How to Make a Cloak Without Sewing (No-Sew Cloak and Hooded Cape)

To make a cloak without sewing, use a fabric that doesn't fray, such as polar fleece or felt, so the edges can stay raw. Cut a half circle with a small curve for the neck, snip a row of slits around the neckline and thread a ribbon through them as a drawstring. For a hood, tie a folded rectangle of fleece together with fringe knots and gather it onto the same ribbon. No needle, no glue gun, and about an hour from start to finish.

If you can't cut anything either, a blanket folded and fastened at the shoulders works in five minutes. Below are all three methods, from that emergency cloak to a hooded cape that will survive a whole evening of trick-or-treating.

What You Need

• Polar fleece (the easiest choice) or large felt; for the no-cut cloak, a fleece throw, blanket or flat bed sheet
• Sharp fabric scissors, or a rotary cutter and cutting mat
• A tape measure and a piece of string about 5 feet (1.5 m) long
• Tailor's chalk or a washable marker
• About 2 yards (2 m) of ribbon, cord or a fleece strip for the drawstring
• Optional: a hook-and-loop (Velcro) tab, a cloak clasp or a large decorative brooch
• Optional: fabric glue, for anyone who prefers a glued hood seam to a knotted one

Which No-Sew Method Should You Choose?

Choose by how much time you have and whether you want a hood. Only the first method avoids cutting too.

Method 1: A Cloak Without Sewing or Cutting

A cloak without sewing or cutting is simply a rectangle of fabric gathered at the neck and held with a clasp or ribbon. A fleece throw hangs best; a flat bed sheet works too.

1. Fold the top edge of the blanket over by about 4 inches (10 cm) to make a collar.
2. Drape it over the wearer's shoulders with the fold on the outside and check the length. If it drags, fold more over at the top.
3. Gather the folded edge into soft pleats on each side of the neck, like a curtain.
4. Fasten the two front corners with a cloak clasp, a brooch or a ribbon tied in a bow, loosely enough to fit two fingers under it.

Brooches and safety pins are small parts and sharp points, so leave them off cloaks for toddlers and use a loose bow instead.

Method 2: A No-Sew Fleece Half-Circle Cloak

A half-circle cloak is the classic shape: it falls in soft folds and swirls when you turn. In fleece it needs no hems at all.

First measure from the top of the shoulder to where you want the hem, usually mid-calf for children so they don't trip. Call this the length. You'll cut a half circle whose radius is the length plus about 4 inches (10 cm) for the neck. Fleece is usually sold around 58 to 60 inches wide, so lay it out with the straight edge of the half circle running along the fabric's length. You'll need a piece about twice the radius long: roughly 2 yards for most children and a little over 3 yards for most adults.

1. Fold the fleece in half crosswise, so the fold runs across the fabric, and lay it flat on the floor.
2. Tie the chalk to the string. Hold the free end at the corner on the fold and swing a quarter-circle arc 4 inches (10 cm) from the corner for the neck.
3. Lengthen the string to the full radius (length plus 4 inches) and swing a second, larger arc for the hem.
4. Cut along both arcs through both layers. Unfold: you now have a half circle with a small curve at the center of the straight edge.
5. About 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the neck curve, cut small slits half an inch (1 cm) long, spaced about 1 inch apart, all the way around.
6. Thread the ribbon in and out of the slits with a safety pin on its end, leaving equal tails at the front. Gather the neck to fit and tie a bow.

The drawstring does the fitting, so the neck curve needn't be exact. For detailed measuring, see how to sew a cloak without a pattern covers measuring in detail.

Method 3: Adding a Hood Without Sewing

A no-sew hood is a folded rectangle of fleece joined at the back with fringe knots, the same technique used for no-sew fleece blankets, then gathered onto the cloak's drawstring.

For a child, cut a rectangle about 25 inches wide by 15 inches tall (60 by 40 cm); for an adult, about 28 by 17 inches (70 by 45 cm). Then add 3 inches (8 cm) to the shorter measurement for the fringe, so a child's piece becomes 25 by 18 inches. If you'd like to measure a hood exactly, see our tutorial on making a hood for a cloak or cape.

1. Fold the rectangle in half so the long measurement is halved. The fold runs over the top of the head from front to back; one short open side becomes the back seam, the other the face opening.
2. Along the back edge, cut through both layers to make fringe strips 3 inches (8 cm) deep and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
3. Tie each front strip to the strip directly behind it with a double knot, pulling snugly so the seam closes.
4. Along the bottom edge, cut slits through both layers to match the ones on the cloak neckline.
5. Line the hood up with the cloak, the back seam at the center back, and thread the drawstring through hood and cloak together. When you gather the ribbon, it attaches the hood and fits the neck in one go.

Prefer a smooth seam? Glue the back edge with fabric glue instead, clamp it with clothes pins and allow the full drying time on the bottle. Iron-on hem tape is better kept for cotton, because a hot iron can flatten or melt polyester fleece. Always test it on a scrap first.

Troubleshooting

• The cloak slides backward and pulls at the throat: the neck is gathered too loosely at the shoulders. Tighten the drawstring so the cloak sits on the shoulders, then tie the bow loosely at the front.
• The hood keeps falling back: make the hood a little deeper, or gather more of the hood toward the front of the drawstring.
• The fringe knots come undone: use double knots and pull each one tight. A dab of fabric glue inside the knot also helps.

Safety Notes for Children's Cloaks

A cloak should come off easily if it catches on something. Children's capes that fastened tightly at the neck have been recalled in the past because of strangulation risk, so for young children use a hook-and-loop tab that pulls apart, or a loose bow, and never a tight knot. Keep the hem above the ankle to avoid trips, add reflective tape if the cloak is dark and will be worn after sunset, and keep every costume away from candles and jack-o'-lanterns lit with real flames.

Frequently Asked Questions

Once the cloak is done, finish the costume with a homemade witch hat, a hot glue wizard wand or a witch broom prop. For a sewn version, see how to sew a hood onto a cape. You'll find more costume projects in our costume accessories section.