How To Make Tissue Paper Pom Poms (2024)

Learning how to make tissue paper pom poms is a great way to add fun and color to a party without breaking the bank. If you’ve ever checked the price on store-bought decorations, you know how expensive decorating for an event can be. In this guide, I will show you how easy it is to make these pom poms and fill your next event with color.

Don’t Buy Your Decorations – Go Ahead and Make Them

Tissue paper pom poms are perfect for birthdays, baby showers, or adding a little flair to your space. You can pick any colors you like to match your theme or mood. All you need are a few simple materials and some creativity, and you’ll have beautiful decorations in no time! Join me as I walk you through the steps to create these charming decorations that will make any occasion extra special.

Table of Contents

To make tissue paper pom poms, you will need colored tissue paper sheets from a craft store or online shop. You can pick colors that go with your event’s theme, like pastel for a baby shower or bright colors for a birthday party. Use 8 to 10 sheets of tissue paper for each pom pom to make it look full and fluffy.

You will also need scissors to trim the tissue paper into the desired size and shape. Make sure your scissors are sharp to make clean cuts without tearing the delicate tissue paper. You’ll need floral wire to secure the center of the pom pom tightly, and I recommend wire cutters to cut the floral wire. (Don’t use your good scissors!) A ruler will come in handy to make sure your tissue paper is square.

Materials and Tools:

• Tissue Paper
• Floral Wire
• Sharp Cutting Scissors
• Wire Cutters
• Ruler

How to Make

Evenly Layer Sheets

Start by layering several sheets of tissue paper. Lay the sheets evenly on top of each other so that the pom poms have a consistent and full appearance. For a standard-sized pom pom, you can use around 8-10 sheets of tissue paper, but the larger the pom pom, the more layers you will need.

The note above about using more layers of paper is where I see other tutorials go wrong. Ten sheets of tissue paper are not enough for a large paper pom-pom. Once the size goes beyond 12 inches, you need to add more layers. At 12 inches I added 5 more layers and at 18 inches, I added 10!

Layering the tissue paper properly is essential for achieving a well-rounded and fluffy look. If the layers are not even or if there are too few layers, the final product may appear sparse or misshapen.

In order for your pom poms to turn out round instead of oval, the sheets need to be square. Measure both sides and use scissors trim the stack into a square.

Fold the Stack

Once you’ve layered the sheets, it’s time to fold them accordion-style. This means folding the entire stack back and forth in a zig-zag pattern until you have one long, narrow strip of folded tissue paper. The width of each fold will determine the size and fullness of your finished pom poms.

I recommend folding the paper in one-inch increments. Don’t worry if your folds are not perfect. It doesn’t really matter if it’s exactly an inch; you just want to fan fold it all the way across and fasten it in the center (as shown in the photo below) with your floral wire.

When folding, make sure to crease each fold firmly so that when it comes time to fluff up the layers, they separate easily without tearing.

Trim the Edges

You can trim the edges any way you wish. Adding a pattern to the edges really gives the pom poms a floral look. I experimented and I liked the scalloped edge look the best as they look like big fluffy peonies in the end, but you can try anything!

Separate the Layers

Start separating your layers by gently pulling each layer toward the center. Go slow. The tissue paper tears very easily, so be patient (unlike me!) and keep going layer by layer pulling in toward the center. Do half of the layers toward one side and then flip it over and do the same for the backside.

If you tear your tissue paper, don’t worry about it. You likely won’t see it at all. If it is very noticeable, you can simply snip that torn piece out.

And there you have it, a beautiful tissue paper pom pom!

Expert Tips

• Small pom-poms require only ten layers of tissue paper, but the larger the pom-pom, the more layers of tissue paper are required. For 18-inch tissue paper sheets, I used 20 layers of tissue paper.
• If you don’t have floral or crafting wire, you can tie them off with string or fishing line.
• Try layering different shades of the same color for a multi-tone effect, or layer completely different colors for a rainbow look!

Frequently Asked Questions

Closing Thoughts

You’ve got all the tips and tricks to craft beautiful tissue paper pom poms. Now, it’s time to unleash your creativity and let your imagination run wild. Experiment with different colors, sizes, and hanging lengths to add a unique flair to any event or space. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – that’s how the most stunning creations often come to life. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can fill a wall or a table display quickly. They make such an impact!

So, grab your tissue paper and start pom-pom-making! Whether for a party, home decor, or a thoughtful gift, these delightful decorations will surely bring joy and vibrance wherever they go. Get crafting and have a blast!

