Witch OC Ideas

Press the button for one storybook witch with a day job, a single spell and a familiar.

Witch OC Ideas: 30 witches

A witch who works from a stall at the Thursday market. Her one reliable spell makes a cut flower last a second week. Her familiar is a barn owl who sleeps through all the daytime work. The village thinks she knows more than she says about everyone. She is saving up for a whole box of chocolates, not to be shared.

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  • Where she worksfrom a stall at the Thursday market
  • Her one reliable spellmakes a cut flower last a second week
  • Her familiarbarn owl who sleeps through all the daytime work
  • What the village thinksshe knows more than she says about everyone
  • Saving up fora whole box of chocolates, not to be shared
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    Witch of the day

     

    1. A witch who works from a stall at the Thursday market. Her one reliable spell makes a cut flower last a second week. Her familiar is a barn owl who sleeps through all the daytime work. The village thinks she knows more than she says about everyone. She is saving up for a whole box of chocolates, not to be shared.
    2. A witch who works at the canal lock, opening the gates for barges. Her one reliable spell makes sunflowers face the house. Her familiar is a white rat with a taste for candle ends. The village thinks she has kind eyes under all that hat. She is saving up for a birthday cake she did not have to bake.
    3. A witch who works in the orchard, up a ladder from August to October. Her one reliable spell keeps slugs off the lettuces, though not the hostas. Her familiar is a billy goat who has eaten two spell books. The village thinks she deserves the good seat by the fire. She is saving up for a signboard with her name spelled right.
    4. A witch who works in a bluebell wood that she rents by the season. Her one reliable spell puts a rainbow over the village, but a small one. Her familiar is a moth who comes to her lantern and no other. The village thinks she is good luck to pass on the way to market. She is saving up for a second reliable spell, by mail order.
    5. A witch who works from the tea room on the corner of the square. Her one reliable spell gets a stain out, but only a blackberry one. Her familiar is a jay who hides acorns in her boots. The village thinks she is in disguise, though as what they cannot agree. She is saving up for a birthday cake she did not have to bake.
    6. A witch who works in a bluebell wood that she rents by the season. Her one reliable spell gets the nettles to grow somewhere else. Her familiar is a toad who will not be hurried. The village thinks she can tell when someone is fibbing. She is saving up for a winter coat with a collar that turns up.
    7. A witch who works on the moor, from a wagon with a stovepipe. Her one reliable spell makes any jam set on the first boil. Her familiar is a gander who lets nobody past without a fuss. The village thinks she is odd, but she is their odd. She is saving up for a pair of boots that are both the same age.
    8. A witch who works in the orchard, up a ladder from August to October. Her one reliable spell makes sunflowers face the house. Her familiar is a magpie who pays for things in buttons. The village thinks she was a duchess once, and she lets them think it. She is saving up for a rocking chair wide enough for her and the familiar.
    9. A witch who works in the laundry behind the inn. Her one reliable spell gets a cat down from any tree. Her familiar is a toad who will not be hurried. The village thinks she is the only one who listens to the end. She is saving up for a proper bed for the familiar.
    10. A witch who works at the station where two trains stop a day. Her one reliable spell gets a stuck ring off any finger. Her familiar is a grass snake who winds round her wrist like a bangle. The village thinks she would be missed by Tuesday if she ever left. She is saving up for a birthday cake she did not have to bake.
    11. A witch who works on the moor, from a wagon with a stovepipe. Her one reliable spell gets a stuck ring off any finger. Her familiar is a newt who rides in her water flask. The village thinks she sleeps all day, since her curtains stay shut. She is saving up for a second reliable spell, by mail order.
    12. A witch who works behind the counter of the village bakery. Her one reliable spell finds whoever is hiding in hide and seek. Her familiar is a snail who is somehow always there first. The village thinks she sleeps all day, since her curtains stay shut. She is saving up for a lantern that does not need shaking.
    13. A witch who works at the top of the lighthouse, below the lamp. Her one reliable spell tells her who is at the door before they knock. Her familiar is a cricket who chirps when she is about to be wrong. The village thinks she is odd, but she is their odd. She is saving up for a gift for the neighbor who feeds the familiar.
    14. A witch who works at the schoolhouse, three mornings a week. Her one reliable spell brings a lost hat back by the next morning. Her familiar is a barn owl who sleeps through all the daytime work. The village thinks she talks to the weather and it talks back. She is saving up for a proper bed for the familiar.
