Pom Pom Mania & Raggedy Ann!

Here we go again... 

Pom poms have taken over my universe!

I'm sure its because I discovered Clover® pom pom makers! The tool makes it so easy to whip up the pom poms, that my mind has been let loose to create an entire menagerie.

The next edition of Pom Pom Mania introduces my version of Raggedy Ann for your crafting pleasure!

Raggedy Ann is pictured in the photo above with my pom pom Teddybear that you can make also...(Free Teddybear tutorial: Here) 

Are you ready to get started?

Here's what you need...

Supplies:

Red Heart® yarn

(colors: red, white, flesh, black, sky blue)

Clover® Pom Pom Makers
Sizes:  1-3/8", 2-1/2", 3-3/8"

(link to Amazon.com product list: Here)

OR

Make your own cardboard pom pom maker template: Here

Waxed cord or strong carpet/craft thread 

(to tie pom poms)

*Optional: 8mm-10mm black beads (for eyes)

OR

Felt: black, red 

(for eyes, nose & mouth, if desired)

I chose not to make a face because I liked her this way!

Tacky craft glue (needed only if you decide to use felt shapes for the eyes, nose and mouth)

Good sharp scissors

Are you all set?

Okay, Let's get started!!

Head:

Using the Clover® 2-1/2" light green pom pom maker with light pink (flesh choice), wrap the center of one half of the tool GENEROUSLY as pictured above. This will be the "face" area.

With red yarn, wrap on either side of the pink yarn, as in the photo above. This will be the hair that frames her face, so wrap fully.

Wrap the opposite half of the Clover® pom pom tool fully with red. This will be Raggedy Ann's hair so make it a full wrap!

Cut the end loops of the pom pom (through the channel in the pom pom maker), then tie snugly with waxed cord or strong carpet thread (as directed in package instructions) to secure the pom pom.

What a mess!

But not for long...

Trim the light pink yarn into a half round shape for the face, leaving the red yarn pieces long and straggly to look like hair. Trim carefully and thoughtfully, because it won't grow back! 

Dress/Body:

Wrap one half of the Clover® 3-3/8" pom pom maker with approx. 15-20 wraps of sky blue (I know, it looks lavender in this photo, but I promise you it was blue!)

Then using white yarn, wrap over the blue yarn, covering it completely with a generous layer of white. This will be the "apron" fluff you see in the finished photo.

Next, wrap blue yarn over the white , covering it completely and evenly. (the color looks grey in the photo above, but it is light blue, again...I promise!)

Wrap the opposite side of the pom pom maker entirely in blue yarn, then fold the mechanism into the tool to secure. Cut the loop ends in the tool, (as described in the package directions for your pom pom tool OR in the handmade cardboard template directions) and tie securely with waxed cord or carpet thread. I like to triple knot the pom pom cord to make sure it holds.

Remove the body/dress from the pom pom maker and fluff up by shaking while you hang on tightly to the cord ends. 

Again...what a mess!! 

Time for a haircut...

Trim into a rounded triangle shape (does that make sense?) 

I hope you can see in the photo that it isn't strictly round or oval, it is actually almost a rounded wedge-ish shape to simulate a dress skirt. You want the "apron" white fibers to be long and the blue "dress" fibers to be trimmed uniformly. Go slow and you'll have it in great shape in no time!  

Legs:

Using the Clover® pink 1-3/8" pom pom maker, wrap a thin even layer of white yarn on one half of the tool. Then wrap a thin layer of red yarn to cover the white. Repeat another row of white yarn to cover the red. Repeat this process on the opposite half of the pom pom maker. This will create a striped pattern for the socks/legs.

Trim the loop ends in the pom pom maker, then tie securely with waxed cord or strong carpet thread.

Remove from pom pom maker and shake out to fluff.

That's a pretty good looking start, don't you think?

Keep making them! 

You'll need 4 in total to make Raggedy Ann's stockings.

Here's the line-up pile after all the pieces have been made, but only the head and dress have been trimmed into shape, so far!

Let's catch up!

