Crochet Witch Hat: Free Halloween Pattern

A crochet witch hat is the fastest way to look like you tried really hard on Halloween. It is one tall cone, one wide brim, and suddenly you are the best-dressed witch at the party. No sewing, no stiff felt, no hat that collapses by midnight.

Below I am sharing my free adult crochet witch hat pattern: how the pointy cone is shaped, how the brim gets its dramatic width (with an optional wire edge so it holds any shape you bend it into), plus the yarn, gauge, and styling ideas. At the end, you can grab the full pattern as a printable PDF.

Why a Crochet Witch Hat Wins Halloween

Store-bought witch hats are flimsy things. The cone dents, the brim flops over your eyes, and half the party is wearing the same one. A handmade crochet witch hat looks richer, holds its shape all night, and nobody else has one exactly like it.

It is also the rare costume piece that earns its keep after October. Perched on a stack of books or a pumpkin, a crochet witch hat becomes instant Halloween decor. When November arrives, trade it for our crochet turkey and let the seasons roll on.

How This Witch Hat Is Built

The whole crochet witch hat is worked in one piece from the top down, in a continuous spiral of single crochet. You start at the very tip with a magic ring and grow the cone with slow, even increases, then flare out into the brim. There are no seams and nothing to assemble at the end.

The Tall Pointy Cone

The cone finishes about 14 inches tall, which gives it that classic storybook silhouette. The trick is restraint: increase only every few rounds so the cone stays narrow and climbs tall instead of widening into a party hat. Work with a firm hand, or go down a hook size, because dense fabric is what keeps the point standing straight.

For the signature crooked look, bend the tip to one side when you finish and tack it in place with a few small stitches. A similar tall-cone build appears in Briana K’s free witch hat in 8 sizes, which shows how the same shaping scales from newborn to adult.

The Wide Brim

The brim is where the drama lives. After the cone reaches its full 22-inch opening, the stitch count doubles in a single round, then grows once more for a brim that stretches about 4 inches wide all around, roughly 15 inches across in total. A few plain rounds after the increases give the brim enough body to sit flat.

For a brim that holds any shape, work the final round over a length of craft wire or a few twisted pipe cleaners, then bend it wavy, flip up one side, or leave it flat and dramatic. The wire never shows, and you can reshape it every time you wear the hat.

Yarn, Hook, and Gauge

Use a worsted-weight (#4) acrylic yarn with a US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook. Acrylic is the classic choice here: it holds a crisp point, it is washable after a night of trick-or-treating, and black is easy to find. The gauge is 12 single crochet stitches to 4 inches; the hat is sized by stitch count, so match the width and the fit takes care of itself.

You will need about 400 yards (365 m), so two skeins of a standard worsted are plenty. Black is traditional, but deep purple is gorgeous, and burnt orange reads instantly as Halloween. Simply Yarn’s free adult and child witch hat shows the same idea in a petrifying purple with a 7 mm hook and chunky yarn, if you want an even faster version.

Wearing and Styling Your Witch Hat

Wear the point straight up for maximum drama, or bend it sideways for the classic crooked witch. The 22-inch opening fits an average adult head of 22 to 23 inches with a little negative ease, so it sits on the head instead of sliding down over your eyes. Tuck your hair up inside for a cleaner line.

Off the head, style it as decor: perch it on a pumpkin, hang it on the wall with the brim flat, or add it to a Halloween gift bag alongside candy. For more handmade gifting ideas, see our crochet gift ideas. And when the holidays turn wintry, pack it away with makes like our chunky crochet snowflake until next October.

Get the Free Pattern

Ready to make your own? I wrote the complete Crochet Witch Hat pattern as a printable PDF: the tall 14-inch cone worked top down in single crochet, the wide flared brim with the optional wire edge, exact stitch counts for every round, and finishing notes for the bent tip. It is free for our newsletter subscribers, so use the signup box at the top of this article to get your copy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size does this crochet witch hat fit?
This is an adult pattern. The opening measures about 22 inches around, which fits an average adult head of 22 to 23 inches with slight negative ease so the hat sits on the head. To size down, stop the cone increases a few rounds earlier; the pattern notes explain how.

How do I keep the point from flopping over?
Work the cone firmly, ideally with a hook one size smaller than your yarn label suggests, so the fabric is dense. Acrylic yarn holds its shape better than soft cotton here. If the tip still leans, that is the classic look: bend it sideways and tack it with a few stitches.

How do I make the brim hold its shape?
Work the final brim round over a length of craft wire or twisted pipe cleaners. The wire hides inside the stitches and lets you bend the brim wavy, flip up one side, or press it flat, and it stays put.

What is the best yarn for a crochet witch hat?
Worsted-weight (#4) acrylic. It is stiff enough to hold the point, it comes in perfect Halloween blacks and purples, and it survives the washing machine after October 31.

How long does it take to finish a crochet witch hat?
Plan on one weekend of relaxed stitching. It is all single crochet in a repeating rhythm, so once the cone is underway the rounds move quickly.

Is a crochet witch hat beginner-friendly?
An advanced beginner can. You need the magic ring, single crochet, increases, and working in a spiral with a stitch marker. There is no seaming and no colorwork in the basic version.