    15. A witch who works upstairs at the lending library. Her one reliable spell brings a lost hat back by the next morning. Her familiar is a white rat with a taste for candle ends. The village thinks she sleeps all day, since her curtains stay shut. She is saving up for a bicycle, so the broom can retire.
    16. A witch who works at the post office, sorting more than letters. Her one reliable spell gets a cat down from any tree. Her familiar is a barn owl who sleeps through all the daytime work. The village thinks she is not to be bargained with after dark. She is saving up for a balloon ride, to see how the other half flies.
    17. A witch who works from a hut in the reed beds, reached by one plank. Her one reliable spell relights a candle that a draft blew out. Her familiar is a cricket who chirps when she is about to be wrong. The village thinks she is odd, but she is their odd. She is saving up for a kettle that whistles only one note.
    18. A witch who works in the ticket booth when the fair comes through. Her one reliable spell unburns toast, though only the top side. Her familiar is a tortoise who was her grandmother's familiar first. The village thinks she sleeps all day, since her curtains stay shut. She is saving up for a copper cauldron to replace the dented tin one.
    19. A witch who works at the top of the lighthouse, below the lamp. Her one reliable spell gets one more egg from the hens on baking day. Her familiar is a badger who keeps strictly to office hours. The village thinks she never blinks, though nobody has checked. She is saving up for a proper tea set, with all six cups.
    20. A witch who works on the village green, among the geese. Her one reliable spell turns the last match in the box into two. Her familiar is a sheepdog with one blue eye and one brown. The village thinks she can turn a person into a frog, which she cannot. She is saving up for a winter coat with a collar that turns up.
    21. A witch who works at the cobbler's bench by the window. Her one reliable spell keeps bread from going stale until Sunday. Her familiar is a sheepdog with one blue eye and one brown. The village thinks she has kind eyes under all that hat. She is saving up for a pair of boots that are both the same age.
    22. A witch who works at the top of the lighthouse, below the lamp. Her one reliable spell keeps slugs off the lettuces, though not the hostas. Her familiar is a dormouse who sleeps in her hat band. The village thinks she is not to be bargained with after dark. She is saving up for a window that faces south.
    23. A witch who works at the weather station on the bald hill. Her one reliable spell keeps bread from going stale until Sunday. Her familiar is a hen who thinks she is in charge, and may be. The village thinks she sleeps all day, since her curtains stay shut. She is saving up for a hat that keeps its point in the rain.
    24. A witch who works upstairs at the lending library. Her one reliable spell makes sunflowers face the house. Her familiar is a toad who will not be hurried. The village thinks she was a duchess once, and she lets them think it. She is saving up for a week away where nobody knows what she is.
    25. A witch who works in the orchard, up a ladder from August to October. Her one reliable spell finds whoever is hiding in hide and seek. Her familiar is a hare who is only ever seen at dusk. The village thinks she had a hand in the winter the pond froze solid. She is saving up for a week away where nobody knows what she is.
    26. A witch who works in a walled garden behind a door that sticks. Her one reliable spell makes a cut flower last a second week. Her familiar is a sparrow who brings her one crumb a day, as rent. The village thinks she is the best thing to happen to it since the bridge. She is saving up for a set of glass jars that all match.
    27. A witch who works on the village green, among the geese. Her one reliable spell keeps slugs off the lettuces, though not the hostas. Her familiar is a newt who rides in her water flask. The village thinks she is the best thing to happen to it since the bridge. She is saving up for a feather bed, after years on straw.
    28. A witch who works at the foot of the oldest oak, on market days only. Her one reliable spell keeps bread from going stale until Sunday. Her familiar is a jay who hides acorns in her boots. The village thinks she is the reason the fair is never rained on. She is saving up for a gramophone, and one record to go with it.
    29. A witch who works at the tollgate on the hill road. Her one reliable spell tells her who is at the door before they knock. Her familiar is a newt who rides in her water flask. The village thinks she keeps a list, and nobody wants to be on it. She is saving up for a painted portrait of the familiar.
    30. A witch who works at the post office, sorting more than letters. Her one reliable spell makes weeds come out with the whole root. Her familiar is a sparrow who brings her one crumb a day, as rent. The village thinks she sleeps all day, since her curtains stay shut. She is saving up for a bicycle, so the broom can retire.