To make the "shoes" use the Clover® pink 1-3/8" tool, wrapping approx. 10-15 times with white yarn in the center top (which creates the socks that will blend in with the striped pom pom stockings), then wrap the rest of the tool entirely with black. Wrap the opposite half of the pom pom tool with solid black. Cut the loop ends then tie securely with waxed cord, remove from the pom pom maker, then trim into a round shape. (see photo above)

Arms:

Using the Clover® pink 1-3/8" pom pom maker, wrap the tool on both halves with blue to match the dress. Cut the ends, tie with waxed cord, and shake to fluff, as you know to do by now! You will need 4 of these in total.

Hands:

Using the Clover® pink 1-3/8" pom pom maker, wrap half with blue to match the dress. Wrap the other half of the pom pom tool with pink to match the face. Cut the loop ends, tie with faces cord, and shake to fluff, then trim into a round shape. This Annie's hand!

Assembling the Doll:

To join the parts together, I used strong waxed cord instead of yarn (as I used making the teddybear) because I wanted it to be sturdy enough to be played with by a child. 

Starting with your doubled and knotted needle & thread, go through from the top of the doll's head along the line where the face meets the hair (hiding the knot deeply in the middle of the pom pom), bringing the needle out from the bottom of the head at the line between the "chin" and hair. (Okay, I know she doesn't really have a chin, but its the most sensible reference I could muster! lol)

Take the needle & waxed cord into the dress body (separating yarn fibers with your fingers to best avoid snagging and disrupting the fibers) as in the photo above, even with the top edge of the "apron", going through the body bringing the needle out, just to the side of the center bottom (where you will attach the leg-see photo below).

Add the first striped leg pom pom, taking the needle & thread through the center of the pom pom so that the stripes will lay in a pleasing horizontal pattern as you add the next striped pom pom. 

Take the needle through the next striped pom pom, making sure to keep the stripes as level as possible. Remember, its a pom pom, so it has a mind of its own, don't be too fretful if it isn't exact. That is part of the charm!

Next, take the needle through the center of the white "sock" area of the "shoe" pom pom, going straight through to the bottom. Pull snugly to created a solid leg shape. Take the needle back up through the "shoe" and each of the leg pieces, up to the body, pulling snugly again to secure; then go up through the body with the needle to the opposite side of the body where the arm will go.

With the needle exiting at the upper body on the opposite side of the leg you just made, add the two arm pom poms, going directly through the center of each; then go through the blue side of the "hand" pom pom, coming directly out the center of the pink yarn.

Then take the needle back up through the hand and arm pieces, pulling in snugly to create its solid arm shape. 

Next, take the needle through the body directly across to the opposite arm area; attach the arm pom poms and the hand pom pom, just as you did for the opposite side, going down through each one, then coming back up through the center of each, pulling in snugly to form the arm shape. (see photos above)

From the upper arm-pit area, take the needle & waxed cord back down through the body, to the opposite leg area, where you attach each striped pom pom and then the shoe pom pom, just as you did for the opposite leg. 

Go back up through the center of the shoe and then through each of the striped leg pieces, up to the lower body, pulling in snugly to shape the leg into a solid form that you like. Take the needle back up through the body to an arm-pit or other hidden area and knot off the assembly thread, hiding the knot deep inside the yarn fibers. 

*Tip: If you want to add a bit more security to your assembled doll, place a small dab of glue on the knot to make sure it holds!

*Tip: If you find that your "apron" is too thin and straggly or it has "bald spots" you can add more yarn into the area as a hidden fix! 

Double-thread a needle with white yarn (Do not knot the end!) then take the needle into the apron area where you need more substance, going through and out of another area of the apron where you need additional fibers. Leave long ends that match the established "apron" area, trimming as necessary to match the ends. You can repeat this process as many times as necessary to get the look you want. I did this to get the full apron look I wanted!

Hello Beautiful!!

Here she is in All-American Pastime Glory...

Raggedy Ann will steal your heart with a face or not, its up to you! I like this "anonymous" version...she can be played with and imagined to have any kind of facial expression this way. And she is more safe for young children to play with.

