Materials
3 wooden templates of varying sizes (please see below)
Wool yarn, preferably fingering weight, solid or combination of colors
Felt for ears or roving to needle felt them
Buttons or felt for eyes
Horsehair or nylon thread for the whiskers
Hemp or very strong string
Thread-preferably upholstery grade
Needles for making stuffed dolls (much larger than the normal sized)
Scissors, nice and sharp
Glue (optional)
*For the rabbit (pictured) you will wind one large pom for the body, one medium size pom for the head and five small poms for the paws and tail.
You may also make a mouse with one medium pom for the body and two smaller ones for the head and tail. An owl would require one large(body) and one medium(head or one medium (body)and one small (head).It really depends on the size animal you wish to end up with . Sometimes starting big is good as it allows you more yarn to sculpt and play around with until you get the hang of it.
Directions:
~ Cut the templates from wood as these will not bend with the winding process. You may use cardboard but it is a bit more difficult. Cut a length of hemp to fit the inside of the template with at least 4 or 5 inches on the outsides for tying. Place the hemp along the inside of the template and hold in place as you start to wind the yarn around. Wind evenly in layers to ensure a nice shape. Wind until the indentation of the semi-circle is barely visible.
~ Tie your hemp as tight as possible but do not make a square knot yet as you will need to pull and tighten when the yarn comes off the template.
~ Cut the wool along the *outside* edge pulling the string and holding wool in place as you cut, this is a bit tricky. When finished cutting pull tightly and knot securely . Here is a finished pom! Continue to make the other poms for the project.
~ Tie your finished large and medium sized poms together to get the desired shape. Smaller poms will be sewn on with thread in the spots to shape the tail and paws.
~ Now let your creative muse take over and sculpt with scissors into a rabbit (or whatever shape of animal you desire to do -not limited to rabbits!)
~ Needle felt ears or cut from felt and sew or glue on in desired spot. Also sew or glue eyes firmly. Thread whiskers through a needle and pass through the nose area and clip to desired length . You may secure with a dab of glue at the ends of the whiskers closest to the nose. Wrap a knitted scarf or ribbon around the neck and give your new pet a name!
***This is not intended for play by younger than 3 because of choking hazard. This craft can be done with children of ages 4+ with adult help and supervision. Helps with fine motor skills and imaginative play.
Wooden Template
Suzanne Chanis learned how to make cut wool animals after discovering them in a book by Tasha Tudor called Old-Fashioned Gifts. She has made these pom pom animals as a child and was thrilled to be re-introduced to the craft. To learn more about Suzanne, please visit her at Blueberry Cottage