on FirstWed

These fantastic clear umbrellas, filled with tissue paper have unlimited possibilities for adaption (flowers, fairy lights, petals, glitter.....) as seen on Deco advice by the slice

Or how about putting your bouquets on the ceiling? This fantastic wedding idea was featured on Ruffled.

 

I don't think I need to show you a picture of bunting or fabric drapes...but if you want to see these ideas and more, a quick Pinterest search will brighten your day. While you are on there, don't forget to follow me to keep up-to-date with my newest finds. I would love to hear all about your ideas too - so leave a comment in the box below or tweet me on @craftboticq