Witch hats are classic symbols of Halloween, but they are usually worn by or hung on a wall. That is too safe. Instead, make your witch hats float. Choose a variety of black, tattered hats in different sizes—old straw hats painted black, velvet cones, or cheap plastic hats with uneven brims. Cut several layers of black tulle or netting to look like a witch’s skirts and swirl them around the bases of the hats. Bunch the tulle so it looks like the witches are in mid-disappearance, then hang them from high points using fishing line at different levels. The effect is a group of witches who are only partially invisible, their hats hovering ominously above your porch.
To add the “floating spells,” hang glass or plastic ornaments filled with dark green, purple, or black liquid, and add some glowing eyes inside each. Alternatively, suspend counterfeit spell books that have been glued to a wire frame and left to dangle. Add cheap battery-powered LEDs inside the hat bases, shining green or purple, to create an unholy aura underneath. A hidden fog machine will make the whole display look like a gathering of witches in a swamp. Pair it with a recorded cackle, a gust of wind, or the bellows of a low, leathery voice saying “I smell you.” The floating hat display is great because it suggests magic without showing a face—our mind will imagine the cruel, aged witch behind it.
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