Has the weather turned cold where you live? In my neighborhood, temperatures have dropped and my instincts are to spend the day cozied up with a favorite book and favorite mug full of hot cocoa. Are you the same? I’m sure you have many fellow book worms in your neighborhood, so I thought it would be fun to create a charming little yarn ball bookmark that would make a great anytime gift for anyone that needs a little fall comfort.
It was actually my daughter’s clever idea to make a yarn ball bookmark. This is the perfect anytime gift because it’s affordable, easy to make, and turns out a fluffy pom pom of cuteness. It’s sure to improve the look of any book!
That’s it! You do want your scissors to be sharp, or the last step will be difficult. And you do not need any special tools for this pom pom ball – just your fingers!
*Before you start, cut an 8-10 inch piece of yarn and a 15 inch piece of yarn and set it aside. You will need these lengths in later steps.
To start, hold the end of the yarn in your hand, and begin wrapping the yarn around your fingers – snug but not too tight. We recommend wrapping the yarn 90 times.
Cut the yarn after 90 wraps, and carefully slide it off your fingers. Lay it down over the 8-10 inch piece of yarn. Tightly tie a knot around the middle of the 90 loops.
To add the yarn ball bookmark ‘tail’, use the 15-inch piece of yarn, tie it around the same string you used to tie the 90 loops together, as seen in the pictures above.
At this point, your yarn ball bookmark should look like the picture above.
Next, holding the ball on it’s side, slide your scissors through the yarn loops and start cutting. Instant fluffy yarn!
This is what your pom pom will look like — it will start to resemble a ball, but is in dire need of a haircut!
Start snipping! {WARNING: be careful NOT to cut off the bookmark tail! Hold it out of the way while you snip.} With this step, you need to cut the yarn pom pom into the shape of a ball. Continue to turn and snip the yarn, looking at the ball from different angles while doing so. Keep rounding it off until you are pleased with the shape. This step does take practice, and you will improve with each ball you make.
Voila! Your pom pom ball will appear! And your yarn ball bookmark is officially done!
These bookmarks are sure to put a smile on any bookworm’s face, and the best part of this project is that kids can make them all by themselves!
THIS IDEA WOULD ALSO BE GREAT FOR:
– A gift for a teacher — just add a favorite book!
– A little gift for guests at your next book club gathering.
– A craft activity at a book-themed birthday party.
P.S. — We love making gifts! You can find all the posts in this series here.
Credits: Created by Jane from See Jane Blog for Design Mom.
Amy Hackworth
October 22, 2012 at 12:07 pmCute! And fun! And totally fall! Great project, Jane!
Karen F
October 22, 2012 at 12:13 pmthese are adorable!
Brea
April 20, 2018 at 12:40 pmAgreed. I actually tweaked it a little bit. I left it a little bit more messy hair and kind of flattened one side, and glued 2 googly eyes to it.
It’s way too precious for it’s own good. Lol.
Danyelle
October 22, 2012 at 12:34 pmThis is a great project, Jane! Thank you for sharing!
Jenni Bailey
October 22, 2012 at 12:47 pmThese are perfection! One, because I am always losing bookmarks and end up using my boring old library or bookstore receipt 99% of the time. And two, because I am forever in search of yarn crafts (I LOVE yarn) that don’t involve knitting, which I never have gotten the hang of! This honestly just made my day!!
amy c
October 22, 2012 at 7:59 pmSo glad!
NancyY
October 22, 2012 at 12:59 pmThese are lovely! These would also be great as gift ‘bows’ for a book or any other reading-related gift. I plan on using this idea at the holidays.
amy c
October 23, 2012 at 12:30 pmThey are perfect for the holidays!
melinda ke
October 22, 2012 at 1:28 pmThese are so cute, but my kitty would be bad and rip them out of the book to bat them around!
photomonica
October 22, 2012 at 1:39 pmlove. love. love. these are perfect to do for a christmas tree garland AND gift wrapping! thank you for the great photos too!
Maria @ Busy as a Bee in Paris
October 22, 2012 at 3:01 pmso so cute! just had to pin it ! but not before making about a dozen of them while watching a movie with my hubby tonight! thanks for sharing and i really loved the interview!
amy c
October 22, 2012 at 8:00 pmThank you! They are so simple to make and so fun!
Jess at SewSet
October 22, 2012 at 6:10 pmI adore these bookmarks and this simple gift idea, so well done. The pictures are fabulous!
phyllis
October 22, 2012 at 7:20 pmgonna do this!
Shazia
October 22, 2012 at 9:59 pmThank you this is such a lovely idea for all our teachers!
Iva [in my studio]
October 23, 2012 at 6:41 amabsolutely smart idea and get kids to love reading! Love the colour contrast too!
Meg
October 23, 2012 at 8:14 amSuch a cute idea — and goodness knows I need inspiration on what to do with all my leftover yarn from random projects. Seems like a fun and practical way to use it all up!
Pompom Lesezeichen | schoenstricken.de
October 23, 2012 at 11:17 am[…] von designmom.com hatte eine großartige Idee: Pompoms als […]
Jessica
October 23, 2012 at 11:18 amHi Gabrielle. This is a brilliant idea. I posted it here on my german website.
http://schoenstricken.de/2012/10/pompom-lesezeichen/
Please check if its ok for you!
