DIY Witch Costume

What you need

An all-black outfit and a pointy hat.

• Effort: Easy
• Cost: ~$10
• Time: 5 min

The one thing to buy

How to put it together

1. Start with all black. Pull together a black top and black bottoms, or a single black dress. Long sleeves and a long skirt look more witchy than a t-shirt and jeans, but anything all-black is a fine base.
2. Add the pointy hat. A felt hat with a bent point is the most convincing, and it's the piece people notice first.
3. Layer in texture, if you want. Striped or fishnet tights, a tattered or layered skirt, and a wide belt push the look from wearing-black to witch. None of it is required, all of it helps.
4. Grab a prop or two. A long pendant, fingerless gloves, or a broom you already own fill out the silhouette. Check the garage before you buy anything.
5. Keep the makeup simple. Dark lips and smudged eyes are enough. Save the green face for a storybook witch; the modern witch skips it.

Make it your own

For a kid

Same formula, smaller. A black dress or black leggings and a tunic, the hat sized down, and whatever warm layer fits underneath for trick-or-treating.

For a group

Everyone in black with a hat is a coven the moment you walk in together. Vary the hat shapes or add one green face so it looks deliberate, not like you all happened to wear black.

Pair it up

A witch pairs with almost anything spooky. For a couple, put your partner in all black too, as a warlock or a grim reaper, or go for contrast with a black cat or a scarecrow.

To level it up

Add a cape, a tattered overlay skirt, or cobweb details at the shoulders. A wig or a single streak of color turns the closet costume into a built one.