Hocus Pocus Sanderson Sisters Costume

I have three daughters; the oldest a redhead, the middle a brunette and the youngest is a blonde. This makes for the perfect set up for Sanderson sisters' costumes from the movie Hocus Pocus. My husband was Billy Butcherson and I played the part of Binx the cat.

I started the costumes by searching Good Will and Arc for basic items. I found a green dress (5 sizes too big) for Winifred along with a purple sheer cover thing. A sleeveless long vest, a scarf, a plaid skirt, and a red dress for Mary. I snagged a green and a purple graduation gown; they seemed likely to be helpful. For Billy, I found a tweed long jacket.

Winifred needed a strip of purple down the front of the green dress that I had to take in to fit my Sydnee , so I cut a piece of the graduation gown and sewed it on. Then I took some gold ribbon and laced it back and forth along the front to replicate the laced corset look. I painted some gold trim and designs along the neckline. She needed a hooded cloak which I bought fabric for and sewed. The kicker for Winnie is her hair...I used a headband and tied some bun hair things to it and pulled hair across the bumps to create the two bump do.

The pieces I had found for Mary needed to be taken in. I cut the length off the vest and laced ribbon for the corset look in the front. She needed gold rings along the bottom of the corset vest, so my daughter and I painted the plastic rings that attach shower curtains to the rod. The scarf I found was the perfect color and style for her apron...but it was a knitted scarf, so I cut it and taped the ends so it wouldn't unravel. I stitched some pockets on and attached it to the skirt. I sewed a red hooded cloak to finish off the costume. Mary's hair is very unique and SO FUN! I used a foam cone and wire under her hair to create this awesome hair.

My mother has dress up clothes for grandchildren and happened to have a pink dress that worked perfect for the base of Sarah's costume. I, again, had to shrink it. I also cut off the poofy ugly 80's prom sleeves it had and made some red sleeves out of fishnet women's stockings. I used the handy graduation gowns and made purple pieces on the side of the dress and put a red one on the front. Lastly I sewed a purple hooded cloak.

Billy's coat and pants got beat up by some scissors and scrap fabric. I stitched some moss stuff randomly around it all. I painted latex gloves for his hands. His signature look requires his mouth to be stiched shut. I cut some string and attached it to my husband's lips with eyelash glue. It worked amazingly! If only it could be used for husband's mouths' year round.

As a final piece to the Hocus Pocus puzzle, I wanted to recreate the Book of Spells. I used an old nursery rhymes book and covered it with cardboard. I carved up the cardboard and painted it to look like skin. Next I molded the snakes out of clay and painted them silver. I poked holes along the ridges I carved and glued string pieces into the holes so it looked stitched. (this was so fun to see come together!)

We were stopped and asked to take pictures all night. I think Hocus Pocus is a favorite Halloween movie of many, and people told us we made their night when my girls would make faces imitating their characters. I always try to make our costumes because they can be original and more detailed. It is a lot of work, but always worth it!