Join the Discussion "What's Your Favorite Color Mixes of Pom Poms" Ab_chrleadng

Related Resources • How to Fluff Poms • Cheerleading 101 • History of Cheerleading • Uniforms and Supplies

Elsewhere on the Web • PomPon Central • Pom Express

Pompons were first used by Cheerleaders in the 1930's. They were made out of crepe paper and hard to care for. It was not unusual for the strands to fall out or the colors to run when they came in contact with moisture. As the saying goes, "You've come a long way, Baby".

Today's vinyl pom was invented around 1965 by Fred Gastoff and introduced by the International Cheerleading Foundation. They are easy to keep and come in a wide range of brilliant colors.

Choosing your pom pons is not a simple matter. They can be ordered with metallic strands, one of the most popular according Pompon Central, regular plastic strands, wet looking plastic strands, or a combination. Then you need to decide whether you want the strands to be wide, narrow, or a mixture of both.

Poms come in a variety of colors and color mixes. Carrie, a PomPon Central executive assistant, stated that in the metallic colors, red, gold, and blue are probably the most popular. High school gold, blue, and maroon are their most-ordered poly colors. The color mixes to choose from are solid, salt and pepper, target/bulls eye, or half and half. PomPon Central has customers all over the world and is one of the biggest manufacturers of poms. Over the last 15 years they have produced millions of Drill Team Pompons, the best selling poms in history.

Another decision you have to make when ordering poms is what kind of handle or grip to get on them. Below are some different style handles available on poms.

Flair/Crown	Loop	Baton	Drill/Dowel

It doesn't take much to care for your pompons. Water and heat are their worst enemies and a small investment in a Pom bag, like this one at Pom Express, could make your poms last longer. Another good idea is to use a Cheer Ball™ when practicing, this way you can save your expensive poms for performances and competitions.

When you first receive your pompons, they will probably need fluffing. Read our How to Fluff Your Poms.

*Photos courtesy of PomPon Central

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