Tuesday 9 August 2016

Paper Pom-Poms, by Paula Pascual. Review.



20 Creative Projects to Decorate Your Life

By Paula Pascual

Carlton Books 2016

Hardcover £ 13.99

ISBN 9781780977492



Star rating: ****



Fluffy tissue paper pom-poms are having a moment – they are the party decoration of choice. (In fact, all sorts of pom-poms are having a moment, but if you are a papercrafter, then it is the tissue paper variety you’ll be wanting to have a go at.) This fun new title by craft name Paula Pascual expertly explains the craft of making tissue paper pom-poms in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes. There are 20 projects to choose from – mostly in tissue paper, but also imaginatively using cupcake liners, doilies, and re-purposed books.


Even if you are a seasoned papercrafter, you may not have much experience working with tissue paper. Wafer-thin layers can be a little tricky to work with – they are the filo pastry of the papercraft world. Have no fear – comprehensive step-by-step photos and text guide you through the process.


It must have been challenging for the author to come up with 20 projects on a rather narrow topic, but she has come up with the goods in terms of variety. In addition to the expected puff balls, there are fringed and honeycomb projects. Projects include a fringed topiary-style House Plant, a flower-topped Tassel Garland, a snowball-style Festive Ornament whose tightly-packed fluted layers are crafted with cupcake liners, and several types of paper flower (including crepe paper ones). Some of the projects are worked over Styrofoam forms and many require the use of a cool-melt hot glue gun.


The tutorial on making a tissue paper honeycomb ornament is excellent. You can purchase ready-made honeycomb paper, but being able to make your own opens up loads more possibilities in terms of colour choice. Making the honeycomb involves applying lines of glue in alternating layers. With the help of the full-size grid... can do! (In fact, all the back-of-book templates are full-size – handy.)



The author imparts a warm and friendly conversational tone to the proceedings.


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