DIY

Hocus Pocus Book {DIY} **Update**

This week I was on facebook looking at pictures of a Halloween party that a friend of mine went to when I saw something that absolutely stopped me in my tracks.  She had gone to the party (along with 2 others) as the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus.  Their costumes were awesome enough but then I saw the replica of Winifred’s book from the movie that she had as a costume prop and I was floored.  It seriously looks so amazing that I thought she might have bought it but it turns out she made it herself.  Well once I found that out, I knew immediately that I had to ask her permission to share it with ya’ll.  Prepare to have your socks knocked off.  Once again, I want to be clear that she MADE this.

Have you ever???  She was kind enough to write up an explanation of how she did it and share some pictures she took during the process.  She’s the best.

***Update***  Lindsay is now making these and selling them on her Etsy shop!  She has a version with a stationary eye and one which is animatronic where the eye moves.  How cool is that?  The link to purchase the stationary one is here but you can access the other as well.

Hocus pocus spell book

What you’ll need:

– decor book from craft store (Editor’s note:  I am sure you could use any hardcover book)

– acrylic paint

– hot glue gun

– craft glue (actually used Martha Stewart glittering glue)

– string

– clay

– mannequin eye

– tissue paper

– clay tools

– cardboard

– colored jewel

 What you’ll do:

1.  I started out making the parts out of clay (just used a cheap quick dry type) so I made the snakes and stitched skin parts and made sure to leave holes for the string.

2.  I added tissue paper to the book by tearing into pieces and crinkling it up, and then I would use the glittering glue to hold the paper down and also covered all of the clay parts too with it

3. When my ebay buy of the mannequin eye came in the mail, I hot glued it and made the eye lids around it with the clay.

4. I made the latch with the claw and the piece under the large snake out of a cardboard box and painted them black first and then painted a silver paint over the black, and then hot glued all of the pieces to the book.

5. I painted the page area to age it and dragged a needle across the paint to make it look like pages

6. I painted all of the skin area (nothing better than crafting and having a glass of wine as you can see in the picture).

7. Then I cut string to hot glue into the holes in the clay to look like stitches.  I used a clay tool to push them in.

She also sent me some pictures of the costumes that her, her friend, and her husband wore as the Sanderson sisters.  Yes, I said her husband.  Most fun husband ever.  He was the sexy sister Sarah.  Obviously.  These folks take their costumes reallll serious ya’ll.

Lindsay, thanks so much again for sharing your fantasticness with us!  Lindsay is also an artist (which was pretty obvious) and she specializes in painting pictures of people’s pets that are very realistic looking.  Her website is called Pawsome Art and you should check it out if you have a precious kitter or pupple you want painted.

Happy Thursday friends!

  1. Colleen

    Dude. That is amazing.

  2. stephanie

    Love it! Can’t wait for # 2.

  3. christina

    Hold on while I pick my jaw up off the floor. Is this FOR REAL!?! What a crafty, awesome and hilarious gal! I looooove the costumes, especially the husbands! Gosh, I love Hocus Pocus so much. Amazing.

  4. Lindsay Blietz

    Man you guys have really made my day today!!! Thanks so much and glad you liked it, it was a lot of fun to make and I’m so glad BoooOOOooookkK was a success! (was worried I have never made anything like this) My husband is a fun one for sure and fun fact for you guys he actually had gel implants in his corset!!! We had a ball and can’t wait to wear these out uptown in Charlotte on Saturday! Thanks again for an awesome entry in your blog guys!

  5. Taylor

    Ohhh, that Linsday is a real crafty one. Awesome job buddy. I cannot even begin to imagine making something so awesome and creative. I’m too impatient. Ol’ Hoppy sure is a riot. Yall are such an awesome couple. Never a dull moment… 🙂

  6. Katie

    Wow!!!!! Lindsay, that was amazing. You really captured the book well! Megan, Colleen, could this possibly be a theme for next year’s Halloween gala?!

  7. Lindsey @ be pretty

    This is soooooooo AMAZING!!! This is seriously so awesome…. how are all of your friends this freaking talented??? And those costumes are to die for! Hahahaha!

  8. Collette

    This looks so fantastic! Good job. Quick question. I haven’t worked with clay much. Can you tell me how you got the clay to stay to the book? Did you just push the seams on and they stayed? What glue did you use for the snakes?
    Thanks so much!

  9. Lindsay

    Sorry have been out of town….I hadn’t worked with clay much either so I was just winging it. The clay just stuck to the book well when I placed it on there wet and used a little bit of water….and then I used the glittering glue all over the clay spots when it was dry. It’s been so long but I think I used the glue gun on the snakes or other pieces that became loose…..the strings were cut into small pieces and I applied hot glue to the ends and pushed them quickly into the premade holes. I still have this book and it is still in the same great shape 🙂 I carried it around all night in my costume purse and it even survived a night on the town.

  10. Lindsay

    And thanks so glad you liked it

  11. Dana Mooney

    Hello Lindsay,

    I was wondering where I may be able to purchase the mannequin eye…Ive looked on ebay and cannot find one! What did you search?

    • Lindsay

      Hey! So excited someone is making one 🙂 I actually looked on ebay and there are some eyes but you need to search under “doll eyes ” I can’t remember which size I got but they have 26mm on ebay. For example http://www.ebay.com/itm/261309246678
      Hope this helps

  12. Dana

    I am sure going to try!!! A friend of mine who is a photographer is doing a Hocus Pocus themed shoot next weekend so I am making it as a prop! Thanks for your help! Im going to try to find the one that you did, the color looks right on target! Is it a light brown?

  13. Lindsay

    Good luck! I should start making them for purchase 😉
    yeah I did a combination of dark brown , tan , black, white and if I remember correctly there might have been a little yellow in there too.

  14. Megan

    Thank you soooo much for the tutorial! Ours turned out great!!!

  15. Amanda

    Could u make me one?:)

  16. Beryl cooper

    I love the book going to a fancy dress party in January I was wondering if you could make me a book if you can please let me know the cost and post I will be ever greatfull