If you want to add a classic Raggedy Ann face, I won't judge you!

 Just find an image of her face (in a book or on the internet) that you bond with, and cut out felt shapes to glue in place for her eyes, nose and mouth. Or you can tack/sew 8mm-10mm black bead eyes in place if you prefer. 

There is no wrong way to do this...its your creation, so do it your way! Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy too!!

I hope you enjoyed this adventure in Pom Pom Mania!

Please let me know what you think, and what you're working on, I'd love to hear about it!

With Sugarplum Hugs!

Deanne

:)

Pom Pom Teddy Bear

My pom pom crafting adventures continue with one of my favorite loves of all time...Cuddly Teddybears!

My former experience with teddybear making involves 30+ years of making original designs of miniature teddy bears that replicate vintage style toys. They were my obsession for nearly two decades, but as my eyes began to betray me, my crafting projects increased in size. Though I still adore making miniatures of all kinds, these big fluffy fellows capture my heart in a whole new way!

Grab your Clover® pom pom maker tools, and lets get started!

As with my other free pom pom making tutorials you can use whichever size tool, depending on the outcome you want. 

Head:

Using the Clover® 2-1/2" pom pom tool, wrap the center portion of one half of the tool with light brown/tan yarn as pictured above with 10-20 wraps (this will be the muzzle area of the bear face).

 Using brown yarn, wrap on either side and over the tan color completely, covering  completely to fill that half of the tool.

On the opposite half of the Clover® pom pom tool, wrap halfway full, then using a pen or pencil held against the upper part of the wraps, begin to wrap 20-25 times around the pen/pencil.

 Repeat this process on the other side (see photo above) to create a large loop effect (this will be what you use to create the ears).

Remove the pen/pencils by sliding out of the loops and close the pom pom tool. (see photo above)

Trim pom pom from tool by cutting through ends, as described in package instructions, and remove.

It isn't exactly a lovely sight, now is it? But don't give up yet!!

Shape the head by trimming with your sharp scissors carefully and slowwwwly! He can't grow his fur back so only trim what needs to go! In the beginning, try to avoid the tan muzzle area as this should be left longer to protrude out from the face, giving it nice shape. 

Start trimming around the outer edge of the muzzle, forming the indentation that shapes the face and gives you a place to set the eyes in naturally. Trim the ear yarn into a half circle shape as best you can. It isn't fabric, so there is a lot of hand fluffing and shaping you need to do to get the proper shape, but once you get the hang of it, its a breeze! And it satisfies that craving to cut your dolls hair!! ;) 

Body:

Wrap the center of one half of the large Clover® 3-3/8" pom pom tool with tan yarn, with dark brown on either side of it to fill the entire tool.

 Wrap the other half of the tool with dark brown.

Trim ends of loops wrapped in the Clover ® pom pom tool, as described in package directions.

Tie pom pom to secure, using strong waxed thread (the wax helps to grab and tie the pom pom snugly without having the knots slip). *You can also use strong carpet thread.

Remove pom pom from tool and shake out, using the thread ends to shake and fluff it up

 Hold pom pom in one hand as you trim into an oblong shape, rolling it around in your fingers, looking carefully at the shape as you trim, trying to maintain balance and a smooth shape.   

The tan area is the front of the teddybear's tummy. You can keep it longer and fluffier or trim perfectly in line with the rest of the body, its your choice!

 Arms & Legs:

Using the small yellow Clover® 1-5/8" pom pom maker, make

8 dark brown pom poms for the arms & legs. *You will trim the arm pom poms slightly smaller then the leg pom poms.

Trim ends of loops along tool edge, tie with waxed cord to secure, and remove from pom pom maker.

Paws:

Using the pink Clover® 1-3/8" pom pom maker, wrap the center with 8-10 wraps of tan yarn, then wrap to either side of the tan with dark brown. 

Wrap the opposite side of the pom pom maker with dark brown.

Fluff pom pom using thread ends to shake it out.

