I love pom poms! At work in The Sunday Mirror we printed a picture of Paloma Faith wearing a fantastic jumper covered in pom poms.

People at work know I like to craft, so I said I would do a step-by-step tutorial for the paper. I also made a video.

Who doesn't love a soft, squishy pom pom? They're all the rage at the moment with many pages on Instagram dedicated to the brightly-coloured balls of fluff. A great accessory to bring a pop of colour to any outfit.

Gone are the days when you have to spend hours making one pom pom. I remember cutting out 2 circles of card from a cereal box and spending ages threading the wool through the circle and over, through the circle and over, again and again. Yawn!

I love gadgets, especially ones that are time-savers. As a full-time working mum of two children, anything that saves time gets my vote. Whoever came up with this little time-saving gadget deserves a crafty medal, or maybe a pom pom garland.

The Clover Pom Pom maker, a favourite of craft queen Kirstie Allsopp and should be in every crafters sewing box. You will find 4 different sizes in my favourite craft shop - Hobbycraft.

They can look a bit tricky to use, so I have done a step-by-step guide on how to use them. I've even recorded a video so you can watch and pause every step of the way. I learn so much of my crafts from watching videos on YouTube.

What you need:

Wool
Clover pom pom maker
Scissors

Step one:

Wrap the wool around one of the arcs (one arc is formed of two arms). Continue to wrap the wool around until the arc is completely covered. Repeat for the remaining arc. Close both the arcs.

Step two:

Insert your scissors into the slit on the side of the machine, and cut all of the way around both arcs.

Step three:

Insert a piece of wool into the middle of the machine and pull tight, secure in place with a knot.

Step four:

Gently remove the pom pom by releasing both arcs of the machine. Remove the central sections by gently pulling on both sides. Trim off the little sticky out bits.

I have made a step-by-step video. Enjoy!

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With so many apps to choose from, it can be tricky to pick one that's right for your toddler.
Disney have just launched the new Disney Junior Play app and we love it!
By we, I mean my three year old son, Jacob, and I.

Jacob's face lights up every time I let him play on it. We're big fans of all things Disney, so we were really excited to see this new app.

It doesn't dissapoint. Great for little fingers, easy to navigate, quick to launch, and lots of games included.

The new iOS app Disney Junior Play is home to Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Disney Junior fans can now get even closer to their favourite characters on the go through a variety of activities including fun games, engaging video-clips and a digital sticker book.

Jacob loves playing on the Disney Junior Play App

Free to download, Disney Junior Play comes with the “Disney Junior Favourites” pack, featuring four multi-level games and a digital sticker book featuring Doc, Sofia, Jake and Mickey. Additional packs based on Disney Junior’s smash-hit shows Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse are available to purchase from within the app, each containing four games, a short form video and a digital sticker book.

It's easy to create a simple profile, and little ones can easily navigate through the home screen and access the games. One of Jacob's favourites is popping the balloons with Mickey and Goofy.

The games encourage creativity, the kids learn how to solve problems, develop dexterity and the app helps with hand-eye co-ordination.

You know how much kids love stickers! Well, stickers are rewarded and collected during gameplay and can be saved in the sticker book; each pack having its own character themed sticker book and 25 stickers to collect.

Disney Junior Play will definitely keep little ones busy with fun, challenging games. Jacob didn't need muy help while playing on it, and I am pleased beacuse there are no adverts within the game, so he can't accidently click on anything. Jacob didn't want to stop playing it!

The app is free to download and you get a good variety of games with the free app. I would recommend you buy the bundle which is currently £4.99, better value which will unlock 4 more parts of the game. Or you can buy them individually at £1.99 each.

These are the games you can buy extra:

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 'Farmyard Fun'
Doc McStuffins 'Here to Help'
Jake and the Never Land Pirates 'Island Adventures'
Sofia the First 'A Royal Party'

Key Features:

20+ games available, including;
Jigsaw puzzles to encourage problem solving
Catching games to reward fast fingers
Dress-up games to inspire imaginative play
Placement games to encourage logical thinking
Hide-and-seek games to reward observation skills
Three levels in each game
25 digital stickers to collect in each pack
Catchy videos to watch again and again!
Supports up to four profiles, so each of your children can save their progress
Play anywhere, any time as all content works offline, including videos
No adverts so your child can play safely
In-app purchases are only available in the pin-protected store, so only an adult can access
Supports iPhone 4+, iPod 4+, and iPad 2+

Check out my video review and see the app in real-time.

Each pack features a set of adventures and stimulating play topics that transport kids into the world of their favourite Disney Junior characters; from helping Doc choose the right clothes for the weather to helping Jake and his crew design a sand castle for a pirate king.

Disney Junior Play has been designed to keep little ones busy with fun, challenging games that feature everyday themes, but while a lot of fun for kids, the app has also been developed with parents in mind.

Purchases within Disney Junior Play are both safe and secure with payments facilitated only after parents have correctly passed through the child-protection screen. Once within the store parents can browse and purchase additional character themed packs to add to their Disney Junior Play collection. Each pack retails at £1.99, or can be purchased as part of a money saving bundle, all 4 games for £4.99

What are you waiting for, go an have a play on the Disney Junior Play app.
Available to download from the app store.

www.disney.co.uk

Disclosure: I was provided with the full app to review free of charge.