DIY Sheepskin Pom-Pom Tutorial

Looking for a new way to make pom-poms? Try these DIY Sheepskin pom-poms! They are the best of both worlds: round and plush like a yarn pom-pom, but with an extra woodsy texture of fur. They are even washable! This easy tutorial shows you how to make these pom-poms, your soon-to-be new favorite! 

I really love sherpa fabric. Have you ever worked with it? I don’t do a lot of sewing, but I have added it to a couple crochet projects, mainly my Sheepskin Plaid Cowl and to the backside of my Plaid Blanket. It adds such coziness!

While looking through my closet one day for fur to make pom-poms, I noticed I had a few yards of sherpa fabric  in my stash. The idea hit me to try making sheepskin pom-poms. I wondered if it was a weird idea or a brilliant idea, but I gave it a try anyway.

My first use for these sheepskin pom-poms was on my simple Cross Stitch SC Hat. It looks like a cute little snowball on top of the hat, I just love it!

I knew I had a winner. When everyone started asking how to make them, I decided it was time to share a short tutorial. The lady at the cut counter of Joann thought I was a bit crazy when I told her what I was making, but I know ya’ll see the vision!

DIY SHEEPSKIN POM-POM TUTORIAL

What you need: (affiliate links)
– Faux Sheepskin/Sherpa Fabric (I got mine from Joann)
– Darning Needle 
– Any worsted weight yarn
– Polyfil 
– Bowl for Template
– Permanent Marker/Fabric Marker

1. Start by grabbing some bowls from the kitchen. I found a bowl that was about 6″ in diameter. 6″ is a good size for a sheepskin pom-pom sized for an adult hat. Trace around the bowl 0nto paper and make yourself a template.

2. When tracing around your template onto your sherpa fabric, you may find that the backside of it is too soft for your marker, so you can create a dotted line instead. If you used permanet marker, I reccommend waiting a minute or two for the marker to dry. It takes a minute to dry on the polyester sherpa fabric, and it can make a mess on your hands and scissors if you start before it dries.

3. Using sharp scissors, cut out your circle. Unlike the faux fur pom-poms, you can actually use your sewing scissors to cut through your sherpa fabric without causing damage to the fabric.

4. Once cut, thread a length of yarn onto your darning needle and sew a loose running stitch around the outside of the circle. I found soft acrylic yarn works better than cotton. Cotton seems to have more friction and it snags as it is pulled through the fabric. Also, be sure to start from the fuzzy side, so your tail is on the outside of the pom-pom when you are finished.

5. Pulling both ends, cinch the pom-pom shut, stuffing firmly with Polyfil once you have a small hole remaining.

6. Once it’s stuffed firmly, cinch the hole completely closed and tie a firm knot. Be sure to leave your ends long so you can attach the pom-pom to your project. You can attach it the same way you would attached a faux fur pom-pom. 

These have much more washability that yarn pom-poms or fur pom-poms, so I really think I will be using them more. You don’t want to dry them in your dryer (you probably don’t want to dry the handmade item they are sewn to anyway) but according to the fabric care instructions, you can wash it on the delicate cycle with mild detergent. Then, just lay flat to dry.

Another perfect use? Bunny tails! This is a tiny sheepskin pom-pom I made for the tail of Vincent the Bunny. Isn’t it cute?

How will you use your sheepskin pom-poms?

xoxo,