Best from Berlin, Jessica
Michelle Muckala
October 23, 2012 at 6:52 pmThe cutest things ever! Adorable, thanks for sharing!!
October 23: Pompoms! « Simple creative
October 23, 2012 at 9:16 pm[…] have to mention Laura again for sending me a link to a great blog post, The Perfect Gift: Yarn Ball Bookmark, which had easiest instructions for a pompom I have […]
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October 24, 2012 at 5:02 am[…] Source: Design Mom […]
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Valeria
October 26, 2012 at 1:09 pmadorei a ideia foi fazer para amigos! que curte a leitura :)
Make this Gift! DIY Yarn Ball Bookmarks : Wantist
October 26, 2012 at 6:25 pm[…] DIY Yarn Ball Bookmark by SeeJaneBlog for Design Mom […]
K
October 27, 2012 at 6:26 pmHow adorable! What a wonderful gift to give along with a book! How about adding a bead or charm at the end?!
Shawna Workman
May 18, 2017 at 7:16 pmLove that idea!!!
Centsational Girl » Blog Archive » BOTB 10.28.12
October 28, 2012 at 6:00 am[…] kids and adults can craft these pom pom yarn bookmarks with simple tips by Design […]
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October 28, 2012 at 6:07 am[…] I could do this – DIY Christmas gift idea (stocking […]
Christen
October 29, 2012 at 7:51 amYour site is so cute! I too am a blogger and have a popular site. I was wondering if I could share you site and do a giveaway. Maybe a few pompom bookmarks?
Check out my site: http://www.blueeggbrownnest.com
I am a mom and have a small business refinihsing antique furniture & interiors in Washington, DC
Christen
Marie
October 29, 2012 at 3:14 pmThese are insanely cute! Really, can’t get enough. I will be pom-pomming this week!
ALison
October 30, 2012 at 5:33 amSo, so cute and easy! I see bookmarks in all my nieces and nephews Christmas bags!
Ali
http://www.40tasks@blogspot.com
Benji
October 30, 2012 at 8:53 amI love anything pom pom related. I can not wait to give it a try. I’d like to try it with other decor related applications too. Perhaps a yard with some metal fibers! Hmm….
Deb Gokey
October 30, 2012 at 9:43 amGreat idea! Possible improvement on the design: If you double the tail making it one-inch (plus) longer that the height of the book, you can slip one thread inside the front cover and the second thread where you stopped reading. Nicely holds the bookmark in place even when you are reading.
Jane Rhodes
November 17, 2012 at 9:54 amgreat idea Deb, I am going to try it!
Ali
October 30, 2012 at 3:44 pmMade one today…I made it a little bigger, but will probably make the kids ones smaller…so cute!
http://www40tasks.blogspot.com
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November 4, 2012 at 12:15 pm[…] Via […]
Ellie
November 4, 2012 at 3:43 pmI made one of these but you can still see the string in the middle what could I do to make it so I can’t see the string anymore?
Jane Rhodes
November 17, 2012 at 9:55 amEllie, I would try wrapping your fingers with more loops, you want it to be so “full” that it hides the string… good luck, i hope this helps.
Sarah
November 5, 2012 at 9:55 amGret Tutorial!!!! I have 2 Pomeranians who love pom-poms and were constantly pulling mine out of my book. I fixed it by lengthening the 18′ string and tying a loop to put the pom-pom through. No more loosing my spot!
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Martina
November 7, 2012 at 4:09 amOh this is so cute and it actually seems pretty easy! Thanks xxx
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Holly
November 8, 2012 at 8:32 pmSo simple yet lovely! And perfect because I am a new knitter and was looking for projects for leftover bits of yarn.
Amy @Making Life Whimsical
November 9, 2012 at 12:24 pmI am loving these! I’m going to make these for my 40th birthday where I’m doing 40 whimsical acts of kindness. I’m going to pass them out as people leave our local bookstore! Perfect! Thank you for sharing this!
Friday links « Whitbull
November 9, 2012 at 3:45 pm[…] Love these pom pom bookmarks […]
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diana
November 11, 2012 at 7:17 pmomg! im making them for christmas presents, everyone loves them!!! my mom was like whaaaaatttt. i was sooo happy i found this. thanx so much for posting this:))))
David And Goliath | Sunday Wheat
November 12, 2012 at 11:46 am[…] much pom poms with a rubber band stuck in the middle. I came up with it after seeing a pin of The Perfect Gift: Yarn Ball Bookmark by Design Mom. Mine are a smaller version of hers. Some kids added […]
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CARMEN RAVELO
November 15, 2012 at 10:23 pmTHIS ARE NICE, CHEAP,EASY TO DO, AND ADORABLE!!! THANKS!!!!!
Kelsey
November 16, 2012 at 6:08 pmHi, I love this idea and I’ve bought the things to make them for part of a holiday gift bag, but i keep having the same problem, once i tie the yarn and start to cut the middle seam is really apparent, it never looks like a ball or as perfect as yours (even before I start cutting) Is there something I’m doing wrong?
