Word of the Week
Embellish (em-bell-ish): A fancy way of saying decorate. It comes from the old French word embellir meaning "make beautiful."
Bonjour!
I've been feeling extra fancy lately. I think I'm anxious for spring to arrive! As you know, I love my hats and my scarves. I also love when they are embellished with embroidery, sequins, bobbles, and even pompoms! It got me thinking. . .
Where in the world does the pompom come from? Similar to our word of the week, the word pompom also originates from France. During the 18th century, the "pompon" was a small, decorative ball made from string, ribbon, wool, and even fur or feathers!
If you do a little bit of research, you'll find that many cultures had their own use for the decorative pompom. . .HATS! Do a little digging. I promise you won't be disappointed.
The pompom really became popular during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Pompoms can be made from scrap materials and are very inexpensive compared to tassels and fancier trinkets.
Another popular use for pompoms is associated with sporting events. Does anything pop into your mind? Yes, cheerleading! Pompoms also came into the picture in the 1930s as a way to better display team spirit!
There really are countless ways to use pompoms, but I think I've come up with a very creative twist- especially for all you book lovers!
DIY POMPOM BOOKMARK
You’ll need: scissors, a card from a deck of cards
·Take your yarn and wrap it around the playing card until you’ve used it all. Not too tight!
Slip the yarn off the card and use the small piece of yarn to tie a knot around the middle of the bundle. Flip it over and double knot to secure it.
Grab your scissors and cut all the yarn loops to create your pompom. It’s okay to do a little extra trimming to even things up.
Remember the knot you made? Find it and slip it onto your paperclip.
As the French like to say. . .voila! Use your new bookmark with any book.
Until next time. . .
Gram