Tulle Pom Poms

I can't believe it's July and I haven't gotten around to posting about Morgan's or Layla's birthday parties. Heck, it's almost time to start planning Blake's! All I've managed so far is one post about planning the party and one about the cookie invitations. Honestly, these parties were so rushed (too much procrastinating between work & school), that I didn't get many pictures of things step by step. I did manage to get these, though. So I'm going to show you how to make tulle pom poms.

For the tulle poms you need tulle, cardboard and twine or yarn. 

 

Make two donuts out of cardboard, and tie a loose knot of twine around the donut.

Place the second donut on top, making sure to keep your twine inside (this can be tricky!)

I cut strips of tulle (I think I bought a half yard of each color and just cut them across width-wise, I didn't measure these). Wrap tightly until well covered (the thicker the tulle, the puffier these will be). Make sure when you are wrapping that the tail of you knot is hanging out.

  

This is not thick enough. I wrapped until you couldn't really see the cardboard anymore.

 

 Now this part was kind of tricky, too. Separate the tulle next to your knot so you can get your scissors in.

Cut the tulle all the way around, making sure that the cardboard doesn't totally come apart. I had to hold it with my knees as I cut. 

Once it's all cut, pull your strings tight. You will see the tulle gather up. 

Pull the cardboard aside and tie your twine tightly. Trim any stray pieces so it looks nice & round.

They are so cute when they are done! I made these in aqua and orange for her party. And the best thing about these, unlike tissue poms, they can be saved & reused over & over again.

Linked to: Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage, I'm Crafty Party at So You Think You're Crafty, Hookin Up with HoH at House of Hepworths, Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life, Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots & Jello, Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home, Delicately Constructed Friday at delicateCONSTRUCTION, Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now, Friday Favs at Nap Time Crafters, Creative Bloggers Party & Hop at Homemaker On a Dime, Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

My Backyard Oasis - Giveaway With Sears Outdoor Living

I've mentioned before that we have a HUGE yard. Almost 4 acres in total (of course some of that is house, and sheds and pond, but still, a lot of yard). And living in Florida, there is plenty of opportunity to spend time outdoors. Of course, summer in Florida is practically unbearable, so we try to enjoy more time outdoors in the fall. But you can't have summer without cooking out and having fun in the sun.

We do have a screened in porch, as well as a carport area, and we have a few great pieces we use over and over. My favorites are a set of vintage metal chairs & table that I picked up a few years ago. This is how the chairs started out:

And the table:

They definitely needed a spray paint makeover! This is how they look now:

Much better!

Now that I have shared what turns my backyard into my perfect summer oasis, I want to know what you’ve done to transform your backyard into your oasis. One of my lucky readers will win a $25 Sears gift card!

Need help finding your own pieces for your backyard? Sears is bringing the ease of searching for those perfect pieces with their recently launched iPad digital catalog. On your computer? Don't fear, Sears has an amazing digital catalog built just for you.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.