I feel like our family always starts out the Halloween season by watching HOCUS POCUS. It’s one of our favorites, and Harper loves running around the house yelling “Sistaas!” I wanted to share some FUN plans you can put together to create your own magical Hocus Pocus family movie night, or to throw a Hocus Pocus movie night party. I hope you enjoy!
INVITATIONS
Spellbinding Scrolls: Roll up your invitations like ancient scrolls tied with a ribbon. Use aged paper or parchment-style cardstock and write the details using an elegant font.
Witchy Potion Bottles: Create mini potion bottles with colored liquid and a tag attached containing the invitation details. Add labels with mystical names like “Bewitching Ball” or “Enchantment Soirée.”
Magical Spellbook: Design your invitations to look like mini spellbooks. Use a book-shaped cardstock, add magical symbols, and write the event details inside, resembling enchanted spells.
Witches’ Hat Cutouts: Cut your invitations into the shape of witches’ hats, using black cardstock. Write the details on the brim of the hat and add a small buckle or embellishment for an extra touch.
Broomstick Passes: Make your invitations look like broomstick passes to the event. Use rectangular cardstock, draw or print a broomstick design, and add details such as the date, time, and location.
Remember to include all necessary event information, like date, time, location, dress code, and any additional instructions.
DECORATIONS
It’s SO MUCH FUN to create a little ambiance for your movie night. Here are some Hocus Pocus movie decoration ideas to bring the magical atmosphere of the film to your movie night:
Sanderson Sisters Silhouettes: Create life-sized silhouettes of the Sanderson sisters—Winifred, Sarah, and Mary—and display them on a prominent wall or window using black paper or cardboard.
“Book of Spells” Centerpiece: Design a centerpiece inspired by the Sanderson Sisters’ spellbook. Place a large, aged-looking book on a stand or pedestal as a focal point. You can add props like quill pens, potion bottles, and a magnifying glass nearby.
Potion Bottles and Apothecary Jars: Fill glass bottles and jars with colored water, glitter, and spooky items like plastic spiders, eyeballs, or miniature bones. Label them with creative potion names, such as “Witch’s Brew” or “Love Potion.”
Broomstick Display: Arrange a collection of broomsticks in a corner or against a wall. You can lean them against a cauldron or tie them together with twine. For added effect, attach small LED lights to mimic glowing broomsticks.
Cauldron Centerpieces: Place large black cauldrons as centerpieces on tables or around the party area. Fill them with dry ice, creating a captivating fog effect. You can also add fake flames or LED lights to make them appear like they’re bubbling.
Spellbook Signs: Write quotes or spells from the movie on old-fashioned parchment paper and display them as signs throughout the party area. Hang them on walls or attach them to broomsticks or stakes in the ground.
Black Candles and Candlesticks: Scatter black candles of varying heights around the party space. Place them in candlesticks or candelabras to add an eerie ambiance. Be sure to practice fire safety and use battery-operated candles if necessary.
Themed Wall Decals: Look for Hocus Pocus-themed wall decals or stickers featuring characters, quotes, or other elements from the movie. Stick them on walls, mirrors, or windows to instantly add a magical touch.
“Amuck! Amuck! Amuck!” Banner: Create a banner featuring the iconic phrase “Amuck! Amuck! Amuck!” using black letters on an orange or purple background. Hang it prominently as a focal point.
Hanging Bats and Spiders: Dangle rubber or paper bats and spiders from the ceiling using fishing line or thin string. Arrange them in clusters or scatter them around the party area to give it a spooky feel.
FOOD + DRINKS
Here’s a list of Hocus Pocus-inspired foods and drinks for appetizers, main course, desserts, and drinks:
Appetizers:
Witch’s Brew Soup (Green soup made with spinach and herbs)
Spider Web Deviled Eggs (Regular deviled eggs with a spider web design)
Cauldron Dip (Spinach and artichoke dip served in a mini cauldron)
Broomstick Breadsticks (Breadsticks shaped like broomsticks)
Main Course:
Sanderson Sisters’ Spellbinding Spaghetti (Spaghetti with a spooky twist, like black pasta or green pesto)
Haunted Pumpkin Stuffed Bell Peppers (Bell peppers stuffed with a mix of rice, pumpkin, and vegetables)
Ghostly Grilled Cheese (Grilled cheese sandwiches with ghost-shaped cutouts)
Black Cat Burgers (Hamburgers with black buns, colored with activated charcoal)
Desserts:
Witch Hat Cupcakes (Chocolate cupcakes with witch hat-shaped decorations on top)
Pumpkin Patch Brownies (Brownies with orange frosting and candy pumpkins on top)
Spellbook Sugar Cookies (Sugar cookies decorated to look like ancient spellbooks)
Hocus Pocus Popcorn Mix (Popcorn mixed with Halloween-themed candies and drizzled with chocolate)
Drinks:
Witches’ Potion Punch (A fruity punch with a mysterious twist, like dry ice for a smoky effect)
Sanderson Sisters’ Sangria (Red or purple sangria with fruit garnish)
Bubbling Cauldron Hot Chocolate (Hot chocolate served with a foaming effect using dry ice)
Spellbound Smoothies (Green smoothies made with spinach, banana, and tropical fruits)
GAMES + FUN
Here are a few games you can play while watching Hocus Pocus:
Hocus Pocus Bingo: Create bingo cards with different characters, objects, or events from the movie. Distribute the cards to each player and mark off the squares as you spot the corresponding elements on the screen. The first person to get a line or pattern shouts “Bingo!”
Sanderson Sisters Match-Up: Prepare a set of cards with pictures or descriptions of characters from Hocus Pocus, including the Sanderson sisters and other key figures. Shuffle the cards and place them face down. Take turns flipping two cards at a time, trying to make a match. The player with the most matches at the end wins.
Spell Spelling Bee: Test your spelling skills with a Hocus Pocus-themed spelling bee. Take turns giving each player a word related to the movie, such as “Amuck” or “Thackery,” and see who can spell it correctly. If a player misspells a word, they’re out. Continue until there’s only one player left standing.
Movie Quotes Challenge: Challenge your friends or family to a movie quotes game. As you watch Hocus Pocus, pause the movie at various points and have players try to guess or complete famous quotes from the film. Keep score and see who can identify the most quotes correctly.
Popcorn Toss: Set up a popcorn toss game where players try to throw popcorn into each other’s mouths while watching Hocus Pocus. Assign different point values to different targets, such as the mouth, nose, or even catching the popcorn mid-air. Keep track of points, and the player with the highest score wins.
COSTUMES
Creating DIY Hocus Pocus themed costumes can be a fun project! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
The Sanderson Sisters: To dress up as Winifred, Sarah, or Mary Sanderson, you can use long dresses or robes in vibrant colors, accessorized with capes and shawls. Don’t forget their signature hairstyles and makeup!
Thackery Binx: Transform into the talking black cat by wearing all-black clothing and creating a cat nose and whiskers with face paint. You can also make cat ears using black felt or cardboard.
Max Dennison: Max’s look is more casual. Wear a plaid shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Carry around a black candle to represent the black flame candle from the movie.
Allison: For Allison’s costume, go for a preppy and feminine look. Wear a long skirt or dress, a blouse, and a cardigan. Add some accessories like a cross necklace and carry a book or a magic spell book prop.
I think this could be such a fun tradition to partake in each year! And how fun would it be to look back at pictures of past years fun?! If you DO throw a Hocus Pocus movie night, I’d love to see your pictures!