How To Make Tissue Paper Pom Poms: 3 Different Ways

Yield: 10-25

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy

Tissue paper pom poms are easy to make and don't take much time to pull together. But, did you know that you can make tissue pom poms with things beyond tissue paper? We have instructions for crepe paper streamer pom poms as well as how to make paper pom poms with dyed coffee filters.

Materials

Tissue Paper Pom Poms

• 1 pack of tissue paper
• Floral wire

Crepe Paper Pom Poms

• 1 roll of paper streamers
• Large pom-pom maker
• String or yarn

Dyed Coffee Filter Pom Poms

• 1 pack of 250 coffee filters
• Fabric Dye

Tools

• Wire Cutters
• Scissors

Instructions

Tissue Paper Pom Poms

1. Layout your square of layered tissue paper and fan fold it all the way across in approx 1-inch increments.Fasten it in the center with the floral wire.
2. You can trim the edges any way you wish.Adding a pattern to the edges really give the tissue paper pom poms a floral look.I experimented, and I liked the scalloped edge the best as they look like big fluffy peonies in the end.
3. Start separating your layers by gently pulling each layer toward the center.Go slow as the tissue paper tears very easily. So, be patient (unlike me!) and keep going layer by layer pulling in toward the center.Do half of the layers toward one side and then flip it over and do the same for the backside.
4. If you tear your tissue paper, don't worry about it you likely won't see it at all.If it is very noticeable, you can simply snip that ratty piece out.

Crepe Paper Streamer Pom Poms

1. Wind your streamers around your pom-pom maker until the maker is full.I twisted my streamers around and folded as I wound.
2. Once your pom-pom maker is full, follow the center track and cut all the way through with a sharp pair of scissors.
3. Repeat the same process on the opposite side.
4. Wind a piece of string or yarn through the center of the pom-pom maker and tie tightly.
5. Remove your pom-pom from the pom-pom maker and trim up with a pair of scissors.
6. Fluff them up!

Coffee Filter Pom Poms

1. Use a flat bottom pot, and add in some hot water. It does not need to be boiling, just hot tap water is perfectly fine.
2. Add a tsp of your fabric dye to the pot of water and give it a stir.
3. Dye stacks of around 50 at a time and dip them into the dye bath for about 10 seconds.
4. Leave them longer if you want them darker.
5. When you pull them from the dye bath, let them drip a bit and give them a soft squeeze to get some of the dye out.
6. Let the stacks of dyed coffee filters rest on an old towel for a few minutes to let more of the moisture runoff.Once they are no longer dripping wet toss them into a cool dryer for about 20 minutes.Keep an eye on them.
7. To help the drying process along, separate your stacks into four or five groups when you add them to the dryer.
8. Don't do different color batches at the same time. Stick to one color.
9. Putting the coffee filters through the dryer creates that ruffled look. If you do not want to use your dryer, you can lay them out to dry.Be warned. They will take over your entire house and stain anything they come into contact with until they are dry.
10. Count out stacks of 10 coffee filters and fold them over.
11. Add a staple to the center as shown in the photo in the blog post. This holds your coffee filters together and creates a half-circle.Do this for all your coffee filters. Set up stacks of 10 and staple them in half.
12. Try to keep the staple close to the folded edge, but make sure your staple is going through all the filters.
13. The next step is to take two of your folded sets of ten and attach them together.
14. Take two stacks and flatten them as best you can. Place the stacks back to back, so that the crease is lined up, and you can't see thestaples.
15. Add staples to the top of the stack and the bottom securing the two bundles of coffee filters to each other.
16. All that is left to do is fluff.You may find that you need to add an extra staple here or there, and that's perfectly fine, you won't see it so it doesn't matter.

See Also

24 Colorful Pom Pom Crafts We Love

Notes

• When making the dyed coffee filter pom poms, give the inside of your dryer a wipe to make sure no dye remained behind. I did not have any dye when I wiped mine, but better safe than sorry. You could also run a clean wet old towel through the dryer for a bit to see if it picks up any dye.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on October 9, 2018, and was updated on January 29, 2024, for clarity and ease of use.

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Author: Laura Kennedy

Writer & Owner of Little Yellow Wheelbarrow

Laura is a highly skilled gardener and fervent flower enthusiast. Despite her playful battle with plant spacing guidelines, Laura’s work inspires gardeners to create thriving, beautiful spaces that reflect both creativity and sustainability.