Awhile back I began saving my empty toilet paper tubes with the intention of making some craft or another with them. And as in any other case that I save or buy craft supplies that I have no specific plan for, I ended up with a big box of TP tubes taking up space in my craft room. I still need to figure out what I want to do with the rest of them, but I’m happy that I’m finally putting a couple of them to good use to make these toilet paper tube pom poms.
The finished pom pom that you will get from this method is about 3 inches wide, so this might be a good choice if you are looking to make a larger size pom.
What You Will Need for this Project
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Yarn
The easiest and cheapest way to acquire two toilet paper tubes is to just save them after you empty a toilet paper roll. However, if you don’t want to craft with something that has spent so much time in your bathroom, you can also buy them online.
You can use any standard scissors you have on hand, but I HIGHLY recommend these ones when making Pom Poms. The straight pointed tips come in handy when it comes time to cut the loops of the pom pom. And the springs in the scissors make trimming a big pom pom like this (or any other size pom pom for that matter) much easier.
How to Make a Toilet Paper Tube Pom Pom
Step 1: Wrap Yarn Around Toilet Paper Tubes
Start by lining up the two toilet paper tubes next to each other. Then begin winding your yarn around both tubes.
It’s best to spread the yarn out a bit and not wind it all in one spot, but try not to get too close to either end. If you do the yarn loops can start falling off.
I also suggest being a bit looser when winding around the toilet paper tubes. If you wind the yarn too tight it will crush the tubes and possibly throw off the final result. Don’t worry if the tubes get a little bit compressed, especially as you wind your yarn more and more.
For a decent pom pom you’ll need to wind your yarn at least 200 times around. That is what I did on my first attempt at making this and the pom pom still came out pretty decent, but was still not as dense as I would prefer.
For a really good pom pom I would recommend winding the yarn about 300 times. By the end of it your tubes will be completely filled and may be a bit more difficult to work with, but I think the end result is worth it.
Here’s what it looks like after winding 300 times:
As you can see it’s very full, but can still fit on the TP tubes with a little room to spare.
Step 2: Cut Yarn Piece and Loosely Tie Bundle
Now cut another piece of yarn so you can tie everything together. I cut mine about 24 inches just to make sure I had plenty.
Next, wrap this piece of yarn around the back of your yarn bundle and up to the front between the two toilet paper tubes. Tie the yarn very loosely, just enough so the bundle won’t fall apart.
Step 3: Remove from TP Tubes and Tie Tight
Now you can remove the toilet paper tubes from your yarn. Carefully slide them out of your yarn bundle and set them aside. Go back to the yarn that you have loosely tied to your bundle and tighten it as much as you can before tying a knot to secure everything together. This should pull the ends of the bundle together so you end up with a circular shape.
Step 4: Cut Loops
Next, begin cutting around the edge of the yarn, snipping all the loops. You may need to pull apart the loops as you cut them to make sure you don’t miss any hiding underneath. Just be sure you don’t cut the middle piece of yarn that you tied in the previous step. If you do, the whole thing will come apart.
When you are all done, you’ll be left with a pretty shaggy looking pom pom, but that will all be fixed up in the next step.
Step 5: Trim and Shape Toilet Paper Tube Pom Pom
Lastly, it’s time to give this pom pom a proper haircut. Don’t be shy with the scissors while trimming, because there is a lot to cut away. Just keep going, little by little, until you have an even and dense looking pom pom.
Aside from your finished pom pom, you will also be left with a rather large pile of yarn fuzz. I’d suggest having a lint roller somewhere nearby to help with the cleanup, because that fuzz will get everywhere.
Final Thoughts
This can be a good method of making a pom pom if you need a larger one about 3 inches. It’s also nice that it only uses materials that can be easy to get your hands on.
On the downside, it does take a little time to wind the yarn 300 times around and if you get distracted by something it can be easy to lose count. It also wastes the most yarn out off all the different DIY pom pom methods I’ve tried. If you’re only making a few it doesn’t matter so much, but if you need a lot that will add up to a lot of yarn thrown in the trash in the end.
Overall, my favorite DIY pom pom method will probably always be using my Clover pom pom makers, but in certain circumstances using a couple of TP tubes can be a good and easy method as well.
I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. I’d love to hear from you! Thank you for stopping by and happy crafting!