pom-pom tail for the giraffe

I wanted to show you how I make the pom-pom tail for the giraffe soft toy. I experimented with time-lapse photography. While I can't guarantee that the video is beautiful, it is interesting to watch. Sorta. Here are directions and time-lapse video to show you how to make the pom-pom tail for the giraffe rag doll/softie. Or you can just make a bunch of pom-poms and hang them on things. That's fun too.

 How to make the pom-pom tail:

1. Cut two identical circle donut shapes out of cardboard or cardstock (use a craft knife to cut middle circle out). If you want your pattern to last longer, use cardboard. My donuts are about an inch and a half in diameter. Make yours larger or smaller depending on how big you want your pom-pom.

2. Cut 3 pieces of yarn about a yard in length each. With the two cardboard donut pieces together, begin wrapping all 3 pieces of yarn through the hole and around the outside of the pattern pieces. Continue wrapping all the way around the circle. 

3. After the yarn has been fully wrapped around the two donut circles, use a small pair of sharp scissors to cut the yarn. Cut it along the top edge of the donut, in between the two cardboard pieces. Do not take the cardboard pieces off yet.

4. Cut three 18 inch pieces of yarn from the skein. Take one strand and fit it into the space between the two donut cardboard pieces. Make sure you have an even amount of yarn on each side of the pom-pom (9 inches ). Tie the yarn tight once, and then double knot it. Repeat with the second and third strands of yarn.

5. There should be six (9 inch) strands hanging off the pom-pom. Combine the strands so that you have 3 pieces made up of two strands of yarn each. Braid the 3 together until you have a braid 2-3 inches long. Double knot the end of the braid and cut off the excess yarn. Now you have the pom-pom tail!

And that's a wrap!

My Mother's Day Gift

Yesterday was, of course, Mother's Day. I wanted to give my mom something memorable. But what? It had just been her birthday, and I was low on ideas. And then it came to me...

What gift has the power of recalling the days when you were young and cute? The power of eliciting sentimental tears? And then......BAM! Makes you laugh out loud out of nowhere?

How about this beauty of a gift from your thirty-something year-old daughter: 

When I brought the gift over, she thought it was from one of my kids at first. But then she saw my handprints and giggled. Silly. And then she read the poem. I started getting worried when she started tearing up and said I was making her cry. I thought "oh no; stop reading now!" And then she burst into laughter. Phew. Best Mother's Day reaction ever. 

Her first words after that?: "That's so Kim." And then told me how she used to worry that my older brother had corrupted her sweet little feminine girl into something crude by his bad example. But now she knows it's all me. I don't know what to make of that. Either way, I think I made a memorable Mother's Day gift, and as an added bonus, my artwork made it onto the fridge. Right next to the grandkids' art! Yup, my momma's proud of me. 

I did make a little felt brooch too, lest you think I only give inappropriate poems as gifts.