    Next step Give this witch a storyDraw her cottage and shelves

    Where she works: all 36 workplaces

    Hedges, woods and water 12

    • along the riverbank, from a flat-bottomed boat A long pole, a kettle on the boards, willow leaves trailing in the water.
    • among the beehives at the top of the meadow Straw hives in a row. Draw a veil pinned over the brim of her hat.
    • at the foot of the oldest oak, on market days only A folding table between two roots. Hang her sign from a low branch.
    • beside the stepping stones, minding who crosses Seat her on the bank with a flask. Let the flat stones lead the eye across.
    • by the spring where the stream starts A stone basin, ferns, and water running out between her feet.
    • from a hut in the reed beds, reached by one plank Tall reeds on both sides, one plank, her reflection walking under her.
    • in a bluebell wood that she rents by the season A blue floor, pale trunks, and her as the one dark upright shape.
    • in a walled garden behind a door that sticks A brick wall, a green door ajar, her shoulder set against it.
    • in the orchard, up a ladder from August to October Seen from below: boots on a rung, apples, a pointed hat among the leaves.
    • on the moor, from a wagon with a stovepipe A small wagon, a bent chimney, heather all the way to the horizon.
    • on the village green, among the geese White geese all round a black skirt. One goose has hold of her hat ribbon.
    • out of a hollow in the old boundary hedge A doorway of bent hazel, a lantern on a twig, her boots left outside.

    Village trades 12

    • at the cobbler's bench by the window Lasts and laces. Light her hands and the shoe, and let the room go dim.
    • at the forge, keeping the fire's temper An orange glow from below. Rim-light her face and leave the rest dark.
    • at the post office, sorting more than letters Pigeonholes behind her, a brass scale, one parcel that is slightly moving.
    • at the schoolhouse, three mornings a week Small desks, a tall hat on the coat hook, chalk dust in a sunbeam.
    • at the watermill, weighing out the flour A big wheel and a small figure. Flour dust catches the light from the door.
    • behind the counter of the village bakery Flour to the elbows, loaves on racks, her hat hung on the peg by the oven.
    • from a stall at the Thursday market A striped awning, jars in rows, prices chalked on a slate.
    • from the tea room on the corner of the square Round tables, a tiered cake stand, steam curling from one spout.
    • in the back room of the dressmaker's Bolts of cloth, a dress form wearing her cloak, pins stuck in her hat band.
    • in the kitchen of the big house, under the cook Copper pans on the wall, a long scrubbed table, her at the far end of it.
    • in the laundry behind the inn Sheets on lines make white walls. Show her as a shadow on one of them.
    • upstairs at the lending library Shelves to the ceiling, a rolling ladder, and her on its top step.

    Edges and odd hours 12

    • at the canal lock, opening the gates for barges Black beams, a drop in the water level, a barge waiting below.
    • at the crossroads inn, on the late shift A sign creaking on its bracket, lit windows, a broom parked by the door.
    • at the station where two trains stop a day One bench, one lamp, and a long empty platform running to a point.
    • at the tollgate on the hill road A white bar across a lane, a hut with a hatch, her elbow on the sill.
    • at the top of the lighthouse, below the lamp A spiral stair seen from above, with her hat as a dot at its middle.
    • at the weather station on the bald hill A wind vane, a rain gauge, a notebook. Draw her coat blown sideways.
    • in the bell tower, winding the clock on Fridays Huge gears behind a small figure, and a key as long as her arm.
    • in the ticket booth when the fair comes through A booth with a half door, a roll of tickets, strings of lights behind her.
    • on the dock, mending nets that are not hers A net spread over her knees like a second skirt, with cork floats.
    • on the lamplighter's round, at dusk A ladder against a post, a flame on a pole, lit lamps in a line behind her.
    • on the night watch, with a lantern and a rattle One lantern lights a circle of cobbles. Keep everything outside it blue.
    • on the river ferry, taking the fares A rope across the water, a flat deck, a coin bag at her hip.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-09. Made up for this list: places of work in and around a storybook village: hedges, woods and water, village trades, and jobs at the edge of things. No real village or place is named. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    Her one reliable spell: all 36 spells

