I love the look of pampas grass but I just really don't want to pay for it! This is a super cheap alternative that can liven up floral arrangements or be displayed on their own. I will warn you that it can be very time consuming though. It takes about an hour to complete one stem.

Supplies

yarn
18 gauge cloth stem wires
scissors
cardboard
dog brush
face mask (optional)

Step 1: Cut the Yarn

The length and the amount of yarn is up to you and how you want your pampas grass to look. I was only able to find 18" cloth stem wires in store so that is the height I was limited to. Real pampas grass is extravagant in length so I hope that someone out there makes some much larger stems than I did!

Wrap the yarn around your cardboard and then cut one end of the grouped strings.

You'll be tying groups of yarn around the stems. The number is as arbitrary as the length but my cardboard was 5" wide giving me approximately 10" strings. I worked in groups of 6 with 5 strings each, so I wrapped my cardboard 30 times.

Keep in mind that after brushing the yarn you will lose some length and bulk, so plan accordingly.

Step 2: Tie the Yarn

Tie groups of yarn in a knot around the wire stems. I chose to tie groups of 5 but you can do more or less. Continue tying the yarn until you've reached your ideal length. Once brushed out, it will be a little shorter.

Step 3: Brush the Yarn

This is the most time consuming part. Once you brush out a few clumps you'll get the hang of it and it will move much smoother. Be aware that there will be yarn particles everywhere! I wore a medical mask so I didn't breath any in. You'll probably want to place some scrap cardboard or wood under your yarn while you brush so you don't scratch up your surface. Don't brush the entire stem at once. It's much more effective to separate it into smaller sections. I moved groups of 6 to the other end of the stem while working until all sections had been brushed out. Alternatively you can tie the yarn onto the stems only when you're ready to brush them. I tried both methods and neither really seemed to be faster than the other.

Hold on to one side of the knotted yarn and brush out the bottom of the opposite end. Flip over to brush out the other side until the front and back are completely frayed. Then continue your way up towards the wire using heavy pressure and long strokes until it's completely brushed out.

Sometimes a few strings may be stubborn and you'll have to manually unravel them a bit before you continue to brush them out.

Be sure to clean out the brush often. You can save this extra fluff to use as poly fill or for felting.

Step 4: Fluff the Yarn

Once your stem is completely brushed out, fold over the top end of the wire. Slide the knots down the stem so they're loosely spaced. Then rotate the knots so they're facing different directions throughout. Shake out your yarn pampas and you're done!