Halloween is right around the corner and, if you’re anything like me, you’re looking for an easy costume idea that can be DIY’d from real clothes and is simple yet show-stopping!

I love the idea of using actual clothing as a base for my DIY costumes because they are typically cheaper and easier to find, and they provide more comfort to you or our kids. If your child is wearing their costume to school, comfort is a must!

Here is a super simple way to create a witch’s robe or you can add a few accessories to make it a wizard robe.

What you need:

• An oversized black t-shirt (I used an adult small for my three-year-old)
• Chalk or a fabric pen
• Scissors
• Sewing machine and basic sewing skills

Start by turning the shirt inside out so you can see the seams and laying it on the floor. I asked my toddler to lay down on top of it with his arms stretched out for measurements but you could also use a piece of clothing that fits and lay that out for reference. Use chalk or a fabric pen to trace from the bottom corners of the shirt diagonally to the armpits. You want to leave as much volume in the robe as possible. Next, trace from the armpits to the bottom corner of the sleeves, again, leaving as much volume as possible.

Cut along your chalk line to create a full robe shape.

You can see from the photo below the basic shape we created after I cut on my chalk line. I left the bottom few inches of the sleeves and body together to help maintain the shape but you could cut the fold completely off.

Next, sew along the edge either with a serger machine or a traditional sewing machine. You could also hand sew the seams depending on your skill level.

Once sewn together, turn the shirt right side out and cut up the middle of the front so it now resembles a jacket.

Combine this robe with a pointy hat and a broom or a tie and a wand, and there you have it! An easy and comfortable robe for your little Halloween witch or Hogwarts wizard.

We made it a family affair with our hats and had an absolutely Haunting Halloween!