STARS & STRIPES POM POM TOTE
Headed to the beach for a festive cookout? Off to watch some jaw-dropping fireworks and need a place to tote your blanket in? Whatever your 4th of July plans are, this Stars & Stripes Pom Pom Tote is a cheap and easy way to add a little American pride to your holiday plans. And what is great about this tote, is that even though it's perfect for adding some flair to your independence day ensemble, you could also use this tote all year long. It would be great to bring for a day of sailing and nautical fun! Or if red, white and blue aren't your colors, you could use any color of yarn or tote to make your own variation of this design.
[ YOU WILL NEED ]
• Tote Bag (I found this one in the Dollar Spot at Target for only $5.00!)
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Pom Maker (I used a small sized Clover Pom Maker - Love these! They make the best, dense poms!)
• Knitting Needle (Not pictured)
• Craft Knife (Not pictured)
Using your pom maker (or your preferred pom making technique) make a bunch of pom poms!
For my design I counted out about how many I would need if I did 3 rows of poms across the length of my tote, which was 22 total. For each pom I left a tail about 7" long so I had plenty of length to be able to tie the poms to the tote.
Now it's time to tie those poms on. What helped me is measuring out the placement of each pom so that they were evenly spaced. I put little hash marks in pencil where each pom would go. Don't worry about marking up your tote because the poms will cover the marks once they are attached.
Using the craft knife, cut two small holes where the tails of the poms would thread through. This is where I used the knitting needles to help push the tails through the tote. You could also use a larger embroidery needle that works with yarn for this step as well.
Then turning the tote to the inside out, pull the tails until the pom is tight against the tote and tie the tails together in a double knot and trimming the tails.
For extra security so your knots don't come undone, you can add a drop of clear nail polish to the knots. Make sure to do this once all your poms are tied on so you can leave it to dry and you don't have wet polish while you are trying to work.
Continue adding your poms until your design is complete.
And there you have it! It's almost like there are little fireworks on your tote!
Have a great 4th!