Trim into nice round shape, making the "hand paws" slightly smaller then the "foot paws". (I made mine slightly oval)

Here are your line-up of parts, ready to be assembled!

And here is how they look in place where they will be attached.

 Joining your Teddybear:

I decided to use doubled yarn to join my teddybear together, but you could also use strong carpet thread. The yarn won't be nearly as strong, but I was making this more for decoration then for playing as a toy, so I felt the yarn was good enough. 

Attaching Head & Body:

Starting at the center top of head (between the ears) take needle & yarn through the center of the head and out through the bottom of the neck, then go into the center top of the body, coming out through the center bottom. (see photo above)

Pull snugly even though it looks like your scrunching the head, (you'll have plenty of time to adjust and loosen him up!)

Take the needle and yarn back up through the body to the top of the head, and then back down through the center of the head again (to secure) but this time when you come down through the body, take the needle to the side of the lower body, to attach a leg. 

From the lower side of body, take needle through two of the "leg" pom poms, and then through a "foot paw" coming directly through the center bottom of the tan color; then take the needle back up through the "foot paw" and leg pom poms to the upper body, pulling snugly to form a solid leg...but don't pull Superman-strong  cuz you don't want to break the yarn...experience is telling you this! 

From the lower leg, take the needle up through the body at an angle to the opposite side "arm" area. Take needle through two arm pom poms and then through the "hand paw" directly through the center, coming out of the tan area. Then go back up through the "hand paw" and both of the arm pom poms towards the upper body, pulling in snugly to create a solid arm.

Take the needle & yarn through the center of the body to the opposite arm area and repeat the process, adding two arm pom poms and the "hand paw"; then go back up through the paw and arm poms pulling snugly to create a solid arm.

Take the needle back through the body at an angle to the lower side of the body to complete the opposite leg. Attach two leg pom poms and then the "foot paw"

Take the needle back up through the "foot paw" and each of the leg pom poms, pulling snugly to form a solid leg. Then take the needle back through the body to one of the upper arm areas (but not through the limb again), just go through the "arm pit" area then come back through the body to the other "arm pit" area. This will secure the attachments for a solid connection, as you knot off and trim the ends, hiding it in a discreet place such as the arm pit area.

*Don't worry if you notice frayed areas that need trimming. You can finish all the grooming once the bear is done, so don't fret!

Facial Features:

To create the nose, take doubled black yarn in the needle, with a knot at the end; go through the back center of head, hiding the knot in the middle, pulling through the center of the head to the top of the muzzle area and trim with the yarn ends sticking out slightly, to be trimmed later.

Repeat this process 3 or 4 times (or until you have as big of a nose as you want), each time knotting the doubled yarn and pulling through from the back of head, hiding the knot end in the center, then trimming the ends.

Don't worry about it looking like a mess...Trimming it up will take care of everything, I promise!

You might think this is too big?

But you can see as it starts to get a haircut, things are coming together rather nicely...

I think we have lift-off! 

It looks pretty good to me, what do you think?

Eyes:

As with all of my pom pom creations, there are many options for your eyes. If I am creating a work of heART or a gift for older children and adults, I like to use my Faux Glass Polymer Clay Eyes (Free tutorial: Here) but they aren't a good idea if you are giving your creations to small children, as these eyes are glued on and could be a choking hazard!! 

To be safe for young children, you can make eyes using glued layers of colored felt cut into circles for eyes, which would be the safest choice. For older children you can attach beads by sewing in place with sturdy carpet or craft thread. 

As for me...I am in la la la LOVE and have returned to my childhood with this special pal who will keep all my secrets!!! 

I hope you have fun making your own Pom Pom Teddybear! 

And don't limit yourself to classic colors, you could make a fantastical Rainbow Teddybear...a Sassy Panda...a Sweet Polar Bear...a Pastel Baby Bear...Your imagination is your only limit, so...

 GO FOR IT!! 

I've got your back!!

Wishing you all the Creative JuJu you can hold!!

With Sugarplum Hugs,

Deanne

PS. Leave a comment to let me know how you're doing and what you're working on!