Kaikorai and the early years - Making pompoms from milk bottle tops.

Making pompoms from milk bottle tops

Back in the days when free milk was supplied to primary schools, 1937 to 1967 to be exact, the milk bottles were much wider at the top and the 'bung' to keep the milk in the bottle was a waxed cardboard disc.

The top had a round centrepiece which was able to be pressed in to allow a drinking straw to be inserted. The bottles were half pint in size.

The idea was to clean the milk bottle tops and holding two tops together, thread wool through the centre holes, round and round progressively covering the entire surface of the discs. Repeat the process until the hole in the centre is too small to allow any further wool to pass through.

At this stage the wool is cut around the entire outer circumference of the cardboard former. Once done, wind some light string around between the two sections of cardboard and tie off tightly. Withdraw the cardboard from each side and fluff out the wool to form a ball. You now have a pompom.

As a variation to using a single wool colour you can use progressive layers of different colours.

See page on milk bottles.