How to Make a Witch Hat Out of Felt (No Sewing Needed)
To make a witch hat out of felt without sewing, cut a quarter-circle of stiff felt and roll it into a cone that fits your head, cut a ring-shaped brim, and join the pieces with hot glue and small tabs. Stiffen the brim with a second layer of felt or a craft-foam ring, then bend the tip over for that classic crooked look. It takes about an hour with two large sheets of stiff felt.
If the hat is the only witch piece you have figured out, The Costume Rack lists the rest of the witch costume from your closet: Start my costume.
What you need
For one felt witch hat for adults or teens:
- Stiff felt: two sheets at least 18 x 24 inches, or about half a yard of felt from a roll. Stiffened felt is much easier than soft craft felt.
- Hot glue gun and sticks (or strong fabric glue and patience).
- A tape measure or string.
- Chalk or a pencil.
- Sharp scissors.
- Optional stiffeners: a sheet of craft foam, fabric stiffener spray, or thin wire.
- Decorations: ribbon, a buckle, silk flowers, faux leaves, stars.
Why felt instead of paper? Paper and cardboard hats (the ones kids make in class) crease and crush in a bag. A felt hat is wearable, squashable and looks like a real piece of clothing. If you do want the quick version, see the paper section in the FAQ.
Cutting the cone and brim
This is your simple witch hat pattern. No printout needed.
Measure your head
Wrap the tape around your head where the hat will sit, just above your eyebrows and ears. Write the number down. Call it your head size.
Cut the cone
- Decide on the cone height. 14 to 18 inches is a good adult witch hat; taller looks more dramatic but floppier.
- Tie string to your chalk and hold the other end at one corner of your felt. Use the cone height as the string length.
- Draw a quarter-circle arc.
- Cut along the two straight edges and the arc.
- Roll it into a cone and check it against your head. The open bottom should equal your head size plus an inch for the overlap. Trim the curve if it is too big.
Cut the brim
- On the second sheet, draw a circle the size of your head opening (use the cone's bottom as a template, or divide your head size by 3.14 for the width).
- Draw a bigger circle around it, 4 to 6 inches wider on every side.
- Cut out the ring. Before cutting the inner circle, draw a third circle about an inch inside it: you will use that extra inch as tabs.
Joining felt without sewing
Here is the no sew witch hat part.
Close the cone
Run a line of hot glue along one straight edge, overlap the other edge by about an inch and press. Hold it for 30 seconds. Work in short sections so the glue does not cool before you press.
Make the tabs
Cut from the inner (smallest) circle of the brim out to the head circle every inch, making a ring of tabs. Fold them up.
Attach the brim
- Slide the brim over the cone from the top, tabs pointing up.
- Glue each tab to the inside of the cone.
- Glue a ribbon band around the outside where they meet to hide the join.
Safety tip: hot glue burns, so keep a bowl of cold water nearby and press seams with a spoon or a folded scrap, not your fingertips.
Stiffening the brim
A floppy brim is the number one complaint about any felt witch hat. Here is how to make a witch hat stiff:
| Method | How | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Double felt | Cut a second brim and glue it on top | Firm, easy |
| Craft foam | Glue a foam ring between two felt brims | Very firm, light |
| Wire edge | Glue thin wire around the outer edge, then fold felt over it | Bendable, holds a wave |
| Stiffener spray | Spray, shape and let it dry overnight | Firm, needs planning |
The wire edge is the favorite for a dramatic, wavy brim you can bend up at the front.
Shaping the bent tip
The crooked tip is what turns a cone into a witch hat.
- Push a wad of tissue or a sock into the top 6 inches of the cone.
- Bend the tip over to one side and hold.
- Hot glue the inside of the fold, or pin it with a safety pin from inside.
- For a curl that stays, glue a pipe cleaner inside the tip before bending.
For a bent witch hat that looks old and worn, squish and twist the cone slightly along its length too.
Decorating your hat
Decorations are where your witch gets a personality. A few witch costume ideas:
- Classic: a wide black ribbon band and a silver or gold buckle.
- Garden witch: faux autumn leaves, dried flowers, a tiny mushroom.
- Glam witch: a band of glitter ribbon, a veil of black tulle hanging from the brim.
- Cosmic witch: gold star stickers or felt stars and a crescent moon.
- Cozy witch: a pom-pom at the tip and a chunky knit band.
This is the stage where it is easy to overthink it: which decorations match the rest of your outfit, and what else a witch even needs. The Costume Rack matches you to a witch build for your vibe (spooky, glam, funny or cosy), lists every piece, and shows a version from clothes you already own. Start my costume
The rest of the witch outfit
With the hat done, how to dress up as a witch is mostly your closet: a black dress or skirt, dark tights, boots, a cardigan or shawl, and a broom or a black cat friend. A cape made without sewing doubles as a witch cloak. For the cat friend, send them our black cat costume without ears guide.
No time for a hat? A witch costume no hat still works: a dark lip, a big pendant, a broom and a shawl read as "witch" on their own. A witch outfit without hat usually leans on the broom as the key prop.
Your witch costume, finished in about two minutes
You know how to make a witch hat out of felt; The Costume Rack handles the rest. Tell it your vibe and your closet, and it lists every witch piece, a closet version, a no-makeup build, and a "Find it" link for anything missing, plus a group link so your coven does not all show up in the same look.
FAQ
How do you make a witch hat out of fabric without sewing?
Cut a quarter-circle for the cone and a ring for the brim from stiff felt or fabric, glue the cone closed, and glue the brim on using tabs folded inside the cone. Hot glue or strong fabric glue replaces all the stitching.
How do you make a felt witch hat stiff?
Use stiffened felt, glue two brim layers together with craft foam between them, or glue thin wire around the brim edge. Fabric stiffener spray also works if you can let it dry overnight.
How do you make a witch hat out of paper?
Roll black card or poster board into a cone, tape it, then cut a ring brim with tabs and tape it inside, just like the felt method. Paper hats are quick but crush easily, so felt is better for a long night.
How tall should a witch hat be?
For teens and adults, a 14 to 18 inch cone looks right without toppling. Go taller only if you add a wire or foam stiffener.
Can you do an easy witch costume without a hat?
Yes. A black dress or skirt, a shawl, a pendant, dark lipstick and a broom read as a witch on their own. The broom does most of the work when there is no hat.