The BEST way to attach a pom pom to a knitted hat

I absolutely adore pom poms. They are big, fun, and slightly ridiculous, and for some reason, they always bring a smile to my face. They can be small or big, neutral or colorful, made from yarn, faux fur or real fur and they always add a little extra to the hat. There are many ways to attach a pom pom, but I have found one way, that has the rest beat. It’s fast and easy, works for all types of poms and yarn, keeps the pom close to the hat, doesn’t involve sewing, and the pom pom is easy to take on and off.

The secret trick – is a button!

Attaching a pom pom with a button

Using a button to attach a pom pom to a knitted hat or beanie is so wonderfully simple. You need a pom pom with strings and a button with holes large enough to fit the string size. You feed the strings through the top center of the hat, turn the hat inside out, and tie the strings to the button – Voilà!

The best part about the button method is that it’s easy to detach the pom pom. Most pom poms don’t do well in the wash, so it’s always a good idea to take off the pom if you need to wash your hat. It can also be fun to switch up the look of a hat by tying on a different size or color pom pom, or maybe wearing it without a pom pom every now and then.

And no, you do not feel the button against the top of your head.

What to do if your pom pom doesn’t have strings

Some pom poms have 2 or 4 strings attached to it, and if you are making your own pom pom from leftover yarn, it is easy to leave 2 long strings to attach the pom pom with. However, you may also purchase a pom pom with a small elastic or a press stud button, or even with nothing at all. Then you will have to attach strings yourself. You can use the same yarn you knitted the hat with, although if it is a chunky yarn it is easier to pick a thinner yarn that will fit better through the buttonholes.

The typical faux fur pom poms will have a semi-soft core that you can easily puncture with a needle so you can use a needle to secure the yarn to the core of the pom, leaving 2 strands dangling down. If the pom pom has an elastic, I like to use a crochet hook to pull the yarn string through the elastic.

illustrations of attaching a string to a pom pom
This pom pom has a tiny elastic, so I used a crochet hook to pull a scrap piece of yarn through the elastic. Notice that the buttonholes are small compared to the diameter of the yarn, so I need some type of threader to pull the yarn through the holes. I like to use floss threaders – a cheap and practical solution, available at your nearest drug store. If you have a button with larger holes or use a smaller thread, you won’t have this problem.

Tying the strings of the pom pom to the button

Illustration of how to attach a pom to a knitted hat with a button - step 1.
Use a crochet hook to pull the pom pom threads through the center of the hat. Most knitted hats are knit in a way that there’s a small central hole on the top. Put the hook through from the inside, poking through to the outside. If there’s no central hole, pull the yarn through as close to the top of the hat as possible. Grab the yarn threads with the hook and pull them through to the other side, and turn the hat inside out.
Illustration of how to attach a pom to a knitted hat with a button - step 2.
Pull the yarn strings through the 2 buttonholes. This will be easier if your buttonholes are a good match for the thickness of the yarn. You can use a threader or a darning needle to make it easier.
Illustration of how to attach a pom to a knitted hat with a button - step 3.
Tie an ordinary knot and pull it tight, then tie a bow to secure the pom pom. Turn that hat outside in again, and enjoy your new hat!
Knitted hat with pom pom

Pom buttons

You can use any old button to attach your poms, although it is much easier if you can find buttons with nice big button holes. That being said, I have to show you these amazing specially designed pom buttons from Angie + Britt. They are made from Alder hardwood and are super lightweight, and they come with holes in three different sizes so you can match the thickness of the strings of the pom. Finally they have the text “Handmade Faux Fur Pom – Remove Before Washing” written on them – how cute is that? If you knit a lot of hats for gifts or for selling, this is a must have!

The BEST way to attach a pom pom to a knitted hat
This gorgeous faux fur pom pom is called Golden Tamarin and is handmade by Wool and Knits. The pom Buttons are from Angie + Britt. Both are available in Northern America. If you live in Denmark you can purchase the pom and the button as a set in my webshop thegoneapp.com.

How do you attach your poms?

How have you been attaching your pom poms to your knitted hats, or are you not a pom pom kind of person? Are you going to try the button method next time? As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment below.

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