It’s the time of the year most associated with witches in the popular imagination, and with good reason. It’s that moment when the world of the physical and everyday meets and intermingles with the Otherworld: the world of the spiritual, ethereal, and the great beyond. As such, it’s a moment of great power for those of us who prefer to dwell in this place as a matter of course. We don’t have to work as hard to get into our magical zone, because—as you’re likely to have heard and read a million times—the veil between the worlds is thin.
And there is one symbol that is, arguably, most connected with witches, especially at this time of year: the witch hat! While its historical association with witchcraft is not entirely clear, the witch hat as we know it goes way back. Its earliest known appearance is the third or fourth century bce, during which three female mummies of Celtic descent (part of a group of hundreds of Celtic mummies that have been mysteriously discovered in China’s Tarim region), were believed to have lived. These mummies—known as “The Witches of Subeshi”—wore tall, pointed, cone-shaped, black felt hats with a flat brim.
While these “Witches” may indeed have been some kind of Druidic magical practitioners (it’s not clear), these types of hats were not popularly associated with witches in Western culture until the 1700s, which Raymond Buckland suggests happened because conical hats went out of fashion in the courts and cities, so portraying country dwellers practicing the old nature religion as wearing such hats was a way of alluding to their perceived cultural irrelevance.
And then of course, there’s the idea that a witch hat is like your own personal cone of power, perhaps funneling divine energy and magic down from above and into the crown of your head.
Whatever its origins, the association of black pointed hats with witchcraft has stuck in such a serious way that it’s difficult to believe that there isn’t something inherent and archetypal about it. With all of this in mind, how about making your own? I’ve found this particular pattern to be quite easy, and to turn out a big old floppy witch hat that’s equal parts adorable and authentic.
Floppy Witch Hat
Time to complete: 1 to 2 hours (or more if you hand-stitch rather than use a sewing machine)
Cost: $3.00 to $10.00 (or more if you need to purchase basic sewing supplies)
Supplies
1 yard black felt (Please consider recycled felt! It’s made out of old bottles.)
Black thread
A roll of old wrapping paper, or a cut-and-taped-together brown paper grocery bag (for the pattern)
Trim for the base of the cone (optional)
Pins
A needle
Sewing scissors
A yardstick and/or tape measure
A protractor
Instructions
1. Make the brim pattern
On the wrapping paper, measure 25 centimeters out in all directions from a central point, making a number of points, perhaps ½ to 1 inch apart to describe a circle. Draw the circle created by the points. Cut out the circle.
Now, also from the central point, describe a smaller circle by measuring about 8¾ centimeters out in all directions. Connect the dots and cut, to make a donut shape.
2. Make the cone pattern
Make a point. Create another point 31 centimeters from that point. Measure a number of additional points the same distance from the first point, to describe a shape a little smaller than a semicircle. Connect the dots and cut. Using a protractor and a ruler, mark and trim the cone pattern so that the central angle is about 114 degrees.
3. Make the hat
Pin the brim and cone patterns to the felt and cut one of each.
After removing the patterns and pins, fold the cone pattern in half, so that the straight edges are meeting, right sides of the fabric together. Pin the edges together and sew them. Turn right side out. If necessary, use something like a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon to make the point pointy.
Pin the inside circle of the right side of brim to the outside of the cone, edges aligned, making sure to pin the seam of the cone so that it’s pressed out, and sew.
Try the hat on. If it needs any slight adjustments to fit your head, you may need to rip the seams and change the seam allowance slightly, or to cut new pieces in slightly larger or smaller sizes. (You’ll have plenty of felt.) If the brim is so floppy that it keeps falling over your face (this might happen if you use a particularly thin felt), enforce the edges of the brim by basting an edge stitch around the outside. This has an added benefit of creating a rustic look.
If you’d like, sew trim of your choice around the base of the cone to make a hatband. You can also add any other flourishes you’d like, such as lace, patches, buttons, appliqués, or naturally shed feathers.
4. Bless and consecrate
When it’s just how you like it, if you’d like to consecrate it to give it some added magical oomph, first clean up your sewing supplies. Keeping your hat close by, cast a circle, first placing a representation of each element at each cardinal point: smoking incense in a holder to the east, a lit candle to the south, a chalice or glass of water to the west, and a dish of salt to the north. Next, call on the elements: first Air, then Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit.
Bathe the hat in the smoking incense as you say,
Air for clarity and insight.
Warm the hat with the candle as you say,
Fire for energy and passion.
Anoint the hat with the water as you say,
Water for psychic ability.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the hat as you say,
Earth for power and serenity.
Hold the hat up to the sky as you say,
I now bless this hat and consecrate it to Spirit. May it be filled with power and magic. May it connect me with my witchy roots and the collective power and magic of the witches of old. May it serve as a reminder of the power and magic that is within me, now and always.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, and so mote it be.
For Further Reading
Buckland, Raymond. The Witch Book: Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and NeoPaganism. Canton, MI: Visible Ink Press, 2001.
Coonan, Clifford. “A Meeting of Civilisations: The Mystery of China’s Celtic Mummies.” The Independent. August 28, 2006. http://www.independent.co.uk.
Waldman, Katy. “Why Do Witches Wear Pointy Hats?” Slate. October 17, 2013. http://www.slate.com