Note: This post was created in partnership with Voya Financial. All thoughts and fantastic pom pom making skills are my own.
I love switching up our Christmas decor each year in some small way so I've learned to get resourceful. It allows me to respect the budget and spend that hard earned money on gifts instead! I have stashes of beautiful vintage glass ornaments from years of thrifting but our toddler has made it quite clear he is not to be trusted with breakable orbs. I realized I would either have to leave the bottom half of the tree bare or come up with an easy, inexpensive solution for adding some color to our white tree.
I started brainstorming ornament ideas after seeing some of the projects shared by the ever resourceful Holiday Hall, who has been sharing creative holiday ideas and tips over on the Voya Financial Facebook Page. My studio is full of random yarn cut offs, and leftover mini skeins from weaving workshops so I decided to put them to work. I'm not a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas colors so I gathered my favorite shades and my trusty pom pom maker and worked through two holiday movies on Netflix while cranking these out. I love the texture and color they add to the tree, but even more so, I love that it cost me NOTHING to change things up this year.
Here's what you need to make your own...
SUPPLIES
Various coordinating fibers from your stash
scissors
Open your Clover pom pom maker and start wrapping your first color in the middle of the arm. Then wrap a different color on either side of the first color so that they are generally the same thickness.
Add a third color almost all the way across the arm to cover the first two colors. Put the arm back in place and repeat the process on the opposite arm.
Cut the yarn by placing you scissors under the yarn on one of the arms where there is an opening that looks like a gutter, for lack of a better term. Repeat on the other arm while holding the flat sides of the pom pom maker as shown. Then cut an 12" length of yarn and place it in the blue gutter so that it wraps all the way around and pull tight. Tie a knot, tighten it as much as you can without breaking it, and then tie another knot.
Gently remove your pom pom maker and trim your ornament until you have a lovely round ball. Repeat, repeat, repeat!
If you have kids, this is a fun way to employ their pom pom making skills! Make plenty more and string them into a garland, top your presents, or add them to your stockings for extra texture. It's such a useful way to use up your yarn stash! Keep them for next year or repurpose these fun pom poms by adding them as tassels on a pillow or throw to give it a modern twist. Or use them to make this woven wall hanging!
Check out other ways to spend less this holiday season with Holiday Hal and learn more about Voya Financial online and through their Facebook, and Twitter.
I hope your holiday season is full of love and peace.
-Rachel
I'm Rachel Denbow, an author, e-course writer, maker, craft stylist, and general DIY enthusiast. 
