Moaning Myrtle Costume: How to Make Your Own at Home

For someone who lives in a toilet at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, it’s really no surprise that Moaning Myrtle isn’t the most pleasant person and lacks social skills. But many people loved her portrayal in the Harry Potter movies and want to dress up as her, whether for Halloween or your favorite Cosplay event.

If you’re one of those folks who loves the idea of putting on the character of Myrtle with actress Shirley Henderson’s very distinctive voice, read on. I’ve put together all of the pieces you need to build your own Moaning Myrtle costume – and make sure it’s accurate to the Tom Riddle-era of Hogwarts. (There’s one small giveaway that many costumes miss!)

Get ready to step back into the era of petulant teenagers and all the angst that comes with them…

Moaning Myrtle Costume Item List

Photos courtesy of Karen Roe via Flickr

Unlike other Harry Potter character costumes, building a Moaning Myrtle costume isn’t too challenging. The forlorn ghost died wearing her Hogwarts uniform, so apart from a few accessories and a hairstyle that characterizes her look, the costume looks pretty much like any other Hogwarts student uniform – but it does show its age in some ways.

Below are the exact items you need to dress up like Moaning Myrtle:

• Grey Skirt
• White Button Down
• Grey Sweater Vest
• Round Glasses
• Robes
• Hogwarts Crest Patch
• Ravenclaw Tie
• Grey Stockings
• School Shoes
• Wig (if needed)
• Face Paint
• Hair Spray

Moaning Myrtle Costume Clothes 

Let’s start with the clothes you’ll need to make a Moaning Myrtle costume so good that people will have to look twice to know it’s you. 

As I mentioned before, her costume looks a lot like the Hogwarts uniform that students wear when Harry is at school. One big difference is that grey is the dominant color as she’s a ghost. First, you’ll need a white button-down shirt. I found this classic white shirt on Amazon that fits the outfit perfectly. 

Next, you’ll need a grey pleated skirt all girls wear in Hogwarts. You can find many skirts online; however, I liked this version on Amazon from Urban CoCo, which is longer and comes with modesty shorts attached for added comfort. 

You’ll also need a grey sweater vest and the Ravenclaw tie. You can check out this grey sweater for the costume, which is super soft and comfortable. As for the tie, I also found this blue and yellow striped tie on Amazon that will do the job.

Last but not least, you need a robe. This cloak on Amazon comes in grey, which is exactly what you need to recreate her look. To make it truly authentic to Moaning Myrtle’s era at Hogwarts, you need a Hogwarts crest on the robes – not a house crest, which is what Harry and the gang wear.

Making Your Hogwarts Crest & Tie Ghostly

While you need to have the right tie and crest for this costume, you also need to make them look ghostly – not brightly colored, as they will be when you buy them. To accomplish this, I recommend spraying them with a white spray paint; you can actually use the white hair spray I recommend for making your hair/wig look ghostly too.

Just place the tie and Hogwarts crest flat on newspaper and spray them from 12-18 inches away. Spray light layers, allowing each one to dry before you decide how much you want to “ghostify” them to make them match the rest of your costume.

Moaning Myrtle Costume Accessories 

In the end, good costumes are all about the details that bring to life a character. So, here are the accessories that are essential to look like Moaning Myrtle. 

First and foremost, you need to get a pair of round, dorky glasses. Here’s a pair that will help you really look the part as the weeping witch. Her character also wears two low ponytails. You can easily style your hair like hers with a bit of hairspray to hold it in place. Unless you have short hair. If so, can check out this wig. 

Finally, you’ll also need grey stockings and black school shoes to complete the Hogwarts uniform. I’ve also added to the items the Hogwarts patch with the school’s emblem to iron on your cloak.  

Moaning Myrtle Ghostly Details 

For the final touches, we’ll focus on the items you need to create your Moaning Myrtle Costume. 

Since Myrtle is a ghost, she has a washed-out look, which leads us to the main item you’ll need to have her ghostly look: face paint. I found this Snazaroo Classic Face and Body Paint on Amazon. Try to apply it to the ears and down your neck to create to complete the look.

Now, Moaning Myrtle has pretty thick eyebrows that stand out from the rest of her face. You can fill your eyebrows with an eyeliner or eyebrow pencil if you have one. You can also apply a bit of black eyeshadow on your eyelids to create a more dramatic look.

Pre-Made Moaning Myrtle Costumes

If you want to just buy a Moaning Myrtle costume, unfortunately, there aren’t any good options right now. I did discover that Walmart used to offer Moaning Myrtle costumes for both adults and children, but they’re out of stock now. You could always bookmark those pages and check back as we get closer to your next ‘Con or Halloween to see if they’re available again.

Have any questions about putting together your own Moaning Myrtle costume? Let me know in the comments!

Share this post to inspire others to have a magical day!