Heart-shaped pom-poms easy to make for Valentine's Day

When it comes to handmade pom-poms (the crafty kind, not the cheerleader accessory), less is more. It may sound counterintuitive, but if you want pom-poms that are full and fluffy rather than ragged, don't be afraid to get out your scissors and snip, and then snip some more.

Round pom-poms are cute on their own, but heart-shaped versions make for adorable Valentine's Day decor without a lot of extra work. Just make three spheres, stitch them together and then trim, trim, trim.

Yarn is the most obvious choice for hand-crafted pom-poms, but experiment with different fibers such as wool roving or cotton jersey. Linda Gardner, who writes a blog called "Craftaholics Anonymous," made a colorful cluster of pom-poms from strips cut from an old T-shirt. Following her lead: You can make a new pom-pom heart out of something you once wore close to your own.

MATERIALS

► Yarn, wool roving or T-shirt fabric

► Cardboard

► Scissors

► Embroidery thread and needle

► Ribbon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make two donut-shaped cardboard templates. They can be any size. (I traced around an old CD to get the outer diameter of my templates and a small bottle of paint to get the inner circle.) Cut a chunk out of each template, a few inches long, so the templates resemble horseshoes or rings with pieces cut out of them.

2. Cut a piece of embroidery thread about 8 inches long and lay it over one of the templates. Place the other template on top, sandwiching the thread, with the ends of the thread hanging out the cut edges.

3. If using T-shirt fabric, cut it into 1/2-inch st

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