Whether you're looking for a quick craft to squeeze into an afternoon or you're in need of a handy tool to stop you loosing your place when reading, our DIY Pom-Pom Bookmark is the ideal project.

To make you pom-pom bookmark, you will need:

• A ball of wool in your chosen colour (HobbyCraft have a great range starting from £1 a ball)
• A fork
• Scissors
• A crochet hook or large eyed needle

What to do (see end of post for images):

1. Take your fork and start wrapping your wool around the prongs. Continue doing this until you have a substantial amount of wool - this will form the body of your pom-pom.

2. Once you're happy that you have enough wool to make your pom-pom, cut your length of wool close to the edge of the fork. Then using the prongs of the fork as a guide, tie a tight double knot around the centre of the mass of wool (make sure this is as tight as you can tie it, as this is what is going to keep the pom-pom together). I like to tie a second double knot on the opposite side of the pom-pom for good measure.

3. Leave a 50cm length of wool from the pom-pom and trim the other end close to the edge of the fork.

4. Cut an 85cm length of wool and using your crochet hook or needle, feed this through the central knotted section of wool next to the 50cm length. Pull this through so that you have an equal length on each side and then plait this with the 50cm length until you have no more wool to plait. Tie a knot in the end and trim the loose ends to an equal length.

5. Cut the wool along the sides of the fork, alternating from each side so as to prevent too much pulling on the wool - you don't want to accidentally pull out any strands of wool, otherwise your pom-pom will be at risk from falling apart.

6. Once you have cut up both sides, slide the pom-pom off your fork. To give it it's round shape, simply roll the pom-pom between the palms of your hands - the plait will wrap around the pom-pom when you do this, simply unwrap the plait and repeat the process until you are happy with the general roundness of your pom-pom.

7. Now all that's left to do is to trim any stray strands of wool to add to the roundness of your pom-pom.

Et voilà, your bookmark is ready to be used!

 

[Click the image below to view it full size]