The Joy of Pompoms
A few years ago a friend and I were sat in a spa hotel bar reading magazines whilst drinking a nice cold glass of wine. This was on a very rare day away from our children in a pre Covid world. Within one of the magazines was a picture of a stool made with pompoms which my friend absolutely adored. It was colourful, different and way out of any furnishings budget that she did not have anyway. I secretly vowed to myself that one day I would make her a stool just like it. Fast forward a couple of years and a couple more kids and this stool was still a blueprint in my mind popping up on dates such as my friend’s birthday or Christmas to remind me that I still had not fulfilled my vow.
Then my youngest started school. I was driving back from the supermarket when I went passed our local haberdashery (which has since closed 😔) so I thought I would pop in to see what the deal is with pompoms. The very patient lady talked me through all my options and I departed the shop with several pompom contraptions and lots of wool in colours which I hopped would resemble the picture we had seen many years ago.
Next up was the actual stool part. I scoured charity shops and second hand websites to find exactly what I was looking for. I gathered quite the stool collection as I had no idea what I actually needed. Ignoring my husbands eyerolls, I spent time pondering over each stool and dismissing it on a whole range of merits. FINALLY I found the dream stool and now I had no excuse except my own inclination to start.
One night in front of the TV I picked up the wool and pompom template and began. The first few were a bit shabby but I soon found my funk and was knocking out several pompoms in a session. Now, I don’t know if you have ever undertaken a pompom project but when you think you have a lot of them, you don’t. You have nowhere near enough pompoms. You could double the number of pompoms and still not have enough pompoms. Pompoms are absorbed into an abyss by whatever it is you are trying to pompom. Give up eating, sleeping & your day job. You just make pompoms now. The afore mentioned eyeroller decided that he wanted in on this pompom creating and picked up a template. Soon we were pompoming together like Torvil and Dean of the pompom world. The kids got involved. We were a family of pompomers, spending hour after hour creating pompoms for my friend’s stool. IT. TOOK. AGES.
Eventually the day came when we had enough to cover the stool. Que another visit to the haberdashers to buy a special needle for sewing the pompoms on, a few days and a few plasters later we were done. I was elated with the results and could not wait to give the stool to my best buddy. She loved it. She was so happy that I had remembered from all those years back and that we worked as a family to create it for her.
My sister in law came round and caught sight of the stool and hinted that she would also like one 😫. I settled on making her a pompom picture frame instead. Since then I have made wreaths, home furnishings and baby mobiles out of my new found skill.
Anyone who has crafting as a hobby knows how it can take over your life. Starting from ‘no idea’ to ‘accomplished’ just with pure tenacity a hint of google. Seeing the results that your hands and vision created is a pleasure I recommend to all.