    Kitchen and house 12

    • brings a dropped stitch back onto the needle Close on two needles, with one loop a little paler than the wool.
    • gets a stain out, but only a blackberry one A white cloth held to the light and a purple thumb beside it.
    • keeps a floor swept for exactly one day A broom leaning idle, a clock on the wall, a clean square of boards.
    • keeps bread from going stale until Sunday A loaf on a board with a calendar pinned to the wall behind it.
    • makes a smoky chimney draw clean Smoke going straight up from one pot in a row of crooked ones.
    • makes a stuck drawer open, and nothing else She pulls with one finger. Everything inside has slid to the front.
    • makes any jam set on the first boil A row of jars catching window light, and one spoon standing upright.
    • makes cream whip in three turns of the spoon A bowl tilted to the viewer, soft peaks, three arcs of motion.
    • relights a candle that a draft blew out A thread of smoke bending back toward the wick.
    • stops a pot boiling over, whatever is in it Foam domed above the rim and holding. Her finger raised, not touching.
    • turns the last match in the box into two An open matchbox on her palm, drawn large, with two red heads in it.
    • unburns toast, though only the top side A slice held up on a fork: gold above, black beneath.

    Garden and weather 12

    • gets the nettles to grow somewhere else Bare earth by the gate and a thick green clump over the wall.
    • keeps one rose in flower until the first snow A single red bloom on a bare bush, with white flakes starting.
    • keeps slugs off the lettuces, though not the hostas Neat lettuces, lacy hostas, and one puzzled slug at the border.
    • makes a cut flower last a second week A posy in a jam jar, and fallen petals under every other vase on the shelf.
    • makes a puddle freeze hard enough to slide on A long skid mark across gray ice, and her arms out for balance.
    • makes sunflowers face the house A row of flower heads all turned toward the viewer, and one shy one.
    • makes the first snow settle on her roof only One white roof in a brown street, smoke rising from its chimney.
    • makes weeds come out with the whole root She holds one dandelion up like a prize, its root as long as her arm.
    • puts a rainbow over the village, but a small one An arc no taller than the church spire, with both ends in gardens.
    • raises wind enough to dry one line of laundry Sheets blown all one way while the trees behind them stand still.
    • sends a single cloud somewhere else She points. The cloud has a small guilty tilt. Leave plenty of sky.
    • warns her of frost before it falls Her breath showing, burlap over the seedlings, the stars very sharp.

    Creatures and callers 12

    • brings a lost hat back by the next morning A hat on a gatepost, dew on the brim, no footprints leading to it.
    • calls the ducks home from any pond A file of ducks on a lane at dusk, with her lantern at the head of it.
    • finds whoever is hiding in hide and seek Two feet showing under a curtain, and her pointing without turning round.
    • gets a cat down from any tree Looking up through branches at two eyes, her hand held out flat.
    • gets a stuck ring off any finger Close on two hands, with a ring just past the knuckle.
    • gets one more egg from the hens on baking day One egg in the straw, and a mixing bowl waiting on the sill behind.
    • lets her hear a kettle from three fields away She stops mid-step with a hand to her ear. A far roof is steaming.
    • makes a whistle carry to the next village Lips pursed, hat brim blown back, small birds lifting from a hedge.
    • makes any dog sit, even one she has not met A line of dogs of every size, all sitting, all looking at her.
    • shows her which way is north She points without looking up. A weathervane behind her agrees.
    • tells her who is at the door before they knock Her face turned to the door, the knocker lifted and not yet fallen.
    • turns a wasp around at the window One wasp in mid U-turn, a dotted flight line, the jam safe on the sill.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-09. Made up for this list: small household spells of our own: kitchen and house, garden and weather, creatures and callers. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    Her familiar: all 36 familiars

