We chose to make dandelions to celebrate summer, but you can easily use the exact same method to make other flower colours. These DIY flowers look surprisingly realistic and make the perfect homemade gift for mom, dad, or grandparents!
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission which helps us run this website.
Helpful Tip:
Make different sizes of flowers using different sizes of forks. A small dessert fork will make a tiny dandelion, while a serving fork will make a large and fluffy flower!
How do I make the white seeding puff ball?
We used the same method to make the white puff ball dandelion. Except we used a white scrubby cotton yarn and wrapped it around the fork 110 times. Then, instead of wrapping the pipe cleaner around the base of the pom pom to make a bud, we wrapped the pipe cleaner around itself to make a thicker stem. You’ll want a round pom pom on the end, instead of a flatter flower.
What type of yarn works best to make pom pom dandelions?
We used cotton yarn because it gives the flower a spiky, textured look. It was also much easier to separate the ends of the cotton yarn compared to acrylic yarn. If you don’t have cotton yarn, acrylic yarn definitely works as well! It just has a different look to it. The fork doesn’t really separate the strands in the acrylic yarn so the flower ends up looking quite a bit more fuzzy.
How many times should I wrap the yarn around the fork?
This will depend on how big your fork is and how thick your yarn is. If you’re using thin yarn or a large serving fork, you’ll need to wrap the yarn around the fork more times. If you’re using thick chunky yarn, you can generally wrap it fewer times. For example, if you use a regular fork with chunky yarn, you can probably get away with wrapping it 20 to 30 times. You might have to make a test flower or two to get it right.
What if I don’t want to use a fork?
There are so many easy ways to make a pom pom! You can make a pom pom using only your hands and use the string to tie the flower onto a stem. Or you can cut a rectangle out of cardboard and wrap your yarn around the cardboard instead of your fingers. And if you want to keep your hands free, use a pom pom maker to make an easy pom pom. These methods will give you a round pom pom base that you can shape into a beautiful DIY flower!
How can I make my pom pom flower more realistic?
You can make the flower stem from craft wire, instead of a pipe cleaner, and wrap it with floral tape. You could even make a leaf from crepe paper and attach it to the stem.
Can I use this method to make other flowers?
Yes! Try making these flowers in all your favourite colours instead of using yellow! Try winding the yarn more times, or fewer times to make different shapes. And try different types of yarn to get different textures.
Display these pom pom dandelions in a mason jar or vase, or twist the stems together into a flower crown! They’re so much fun to make, and it’s a great activity for a sleepover, birthday party, or any time!
Here’s even more DIY flower ideas:
Coffee Filter Flowers
Perler Bead Flower
Crepe Paper Flowers
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
