How to Fold an Origami Witch Hat
The origami witch hat is a flat Halloween hat with a tall cone, a crooked tip that droops to one side and a wide brim, folded from one square without cuts or glue. It is an easy model with six steps and takes about four minutes, starting from a simple kite.
Quick answerThe origami witch hat is an easy model folded in 6 steps and about 4 minutes, using the crease and kite base. You need a 15 cm (6 in) square, black, purple, orange or green on one side and white on the other.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 4 min
- Steps
- 6
- Paper
- A 15 cm (6 in) square, black, purple, orange or green on one side and white on the other
Printable Witch Hat diagram (PDF)
All 6 steps with pictures on 3 pages, ready to print in color or black and white. Free, no sign-up.
Lay the square as a diamond with the white side facing up, fold it in half from side corner to side corner, and open it again so a vertical crease runs from top to bottom.
Tip: swipe the diagram, or use ← → on your keyboard. Space plays and pauses.
All steps
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Step-by-step instructions
The same 6 steps as the animation above, written out so you can fold away from the screen.
Step 1
Lay the square as a diamond with the white side facing up, fold it in half from side corner to side corner, and open it again so a vertical crease runs from top to bottom.
Step 2
Bring the two upper edges in so they lie along the centre crease, making a kite with its long point at the top and a white triangle at the bottom.
Step 3
Fold the white bottom triangle up behind the model along the line that joins the two side corners, leaving a tall coloured triangle for the cone.
Step 4
Fold the bottom edge up in front by about a fifth of the triangle's height. The ends of this strip stick out past both sides of the cone.
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Step 5
Fold the top half of the strip back down so its top edge meets the fold at the bottom. The white part disappears and the strip becomes a wide, coloured brim.
Step 6
Fold the top point over to the right along a slanted line that rises from a little over halfway down the left edge to about a third of the way down the right edge, so the tip pokes out past the right-hand side and droops like a well-worn witch's hat.
Finished
Your witch hat is finished: a tall cone with a crooked, drooping tip and a wide brim. Draw a buckle or a band on it, glue it to a Halloween card, or make a row of them for a garland.
About the origami witch hat
This witch hat is a simple flat design built on the kite, the shape many first origami models begin with. Two folds turn the square into a tall kite, and folding its white bottom triangle away leaves a clean coloured cone. The brim is made from a strip at the bottom that is folded up and then back down on itself, so its ends stick out past both sides of the cone. A final fold bends the tip over to one side, which gives the hat its familiar crooked, well-worn look.
Along the way the model shows a few useful ideas. The kite teaches how to lay an edge exactly on a crease, the fold behind shows how to hide the white side of the paper, and the brim is a small pleat, one fold up and one fold back, which is a common way to add a wider band to a flat model. The tip fold goes through several layers along a slanted line, so it is also good practice for pressing a firm crease that is not parallel to any edge.
Witch hats are a quick Halloween craft for parties and classrooms. Glue them onto cards and invitations, string them into a garland, use them as place cards or gift tags, or perch small ones on dolls and toy figures as party hats. For a full set, pair the hat with the Origami Ghost, a Cat Face folded from black paper, and bats and pumpkins for a spooky scene.
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Halloween
More Halloween origami
Fold a matching set: the witch hat looks great next to these, and the Halloween page has garland, window and party ideas.
Origami witch hat: questions
Is the origami witch hat easy for beginners?+
Yes. It starts with a kite, one of the simplest shapes in origami, and every later fold lines up with an edge, a corner or a fold you have already made. Children of about six can fold it with a little help on the brim.
What color paper is best for a witch hat?+
Black is the classic choice, but purple, orange and green all look good for Halloween. Use paper that is colored on one side and white on the other; the white is hidden when you fold the brim, so the finished hat shows only the colored side.
Can I wear this origami witch hat?+
No, this is a flat model designed for cards, garlands and decorations. A small one fits on a doll or toy figure. For a paper hat you can wear, fold the newspaper Paper Hat or the Samurai Helmet from a large sheet.
How do I make the brim wider?+
Fold a taller strip in step 4, then fold its top half down as before. The ends of the strip stick out further, giving a wider brim, but the cone gets a little shorter, so a strip of about a fifth of the height is a good balance.
How can I decorate the witch hat?+
Draw a band just above the brim with a silver or gold pen and add a square buckle, or glue on a strip of contrasting paper. Small star or moon stickers on the cone also suit a Halloween theme.
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The origami ghost is a flat Halloween ghost with a round, domed head and a wavy hem of three points, folded from one square with the white side showing. It is an easy model with five steps and takes about three minutes; you draw the eyes and mouth on at the end.
Bat
The origami bat is a flat Halloween bat with wide wings, hooked wing tips, a short body and two pointed ears, folded from one square without cuts or glue. It starts from the waterbomb base and takes about six minutes; every fold after the base is a simple valley or mountain fold.
Pumpkin
The origami pumpkin is a flat, rounded jack-o'-lantern with a short stem on top and three creased ribs down the front, folded from one square without cutting. It is an easy model of seven steps that takes about five minutes, and the face is drawn on at the end.
Skull
The origami skull is a flat Halloween skull with a domed cranium and a narrower jaw that sticks out underneath, folded from one square with the white side showing. It is an easy model with eight steps and takes about five minutes; you draw the eye sockets, nose and teeth on at the end.