    Fur 12

    • badger who keeps strictly to office hours A striped face in a doorway and a watch chain across its front.
    • billy goat who has eaten two spell books A torn page hanging from its mouth. Give it calm yellow eyes.
    • black cat who answers to three different names Draw the cat mid-turn, ears toward a voice from outside the frame.
    • dormouse who sleeps in her hat band A curl of fur tucked under a ribbon. Keep the hat huge beside it.
    • fox who visits, and insists it is not a pet The fox seated just out of reach, looking away on purpose.
    • ginger cat who chose her, not the other way round The cat on her shoulder, its tail curled under her chin like a scarf.
    • hare who is only ever seen at dusk Long ears as two dark strokes against a pale sky.
    • hedgehog who rides in her apron pocket A pocket with a spiny bulge and a nose showing over the hem.
    • mole who turns up wherever she digs A small hill of earth, a nose, her trowel stopped in mid-air.
    • old donkey who knows every road home Draw them from behind on a lane: her asleep, the donkey sure of itself.
    • sheepdog with one blue eye and one brown Head tilted. Put the only strong color of the picture in the blue eye.
    • white rat with a taste for candle ends The rat upright with a stub in both paws, lit by a flame from below.

    Feathers 12

    • barn owl who sleeps through all the daytime work A pale face with shut eyes, on a beam above the bustle.
    • crow who repeats the last word of everything Beak open, head cocked, and a speech mark hanging in the air.
    • duck who followed her home one spring A line of wet footprints behind the two of them.
    • gander who lets nobody past without a fuss Neck stretched low, wings half out, planted in the middle of the path.
    • hen who thinks she is in charge, and may be The hen in front, the witch a step behind. Give the hen the high ground.
    • heron who stands in for her when she is out A tall thin bird under a pointed hat. The pose should be hers.
    • jay who hides acorns in her boots A boot tipped out, acorns rolling, one wing leaving the frame.
    • magpie who pays for things in buttons A button offered in the beak, and a pile of others on a ledge.
    • pigeon who delivers messages to the wrong house A paper scroll on its leg and a puzzled neighbor at a window.
    • robin who supervises all digging The robin close up on a spade handle, the witch soft-edged behind.
    • sparrow who brings her one crumb a day, as rent A sparrow on her open palm, setting a crumb down with care.
    • wren who nests in the broom bristles A tiny bird and a big broom that is plainly never used for sweeping.

    Scales, shells and small things 12

    • bumblebee who rides on her hat brim A fuzzy dot on a wide black brim. Leave empty felt around it.
    • carp who travels in a pail with a lid A bucket in her fist, a tail fin over the rim, water slopping.
    • crab who walks to work beside her, sideways Two sets of prints on a path: boots, and a line of small dashes.
    • cricket who chirps when she is about to be wrong A cricket on her collar, and her mouth just opening to speak.
    • grass snake who winds round her wrist like a bangle Thin coils over a dark cuff. Keep her sleeve plain.
    • moth who comes to her lantern and no other One pale moth at one lit lantern, with three dark lanterns behind.
    • newt who rides in her water flask A glass flask at her belt, with a small shape pressed to the side.
    • snail who is somehow always there first A silver trail leading in from off the page to where it sits.
    • spider who rewrites its web each night A web with a gap shaped like a letter, and dew on every thread.
    • toad who will not be hurried A wide flat frown at ground level. Draw her feet waiting beside it.
    • tortoise who was her grandmother's familiar first A worn shell with a painted initial that is not hers.
    • tree frog who clings to her hat like a brooch A small bright shape on black felt, with every toe spread.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-09. Made up for this list: animal companions of our own, each with one habit: fur, feathers, and scales, shells and small things. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    What the village thinks: all 36 opinions

    Fond 12

    • she deserves the good seat by the fire An empty chair with a cushion, kept clear in a full room.
    • she gives the best advice if you bring cake A wrapped plate on a lap, and a visitor waiting with knees together.
    • she has kind eyes under all that hat Shade the brim low and let two highlights show beneath it.
    • she is good luck to pass on the way to market Passers-by touching their caps. She has not noticed.
    • she is odd, but she is their odd Draw her one shade darker than the group she stands in, and closer in.
    • she is the best thing to happen to it since the bridge Put her at the back of a crowd, with every face half turned her way.
    • she is the only one who listens to the end Her leaning in, chin on hand. The talker's hands are mid-gesture.
    • she is the person to ask when all else fails A queue of three at her elbow, each holding something broken.
    • she is the reason the fair is never rained on Bunting, a dry green, and one dark cloud parked over the next village.
    • she should stand for the village council A notice board with her name chalked on it in somebody else's hand.
    • she works too hard and ought to sit down A chair being carried toward her by two people.
    • she would be missed by Tuesday if she ever left A back-soon card in a window and a small anxious crowd reading it.