Jane Rhodes
November 17, 2012 at 9:58 amtry wrapping your fingers more times, maybe 120? also try trimming the ball a bit shorter, it should help to make the pom more fluffy, helping to hide the seam. and, make sure you tie it tightly, it helps to get the seam down deep inside. i hope this helps, it takes a little practice, but it’s fun practice!
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November 19, 2012 at 5:03 am[…] DIY is brought to us by Jane via Design Mom. I don’t know about you but these are the cutest bookmarks I have ever seen in all my years […]
kellie
November 19, 2012 at 1:44 pmthese are adorable!!!
Stephyrandom
November 19, 2012 at 3:19 pmI’m really excited about making these with my 6year old daughter who loves craft.
I was thinking of putting ribbon as the long tail do you think this would effect the shape of the ball?
brittney
November 20, 2012 at 11:45 amthes would look really cute with a color zipper pull at the other end othe the yarn, and it could give it a bit of weight, or even a paperclip.
Patty Virginia
November 20, 2012 at 5:42 pmthese are the cutest things. Great for stocking stuffers. Pinned and shared on FB.
Christina at I Gotta Create!
November 20, 2012 at 6:32 pmLove your fun little bookmarks! Pinning :)
<3 Christina at I Gotta Create!
Wildly Original linky party is open
Pompom « blijmetkleur
November 21, 2012 at 11:14 am[…] ja, die maakten wij vroeger ook, die pompoms. Ik zag ze via Freubelweb staan op deze blog en ik maakte er meteen eentje in […]
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November 22, 2012 at 4:49 am[…] 80′s, I have to say that I’m Ok with seeing the come back of Pom Pom’s. These Pom Pom Book Marks by Design Mom are not only super cute; they are super easy to make! I shared a tutorial yesterday […]
Britteny
November 22, 2012 at 11:08 pmHello,
I have been trying a number of times to make these as nicely as you do, and haven’t succeeded. I have done the “corrections” you mentioned to a couple others, but without success. I have wrapped more than 90 times and tied the middle string as tight as I possibly could. Even the cutting it super short didn’t work…every time my middle string shows. I don’t know what I am doing wrong.
gina jones
November 23, 2012 at 8:17 pmThis is AWESOMESAUCE!!! Gifts my girls can make all of their classmates a Christmas gift + sell them at a craft fair for spending money during our upcoming cross country road trip… plus I can do it as an activity at my creative studios and SO much more! Thanks for sharing :)
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November 26, 2012 at 9:02 am[…] pom pom bookmark by design […]
Liz
November 26, 2012 at 8:45 pmLove this idea! I’m making them for all my little gifts this Christmas!
I’m adding a crocheted chain as the string, it gives it a little pop and helps offset the weight of the pom-pom.
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November 30, 2012 at 3:01 am[…] Anleitung hier: The Perfect Gift: Yarn Ball Bookmark. […]
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December 1, 2012 at 2:43 pm[…] homemade dog treats. As you can see, Gwyneth’s treat jar got an accessory of its own – Here’s the tutorial we used to DIY a yarn pom-pom. The photo to the right is our favorite holiday photo ever taken – Dad goofing off at […]
Madeline
December 1, 2012 at 6:49 pmI love these! The first time I tried to make a Pom Pom with different instructions, it was a complete mess! I cannot wait to make this bookmark!!!!!
Follow my book worming, decorating, crafting, and partying at http://www.thelittledecorator.blogspot.com.
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Lisa
December 3, 2012 at 9:44 pmsoooooooooooo AWESOME going to have to make .love your blog !
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Sinea Pies
December 14, 2012 at 8:03 amThis is the neatest little gift! I love it, love it, LOVE it! Pinned, shared, tellin’ everyone about it! :)
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December 17, 2012 at 5:00 am[…] Yarn Ball (Pom) Bookmarks — Ok, so I always, always lose bookmarks. Always. If I received a bundle of these, I’d […]
Leela
December 17, 2012 at 4:52 pmI really really love this idea. Thanks for sharing :)
Dawn
December 17, 2012 at 7:06 pmI’m just finding these now – so cute! I made one last night and one today with my daughter. To make ours a bit fancier we braided the ‘tail’ and put a bead or two on the end. Thanks for this easy but awesome craft project.
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Carole
January 4, 2013 at 10:39 pmI love these!
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Trina
January 13, 2013 at 3:00 pm:D These are so sweet and adorable and easy, easy, easy. Adding them to the 52 Weeks Project queue! Thank you for sharing such great pictures.
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January 17, 2013 at 10:34 am[…] by this posting at DesignMom.com I tried my hand at making some pompom bookmarks. I used left over yarn from some scarves I made […]
tory
January 20, 2013 at 7:53 pmomg! so cute i love this, yet it just gave me an idea to make a bunch of pom-poms into my wedding bouquet with floral wire and a long tail on the pom-pom! its perfect for my DIY wedding! thx for sharing :)
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elji
January 24, 2013 at 9:50 amI LOVE this idea! Thanks for sharing. and thanks for your blog :-b