(Almost) Instant Gift-Wrap: a festive tutorial brought to you by Jenni of Jenni20 Designs

Poms are everywhere right now--and with good reason. They're awesome! This tutorial will teach you how to make awesome mini poms to adorn an array of holiday awesomeness, from trimming the tree, to wrapping gifts, to frosting yourself.

Materials:
about 3 or 4 yards of yarn
a pair of scissors
a business card
manual dexterity
about 45 seconds to make the pompom
a gift to wrap
and someone to give it to.

There are quite a few methods of pompom making, but the business-card pompom is my favorite because I love the size of pom you get—and everyone has a business card hanging around.

Here’s how to make magic happen:

1. Cut about 6” of yarn off your skein and set aside.

2. If you’d like to use some yarn to wrap your gift, measure out an arm’s length or so to set aside.

3. Wrap and wrap and wrap and wrap the long piece of yarn around the height of the business card (this will give you a cute mini size pom—about an inch when all is said and done.) The more you wrap, the fuller your finished pompom will be.

4. Once you’ve wrapped all the yarn around the card, gingerly slide the loops off the business card. (I typically let the 6" piece keep it all together so it doesn't unravel when I'm sliding it off, but this is optional.)

5. Take the 6” piece of yarn and tie it in the middle of the loop bundle. I suggest tying multiple knots just to make sure everything stays in place. A word of warning, don’t pull too hard or you run the risk of snapping the delicate yarn fibers. Mom’s square knot (left over right, right over left) is a good one here.

6. Once your loop bundle is secure, take your scissors and snip the loops.

7. Give your pom a little shake; shape it if you want, maybe give it another little hair cut and voila!

8. Use the 6” tie to attach your pompom to the gift wrap and give your charming package with pride.

What else can you do with your pompom? (And, let’s be clear, there are those among us who insist it is spelled pompon.)

Attach a safety pin to the back and wear it as a festive brooch (bonus points if you take a cheesy mirror picture after a long day at work and a hard workout).