Tissue Paper Cheer Pom Poms

Supplies:
3/16″ x 12″ dowel (cut in half, so you end up with two 6″ pieces)
Twelve 16″ x 20″ sheets of tissue paper (the gift assorted packs work well)
Colored masking tape
Scissors
Glue

Directions:
1. Stack 6 sheets of various colored tissue papers together, fold over so that each side is 10″.  Cut 1/2″ slits down toward the fold (stopping 2″ away from the fold), all the way across the sheet.

2. Overlap 2″ of the dowel onto the 2″ of the tissue paper, add a bit of glue, and start rolling the tissue paper (the part that isn’t cut) around the dowel. If needed, continue to add dabs of glue as you roll to secure. Once the entire length is rolled,  wrap the 2″ of the tissue paper, where the dowel is wrapped, with your colored masking tape until the end of the dowel.

Let the kids turn your house into their very own cheer camp! Get ready for hootin’, hollerin’, and lots of jumping (possibly, somersaults too!). When I was in the second grade, it was my dream to be a Boston Celtics cheerleader and I distinctly remember drawing a picture of myself wearing a green cheer outfit and waving pom poms. My parents bought me a set of white, plastic, string ones, and I loved those a lot. Then, when I was in 4th grade I started taking private baton lessons and would compete doing baton (complete with sequins outfits, tight bun, and bright make-up). That changed my dream of being cheerleader for a basketball team into a baton twirler for a football team.

I loved the twirling, spinning, and catching the baton after it was spinning in the air. One time, I was practicing late in the backyard, my told me to come in since it was getting dark, but I didn’t listen… I was doing my routine, threw my baton high up in the air to spin, I spun around, then as I was waiting to catch it (it seemed to take a long time to come down and I couldn’t see it when I looked up), then BOING!, it hit me smack dab in the middle of my forehead and I got the biggest bump and bruise. I went to school the next day with a hat on.

Anyway, you never know what dreams your kids may come up with, and what they eventually will want to pursue. Therefore, it’s fun being able to create with them now and explore things they might fall in love with, you never know when that spark will light up within them and become part of their dreams for their future. Obviously, I never became a cheerleader or baton twirler, but those silly dreams and pursuits all have helped shaped who I am today.

on true: lula gum tunic, misha lulu. pants, fab kids.