DIY Pom-Poms To Punch Up Your Next Party

Looking for a way to make your summer tablescape a little more exciting? Look no further than these easy do-it-yourself tissue paper pom-poms.

Tissue paper is inexpensive and comes in innumerable colors and patterns, so it's easy to match them to your party theme. Try clusters of all-white pom-poms for an elegant and fun table decoration at a wedding. Hang red, white, and blue pom-poms for a firework-like Fourth of July display. Tissue paper in a range of pastels makes delicate accents for a baby shower.

You can vary the size of your pom-poms by trimming down sheets of tissue paper. Smaller pom-poms are perfect for tablescapes! Use a loop of thin wire or twine to turn them into napkin rings or accessories for straws, or try nestling battery-powered votive candles into their centers for a colorful glow. Or, make a faux flower arrangement by making "stems" out of a few pieces of wire twisted together, or by gluing tiny pom-poms to clean sticks as though they were cherry blossoms. Tuck them into bottles with thin necks or arrange them in bud vases.

With a length of string, you can thread large or small pom-poms together for a frilly garland that would look whimsical against a wall or snaked down the center of a table.

To get started, lay 6-10 sheets of standard-sized tissue paper on top of each other, making sure the edges are even. If you want smaller pom-poms, cut the sheets down to your desired size.

Make ½-inch accordion folds with the stack of tissue paper so that you have a thin, stacked rectangle. Tie twine or wire at the center of the folded paper. Cut each end of the rectangle; a rounded cut will make the pom-pom look more like a flower, while a pointed cut will make it look like a firework. Carefully separate folds, and then pull the layers apart, fluffing the pom-pom until they look full and round.