Thursday, July 30, 2015

DIY Pom Pom Tote

This idea has been floating around in my head ever since I first saw  Eliza Gran's precious pom pom totes! Although I wish I could support her original idea I just couldn't see myself forking over nearly $100 for a tote when I envisioned that it was something I could make myself. Another great part about making this myself was that I was able to personalize it to exactly the specifications I envisioned from the thread gradient to the spacing on the tote!

I am ecstatic with the outcome and am so pleased to finally share it with you! 

What you'll need:

A wicker or straw tote. The one I purchased actually came with two and was still significantly cheaper than the original design you can purchase. I would recommend checking World Market and TJMAX (and similar places) if you're too excited to get started and can't wait for the mail to arrive to begin this project!
Here are some other online options that could work for the job: 1  | 2  | 3  |

Embroidery floss. I opted to work with five colors and it is essential to purchase the thicker packaged thread so that your pom poms are fluffy. I have seen these totes with loads of different colored pom poms so choosing your favorite colors would work just as well. I purchased mine from hobby lobby so that I could see the colors in person. You could also use colored yarn for thicker pom poms and I recently discovered this cool large pom pom maker if you aren't committed to doing them by hand! 

Scissors. Be sure that they are relatively sharp so that trimming the pom poms is a bit easier.

Safety Pin or Crochet Needle. You'll need something sharp to poke the thread through the tote to tie it off. I found that a tiny crochet needle was the perfect tool for the job. 



The only real DIY of this is creating the fun pom poms. These pom poms are easy to make and I can't help but smile looking at the finished product. It only takes a few steps and once you get the hang of it you'll be able to whip these out in no time. 


1. Take end of string and place your thumb on it to hold it in place.
2. Begin wrapping around your four fingers and wrap throughout the entirety of your fingers in order to make the pom pom thick.
3. Once you've wrapped nearly all of it cut and set aside about 12 inches of the thread to use for step 4.
4. Take 12 inches of thread and tightly tie string in middle of wrapped thread.
5. Take thread off of your fingers and tightly tie string around thread a few more times.
6. Slide scissors through looped side of soon to be pom pom.
7. Cut all loops on one side.
8. Repeat step seven on other side and begin to fluff pom pom. 

Repeat all of these steps until you've finished all of your colors. 


And TA DA! You have your pom poms completed. Next, line up your pom poms and take your safety pin or crochet needle to the end of the extra string and stick it through the basket. Do the same for the other side of the string on each pom pom and then triple knot it so that it remains secure. I chose to put my pom poms super close together so that the gradient was extra noticeable but you of course can personalize this in any way you'd like. And there you have it, your new favorite tote! 



I am planning on using mine until the summers end as a beach tote and then transitioning it to a blanket bag in my apartment this school year. If you are even considering making one then let me be the one to convince you that this will be your favorite summer craft you will have ever done! 



If you do decide to create one then tag me on twitter or instagram so I can see the color scheme you chose for your pom poms! Here are some photos of my bag in use, I adore it as a beach bag and for decoration in my apartment! 

 



Happy Crafting!
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11 comments :

  1. Love this tutorial! The bag is so cute, and doesn't look too hard to make! Thanks for sharing.

    -Ashley
    MyWellDressedLife.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, now that is just about the cutest DIY I've ever seen! Love it!

    thesixthdisneyprincess.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this idea and how it turned out! I'm not the best at crafting AT ALL but I feel confident that even I could do it!
    Love,

    Ane | Basque Prep

    ReplyDelete
  4. This looks AMAZING Dorothy! Definitely need to try it out for myself! Such a great post :)

    Allison
    http://allisonshook.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. So cute, Dorothy! I love the idea of using it as a blanket bag in your apartment!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the shades of blue on this and I love the idea as it as a blanket holder!

    xoxo,
    Katie
    chicincarolina.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. So incredibly cute, I love DIY projects and I've been wanting to know how to make pom poms!

    ~Emma
    Seacoast to the South

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh my gosh I'm in love with this DIY! It looks so easy to do and it seems like a great essential for the beach! Thanks for sharing!
    XO Alyson | mylifeasalyson.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
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