    Wary 12

    • she can tell when someone is fibbing One raised eyebrow, drawn as the only curved line in her face.
    • she had a hand in the winter the pond froze solid A flat white oval, skates hung on a nail, a tall hat in the far distance.
    • she is fine, but the familiar is another matter Push the familiar to the front of the frame and stand her well back.
    • she is not to be bargained with after dark A coin left on a step and somebody already walking quickly away.
    • she is why the milk turns when it thunders A jug on a step, a dark sky, a neighbor glancing at her chimney.
    • she keeps a list, and nobody wants to be on it A long paper trailing from her pocket to the ground.
    • she knows more than she says about everyone Half-closed eyes and a small smile. Hands folded over a shut book.
    • she must be paid at once, never thanked A hand pressing coins into hers and already pulling back.
    • she never blinks, though nobody has checked Draw both eyes fully round and leave out the lid line.
    • she should not be looked at directly on a Friday Villagers studying their shoes while she waves cheerfully.
    • she talks to the weather and it talks back Her face tilted up, mouth open, and a single cloud leaning down.
    • she walks too quietly for a person in boots Big boots in mid-stride with no dust raised, and heads turning late.

    Mistaken 12

    • she can turn a person into a frog, which she cannot Children at a safe distance, one holding a frog up to compare.
    • she chose the place, when she was only lost A signpost with arms pointing every way and her bag set down under it.
    • she flies, when in fact she walks everywhere Worn boot soles turned to the viewer, and a broom used as a walking stick.
    • she is from the next valley, and she is not A trunk with labels from places nobody here could name.
    • she is in disguise, though as what they cannot agree A cloak with the collar turned up and two villagers squinting at it.
    • she is really two sisters taking turns Draw her twice in one picture, the hat tilted left and then right.
    • she is rich, on the evidence of one silver spoon A single bright spoon on a bare table.
    • she is somebody's aunt, though nobody can say whose Sensible shoes, a handbag, and a hat that is almost ordinary.
    • she is two hundred, and she is forty-one Smooth hands, a straight back, and a very old-fashioned hat.
    • she lives on nettle soup, which is only half true A green bowl and a spoon in view, and a pie cooling behind her back.
    • she sleeps all day, since her curtains stay shut Closed curtains with a bright line of lamplight under them.
    • she was a duchess once, and she lets them think it A plain dress with one very good brooch at the collar.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-09. Made up for this list: village opinions of our own: fond ones, wary ones, and ones that are plainly mistaken. A few are stock rumors of witch stories. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    Saving up for: all 36 goals

    Tools of the trade 12

    • a bicycle, so the broom can retire A bicycle in a shop window, and her reflection in the glass over it.
    • a broom with a proper seat and a basket A sketch of the broom pinned to her wall, with the price underlined.
    • a cloak with pockets on the inside The cloak held open like a market trader's, showing an empty lining.
    • a copper cauldron to replace the dented tin one A dented pot on the fire and a coin jar on the shelf above it.
    • a hat that keeps its point in the rain Her present hat, drooping. Draw the droop as one soft curve.
    • a lantern that does not need shaking Her fist round a lantern ring in mid-shake, the flame a blur.
    • a pair of boots that are both the same age Two boots side by side, one creased and soft, one stiff and shiny.
    • a second reliable spell, by mail order A price list open on her knee with one corner folded down.
    • a set of glass jars that all match A shelf of odd jars: jam, pickle, ink, and one with a cork too small.
    • a signboard with her name spelled right A hanging board with one letter painted over and squeezed back in.
    • a spell book that has not been owned before A book in her hands with three earlier names crossed out inside the cover.
    • a wand, since she has been using a wooden spoon A spoon held like a wand, with a little soup still on it.

