What you will make?

In this project, you will see how to make some simple cone-shaped hats for Halloween. Instructions are given for a clown's hat, a wizard's hat, and a witch's hat. The basic shape is the same for each hat, but the color of the hat and the decorations are different. Use your creativity to come up with other hat ideas.

These hats can be the basis for a Halloween costume. Make a hat, and add some makeup and old clothes to complete the costume.

Printable cone hat patterns: Use the printable Baby Cone Hat patterns to make a tiny hat for a baby or pet.

Here's what you need:

  • Computer paper

  • Construction paper

  • Scissors

  • Glue

  • Tape

  • Hole punch

  • String

  • Optional: Pencil, crayons or markers

How to Make Halloween Hats to Wear

Read all of the steps before starting.

Step 1: Choose a Pattern and Print It

Choose a hat to make. Download and print the pattern for that hat's decorations.

Choose a pattern that prints in color, or select the black & white pattern and use your creativity to add color and designs.

Baby-size cone hats: Use the printable Baby Cone Hat For Halloween patterns to make small cone hats for a baby, pet or as party favors. Choose from clown, wizard, witch and plain patterns, then download and print. Cut out the hat, roll into a cone and glue where marked. Add optional chin strings following the instructions in Step 4.

All of Aunt Annie's project patterns are designed to be printed on standard letter-size paper (8.5"x11" or A4). When printing from Adobe Reader, you may need to select Auto-Rotate and Center or Choose paper source by PDF page size to ensure the best fit.
Step 2: Cut Decorations

Cut out each decoration on its black outline. Make as many decorations for each hat as you like. Some people like a hat covered with decorations, and others like ones with just a few.

Project extra: Make several party favor hats quickly with the fancy Halloween hat bands or More hat bands. Print, cut and glue these decorated bands around a black, white or orange cone hat.

Tip: For more creativity, use the black & white pattern. You can either color the decorations with crayons or markers before cutting, or trace the cut decoration patterns onto colored paper to cut out. You can use any colors you like for the decorations. Silver and gold are nice for the wizard's stars and moons. On the clown's hat, you might use several different colors of dots.

Step 3: Make Cone Shape

Take a piece of construction paper 12" by 18" (30 by 45 cm). Roll the paper into a cone and size the base to fit the child's head. Be sure not to make it too big, or it may slip and cover the child's eyes. Tape or glue the overlapping edges in one or more places. Cut off the extra paper at the base of the cone.

Aunt Annie recommends black paper for the witch's hat, green, white or red for the clown's hat, and gray, silver or white for the wizard's hat, but you can use any colors you like.

Tip: If you don't have a 12" by 18" piece of construction paper, glue two or more pieces of 9" by 12" construction paper together. In fact, you can glue two pieces of computer paper together along their long edges. This will make a hat big enough for most children.

Step 4: Decorate Hat

Glue the decorations to the hat. Use any arrangement you like. You might use the triangles to make a border on the bottom of the clown's hat, or glue the stars in a spiral around the wizard's hat. Use your imagination!

Optional: Add a chin string to help keep the hat on the child's head. Punch a hole on either side of the hat. Make the holes stronger with pieces of tape on both sides of the paper. Tie a 16"-to-18" (40-to-45 cm) length of string to each hole, and tie them together under the child's chin.

That's it! Your hat is done!

0527 halloween witch hats
Halloween Hats. Photo: Spoon Flower Blog
Why is it called Halloween?

As the Dictionary, Samhain is a Celtic word that some scholars think means “summer’s end,” and it marks the beginning of winter at the end of the harvest season. It was celebrated around November 1 when, it was believed, the dead could cross over to the land of the living for one night. OK, things are starting to sound familiar …

The other celebration, All Saints’ Day, honors all of the Christians saints. The Roman Catholic Church sometimes refers to it as the Solemnity of All Saints. Though this celebration does not bear a close resemblance to the festivities of Halloween (historians say it is observed in Britain and Ireland on November 1 to replace or coincide with Samhain), it did give the holiday its name.