Making festive pompoms video

Step 1: Draw a large circle on a piece of card - about 8cm across should do. Draw a smaller circle of about 3.5cm inside in the centre. Cut out around the larger circle and then the smaller one so you have a shape that looks like a donut. Do the above twice - you need two rings to make each pompom.

Step 2: Holding the two donut shapes together, start winding yarn around the circles and through the middle. Rather than using one thread at a time, wind five or six arm lengths of yarn in one go to speed up the process.

Step 3: Carry on until the central hole becomes so small you can't fit any more yarn through. Then cut off any hanging lengths of yarn.

Step 4: Slip the point of a pair of sharp scissors between the two cardboard rings and cut through the yarn loops all the way round the circle. Partially prise the rings apart, just enough to allow you to slip a length of ribbon between them. Tie the ribbon tightly between the two rings to 'belt' the yarn together and leave enough extra to hang the pompom.

Step 5: Rip away the card, trim down any rogue threads and hey presto! You have a pompom. Now get on to thinking what innovative new materials that you could be using... yarn on its own seems so last season!