How to Make a Pompom for a Crochet Hat (With or Without a Maker)

A pompom turns a plain beanie into a bobble hat in about twenty minutes. You don’t need special tools — a piece of cardboard works as well as a pompom maker — but a few details make the difference between a floppy pompom and a round, full one.

What you need

• About 25 yd (23 m) of worsted-weight yarn for a 3 in (7.5 cm) pompom
• Sharp scissors (small embroidery scissors make trimming easier)
• A strong length of yarn for the tie, about 12 in (30 cm)
• Stiff cardboard, a pompom maker or a fork, depending on the method

Method 1: Cardboard rings

This classic method makes full pompoms in any size.

1. Cut two rings. On stiff cardboard, draw two circles about 3.5 in (9 cm) across, each with a 1.25 in (3 cm) hole in the middle. Cut them out, then cut a wedge about ½ in (1 cm) wide from the outer edge to the hole, lining up the gaps on both rings, so you can wrap straight from the ball.
2. Wrap. Hold the rings together and wind yarn around them, working from one side of the gap to the other. Keep wrapping until the center hole is nearly full — more wraps make a fuller pompom.
3. Cut. Slide the scissors between the two rings at the outer edge and cut through the yarn all the way around.
4. Tie. Slip the tie yarn between the rings, wrap it around the middle twice, pull it as tight as you can and knot it firmly. Tie a second knot.
5. Remove and fluff. Ease the cardboard away and fluff the pompom with your fingers.
6. Trim. Turn the pompom in your hand and trim any long strands into a neat ball. Leave the two tie ends long.

The finished pompom usually ends up a little smaller than the rings, because trimming evens it out.

Method 2: Pompom maker

A plastic pompom maker works like the cardboard rings, but each half opens on a hinge, so you wrap one half at a time and cut along a built-in groove. Makers are labeled with the size of pompom they make: about 3 in (7.5 cm) matches our hat patterns, and larger makers need more yarn.

Method 3: A fork, for tiny pompoms

Mini pompoms are lovely on garlands, bookmarks and gift tags.

1. Wrap yarn around the tines of a fork about 40 to 60 times.
2. Thread the tie yarn through the middle gap of the fork, around the bundle, and knot it tightly.
3. Slide the bundle off, cut through the loops on both sides and trim.

A fork pompom is about 1 to 1.5 in (2.5 to 4 cm) across.

Tie it on so it stays

1. Thread both tie ends onto a tapestry needle, or pull them through with a crochet hook.
2. Pass them through the center of the hat’s crown, a couple of stitches apart.
3. On the inside, knot them together firmly, then knot them again around a stitch.
4. Weave the ends in before trimming.

Tips for a better pompom

• Wrap more than you think. A thin pompom is almost always an under-wrapped one.
• Choose fluffy fibers. Wool and acrylic fluff up nicely; smooth cotton makes a flatter pompom.
• Mix colors. Wrap two or three colors together for a speckled pompom, or wrap sections in different colors for stripes.
• Skip pompoms for babies. On hats for children under 3, a pompom can come loose and become a choking hazard.

Ready to make the hat? Both of these patterns suit a pompom.

Free patternEasy Beginner Crochet HatBeginner3–4 hours

Free patternEasy Top-Down Crochet BeanieEasy3–4 hours