    Comforts 12

    • a bathtub long enough to lie down in Knees above the rim of a small tin tub, and the hat still on.
    • a clock that keeps the village's time, not its own Two clock faces in one picture, showing different hours.
    • a feather bed, after years on straw A thin mattress with straw ends showing, and her hat on the bedpost.
    • a gramophone, and one record to go with it A brass horn like a huge flower beside her chair, and her foot tapping.
    • a kettle that whistles only one note Steam and a single music note above the spout.
    • a proper bed for the familiar A cushion in a crate, labeled in chalk, and plainly ignored.
    • a proper tea set, with all six cups A tray of five cups and one jam jar standing in for the sixth.
    • a rocking chair wide enough for her and the familiar A narrow stool, a gap beside her, and the familiar eyeing the gap.
    • a rug to cover the scorch mark A black star shape on floorboards, with a chair placed over half of it.
    • a stove with an oven door that shuts An oven door tied closed with string and a wooden peg.
    • a window that faces south Her at a small dim window, with a plant leaning hard toward the glass.
    • a winter coat with a collar that turns up Her shoulders hunched to her ears and a scarf wound three times.

    Trips and treats 12

    • a balloon ride, to see how the other half flies A basket, ropes, a big striped curve above, and her leaning out.
    • a birthday cake she did not have to bake Candles lighting her face from below, and someone else holding the plate.
    • a brass band, hired for a single afternoon Tubas and a drum crowding a small garden, and her conducting with a ladle.
    • a gift for the neighbor who feeds the familiar A parcel in brown paper, with a bow she has plainly tied twice.
    • a hammock and an afternoon to use it Two trees, a sag of canvas, one boot hanging over the side.
    • a new dress for the midsummer dance Her usual black beside a dress on a hanger, the one bright thing in the frame.
    • a painted portrait of the familiar An easel, a patient painter, and a familiar that will not hold still.
    • a pair of ice skates for the pond Blades hung round her neck by their laces, and her breath in a cloud.
    • a seat at the theater, in the front row Rows of ordinary hats and one tall point blocking the view behind.
    • a week away where nobody knows what she is A packed carpetbag by the door and the pointed hat left on its peg.
    • a whole box of chocolates, not to be shared A ribboned box hidden behind her back, and the familiar looking right at it.
    • the coach fare to her sister's and back A coach window with her face in it and the hat on her knees.
    How this list was compiled

    Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-09. Made up for this list: small things a storybook witch might save her coins for: tools of the trade, comforts, and trips and treats. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

    How it works

    Each of these witch OC ideas is a working witch in five parts: her workplace, her one reliable spell, her familiar, the village's opinion and what she is saving up for. No curses, and nothing darker than the hat.

    Read the full guide

    Witch ideas: OC first, costume second

    A pointed hat says what she is and nothing about who. The first part does that: a witch who works at the forge, keeping the fire's temper, is lit orange from below, and one on the river ferry, taking the fares, wears a coin bag. Put the job's tool in her hand and draw the hat last.

    Draw what the village gets wrong

    The fourth part is an opinion, and a third of that list is mistaken on purpose: the village thinks she is two hundred, and she is forty-one, or that she is really two sisters taking turns. Draw her as she is and put the rumor in the faces of the people watching.

    • Frame for the familiar: a wren who nests in the broom bristles wants a close-up, an old donkey who knows every road home a lane.

    Questions and answers

    What makes a good witch OC?

    A limit and a want. Each result gives her a single spell she can count on, so everything else is done by hand, and something small to save for, such as a hat that keeps its point in the rain.

    Are these witch OCs dark or scary?

    No. They are storybook witches with ordinary jobs. No spell hurts anyone or bends a person's will, nobody is cursed, and no real ritual or remedy is described. The worst the village thinks: she keeps a list, and nobody wants to be on it.

    Can a witch OC be a boy?

    Yes. Witch is used here for anyone who does the work. The lists were written with she; read he or they and nearly every part still fits. An aunt becomes an uncle and a duchess a duke.

    Are these witches from a book, a show or a game?

    No. All five lists were written for this page, and no witch, school or spell from a published story is used. A witch with a black cat turns up in a great many stories, so a result may still remind you of one.

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