How to Make a Cat Ears Headband for Halloween

By
Chelsea Foy
Chelsea Foy
Chelsea Foy
Chelsea Foy is a DIY expert, writer, author, and the founder of Lovely Indeed, a popular DIY and lifestyle website featured in notable online outlets, such as HGTV and Martha Stewart, She has over a decade of experience with hands-on crafting. Chelsea is also the author of two e-books on crafting and she has instructed DIY workshops across the country.
Learn more about The Spruce Crafts' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/03/21
cat ears

The Spruce / Lovely Indeed

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 30 - 45 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Yield: 1 headband
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $20

Are you dressing up for Halloween? If you need a quick and easy costume, we've got you covered! This cat ears headband can be dressed up or down—wear it with a simple black shirt to dress up for your workday or pair it with a slinky black dress for going out on the town. You can also make a mini version for the kiddos in your life and go as ​a whole cat family. You can make these in about 10 minutes, and they're so simple, they're just about foolproof.

cat ear materials
The Spruce / Lovely Indeed

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Scissors
  • Glue gun
  • Glue gun glue sticks

Materials

  • 1 Headband
  • 1 12 inch Black chenille pipe cleaner

Instructions

Cut the Pipe Cleaner

Scissors and pipe cleaner
The Spruce / Lovely Indeed

Cut a length of pipe cleaner that's about 12 inches long, which will leave you plenty of material to mold your ears with, no matter what size you want them. Pull any loose chenille off of the ends of the pipe cleaner near where you made your cuts.

Fold in Half

Fold the pipe cleaner
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Fold the pipe cleaner in half evenly. This will help you judge where to place the ears once you start bending and molding them.

Shape the Ears

Shape the pip cleaners
The Spruce / Lovely Indeed

Just slightly to one side of the halfway fold mark, start shaping one cat ear. For a grownup headband, we recommend ears that are about 1.5 to 2 inches tall. Shape one ear by folding the wire of the pipe cleaner upwards into a point and then back down (to help define the ear shape, pinch the wire between your fingers as you are shaping the ears). Repeat this process on the other side of the pipe cleaner to create your second ear. Finally, smooth out any fold that remain from the center fold you initially made in the pipe cleaner.

Glue the Center

glue the cat ears on the headband
The Spruce / Lovely Indeed

Heat up your glue gun. Place a line of glue on the underside of the headband, at the center top. Glue the center of the pipe cleaner to the underside of your headband, so that the ears still stick up above the headband.

Glue the Sides

Glue down the sides
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Place a line of glue about halfway down the inside of one side of the headband. Glue the tail of the pipe cleaner (the additional section beyond the ear) to the inside of the headband, in the same way that you glued the top center. Repeat on the other side of the headband with the other end of the pipe cleaner.

Trim Excess

Trim off excess pipe cleaner
The Spruce / Lovely Indeed

Using scissors, trim any excess "fur" towards the ends of the pipe cleaner to give the headband a clean look. You can also give your ears a little haircut to accentuate the shape if you'd like.

Complete Your Costume

cat ears
The Spruce / Lovely Indeed

Place the headband on your head, using your hair to hide the portion that fits behind your ears. Add a black shirt (or a full cat costume if you're daring) and celebrate! If you enjoyed this DIY you can also try making a headband with deer antlers.