DIY Cat Costume
A cat costume is as nimble as the feline itself: an all-black outfit, a pair of ears, and the whiskers you draw on your face.
The ears are the one thing worth buying. A faux-fur pair sits better and lasts longer than folded felt, and a set runs about eight dollars. The nose and whiskers are just eyeliner you probably already own.
What you need
An all-black outfit and cat ears.
- Effort: Easy
- Cost: ~$8
- Time: 10 min
What to buy
The ears
Amazon Our pick
OLYPHAN Cat Ears and Tail Costume · See current price at Amazon
Faux-fur ears and a clip-on tail make this the budget ears-and-tail set.
The ears sit on a covered band and the tail clips on. Want paws and a collar too? The four-piece below includes them.
See it at Amazon →Also checked
The makeup
The whiskers and nose are just a few lines of face paint.
Amazon Our pick
Snazaroo Face Paint Set, Rainbow, 8 Colors · See current price at Amazon
The nose and whiskers are mostly black — Snazaroo's basic set draws them and wipes off with soap and water. A cat barely touches the palette, so it's plenty.
It's the mid-tier kit, and it earns that by laying down smoothly and lifting off with soap. It's a first-party Amazon listing, not a reseller's.
See it at Amazon →Also checked
How to put it together
- Start with all black. A black top and black bottoms, or a single black dress — whatever all-black you already own. A cat doesn't need a particular outfit, just one solid color head to toe.
- Add the ears and tail. A faux-fur ears headband is what turns black clothes into a cat. The set here includes a plush tail too, which fills out the back.
- Draw the nose. Blacken just the tip of your nose with eyeliner or face paint, then run a short line straight down to your top lip. That single mark does most of the work.
- Add whiskers and liner. Three thin lines on each cheek for whiskers, a few small dots above them, and a flick of black liner out from each eye. Keep the lines light and even — smudged whiskers drift toward raccoon.
- Warm the cheeks. A little pink or rosy blush on the apples of the cheeks softens the face so the black doesn't look harsh. Optional, but it pulls the whole look together.
Make it your own
- For a kid
- Same formula, sized down. The ears-and-tail kit fits ages three and up, and you can skip the eyeliner for a couple of face-paint whiskers and a dot on the nose.
- For a group
- Cats travel in a pack easily. Everyone in black with ears, then vary the makeup — a soft pink kitten nose on one, a sharp black-cat liner on another — so it looks chosen, not accidental.
- To level it up
- A black tutu, a bell collar, or paw-print gloves push it past closet-cat. A dramatic winged liner turns the same base into a sleek, grown-up cat.
Best if you own black clothes and want a costume that's mostly a few lines drawn on your face.
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Prices checked September 3, 2026. Stores set their own prices and may change them. The “See it at” links go to the live listing.