How To Attach A Pom Pom To A Hat

It’s hat season, and you are probably stocking up on beanies to stay toasty. But a knit or crochet hat is never complete without a pom pom attached to the top. 

Pom poms are super cute, fun, and maybe a little quirky. If you love them as much as we do, you may be interested in knowing how to add this whimsy feature to your hats.

How do you attach a pom pom to a hat? You can attach a pom pom to a hat by either sewing it, tying it on, or using a snap button.

Continue reading as we explore how to attach a pom pom to a hat. We’ll provide a step-by-step guide for each of the different methods below.

Choosing A Pom Pom For A Hat

Before we attach the pom pom to a hat, there is the critical step of choosing the pom pom. This particularly applies to store-bought ones. 

You can make your own pom pom using faux fur fabric or yarn. The best thing about making your pom pom is the freedom to customize the size and colors.

With the store-bought versions, what you buy is what you get. They are popularly made from faux fur fabric with a soft fiber-filled core.

They come in various sizes from as little as 1-inch. Be sure to check on that before making your order to avoid getting one that is too small.

A 2-4-inch pom pom is ideal for a kid’s hat, while a 3-6-inch one will do for an adult’s hat. Most importantly, it is best to consider the attachment style of the pom poms. They could have a snap button, or an elastic loop. 

The attachment style you choose is significant because it determines whether the pom pom will be attached temporarily or permanently. There are a couple of advantages of a temporary attachment. 

First, you can detach the pom pom when you want to machine wash your hat to avoid damaging the fluff of your pom pom. Faux fur tends to lose hair in a washing machine.

Second, if you need to wear the hat pom pom free, for example, for a formal look, you can lose the pompom. Lastly, you can swap different colored pom poms to change the look of one hat or use one pom pom on a collection of hats.

Ways To Attach A Pom Pom To A Hat

Now, you’ve made or bought your pom poms, and they have tails, snap buttons, or elastic loops. What next? Let’s move over to the directions for attaching them. 

1. Using An Elastic Loop

This is one of the easiest ways to attach a pom pom to a hat. We also like this style because the pom-pom sits firm and is not wobbly.

But what makes it particularly awesome is that you can detach and reattach the pom-pom at any time. 

Things You’ll Need

• Pom pom with an elastic loop
• Button (about ¾ of an inch)
• Sewing thread (same color as the crown) and needle
• Crochet hook

Steps

1. Thread the needle with the sewing thread.
2. Turn the hat inside out and sew the button on the inner part of the crown. Ensure it is very strong.
3. Turn the hat back the way it was so that the button is inside.
4. Insert a crochet hook inside the hat and through the hole in the crown. The tip should be popping outside the cap.
5. Hook the elastic loop and pull it through the hole, so it is now inside the hat.
6. Use your other hand to turn the hat and hold the elastic loop as you unhook it.
7. Wrap the loop around the button once or twice, and your pom pom is secure. 

2. Using A Snap Button

The snap button attachment is very secure, and installation is pretty straightforward.

Things You’ll Need

• Pom-poms with snap buttons. These pom poms come as a set with one part of the snaps (part A) already attached. You also get a bag of the second part of the sew-on snap button (part B).

• Needle and sewing thread

Steps

1. Unwrap the bag with the second half of the snaps (part B). Take one.
2. Thread your needle with a double thread and knot the bottom.
3. Stitch the snap onto the outer part of the crown where the pom pom should be.
4. Pick a pom pom from the set, align the two snaps and press it on.  

This type of attachment is temporary, and you can free the pompom at any time to wash the hat. But there’s a small caveat.

Remember the part of the snap button that is sewn on the outside of the crown? It cannot be removed and will therefore be visible if you intend to wear the hat without the pom pom.

3. Using Tails

You can choose to secure the pom-pom permanently by sewing the tails. Or temporarily by tying a knot that is easy to open.

Sewing provides the ultimate security for a pom pom. Unfortunately, it is also permanent. That means you will not be able to freely remove the pom pom to rock the hat without it or to wash the hat separately.

On the other hand, the no-sew way of attaching the pompom is not super sturdy. But it is a temporary attachment that you can easily undo. We’ll show you both ways.

Things You’ll Need For Sewing

• Pom pom with 2 or 4 tails/ties (should be a good length)
• Darning or tapestry needle

Steps

1. Thread one tail through the darning needle and stick the needle through the crown. Avoid inserting the needle through the hole in the middle, as the strand will have nothing to hold on to. Do it slightly off the center.
2. Pull the needle so that the strand appears inside the hat.
3. Take off the needle and thread the next strand.
4. Repeat the process in step one for the other strand(s). Be sure to spread them apart but just next to the hole. This creates a broader base which results in a sturdier, less wobbly pom-pom.
5. Pull the strand from the inside to make the pom-pom sit tightly. Check that it is right where you want it to be.
6. Pick two opposite strands and tie a surgeon’s knot. Do the same for the remaining two strands if you had four. 
7. Thread the remaining part of the strands and weave them around the crown one at a time. Be careful not to go through to the outer side of the hat.

Things You’ll Need For Tying (No-Sew)

• Pom pom with tails
• Crochet hook
• Large button over an inch in diameter
• Tapestry or darning needle

Steps

1. Insert the crochet hook inside the hat and through the hole at the center.
2. Bring the pompom close and draw in the strands using the hook. Pull them through to the inside of the hat.
3. Turn the hat inside out and thread the tapestry needle with one of the strands.
4. Insert the needle in one of the button’s holes. Release the needle and do the same for the other strands, each in its own hole.
5. When done, push the button to the base while pulling the tails until the pom pom is pressing against the crown.
6. Secure the pompom by tying the tails into a bow tie, so it is easy to untie.

What If Your Pom-Pom Doesn’t Have Ties?

No ties? Do not panic. Store-bought pom-poms can arrive without any attachments: no ties, no snap, no elastic loop.

Therefore, if your pom pom doesn’t have ties, you’ll have to install them yourself. You do not require special skills or equipment to do that.

Gather some scrap yarn or cord, a wide-eyed needle like a tapestry or darning needle, and recall your basic stitching skills. 

Steps

1. Cut a piece of yarn or cord about 15″. 
2. Thread the needle with the strand. 
3. Pick a spot and spread out the fluff until you see the middle softcore.
4. Poke the core and push the needle in, across, and out.
5. Pull the needle until the strand is about halfway through. Remove the needle. You now have two tails.
6. Level them out by pulling until they are even in height, then make a double knot to secure them.
7. For additional tails, repeat steps 2-5 with a second strand puncturing through the core as close as possible to the first knot.

Alternatively, you can fix a snap button instead of ties for your blank pom poms. Sew-on snaps are inexpensive and as easy to install as ties.

You only need a regular sewing needle and thread, and basic sewing skills.

Steps

1. Thread your needle and knot the end.
2. Pick a spot on your fur pom pom, smooth it out, and hold back the fur. You should see the softcore.
3. Put the top half piece of the snap button in position and secure it with your thumb.
4. Sew it in place by going into its holes, out and over several times all around until it is secured. 

And that is all we had on how to attach a pom pom to a hat. It’s that simple, and you can do it in minutes, regardless of your attachment style. Don’t forget to give the pom pom a little fluff in the end for a fuller appearance.

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