Hocus Pocus, the silly, over-the-top comedy, is a Halloween classic and one of our favorite movies. The three main characters – played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker – are hilarious, campy, and wickedly funny. The witchy threesome is also the inspiration for some AMAZING build-your-own costumes created by our very own Mark McDaniels.

Mark has been with arc for over 5 years. Mark’s job is to merchandise for our stores. He is responsible for the new Halloween product buy as well as a member of the new store opening team. But Halloween is his favorite! Mark and his partner in artistic endeavors, Gerta Thompson, spend months searching the country for the most amazing Halloween costumes and décor. They attend Halloween shows every year in January to find the hottest in Halloween trends. This literally takes months and a lot of devotion. But the result is that our 30 stores are literally bursting with Halloween delights!!

When Mark isn’t ensuring that our cauldrons are stocked to ghoulish perfection, he is creating amazing Halloween costumes from items found from the aisles of arc. This year he outdid himself by designing three fabulously frightful creations based on the Sanderson Sisters, the three witches from Hocus Pocus.

“I love that Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson are so off beat,” Mark said. “I love that their outfits, and their hair and their makeup are over the top and outrageous; this makes creating Halloween costumes based on them all the more fun because I get to embrace that wackiness and really run with my imagination.”

But Mark is also a stickler for detail. Each character has definite and recognizable features (such as Winifred’s red hair, the vacuum Mary carries with her, or the capes the three sisters wear) and he’s very careful to include them.

He spent hours visiting just about every arc store along the Front Range and each of the fiendish build-outs incorporated both new and donated items. And, sometimes pieces of a costume came from unexpected places. The bodice on Winifred’s costume, for instance, was actually created from a table runner Mark found in the Domestics section of a store. Her cape was made from a donated graduation gown and a segment of drape. For her amazing hair, Mark used a new wig but then teased and styled it to look just like Winifred’s crazy mane!

Here’s the breakdown of how Mark waved his magic wand to create these lovelies!

Winifred Sanderson:

1. Striped tights (new)
2. Dress (donated costume)
3. Bodice (created from table runner)
4. Gloves (cut and designed from new spiderweb tights)
5. Cape (from a graduation gown)
6. Hooded cape (added to cape and made from a piece of drape)
7. Black boots (donated)
8. Jewelry (donated)
9. Red wig (new, but then teased and styled)
10. Wig cap (new)
11. Large book covered and decorated with spooky images (embellished)
12. Makeup palette (new)

Mary Sanderson:

1. Striped leggings (donated)
2. T-shirt (donated)
3. Vest dress (donated costume then cut and redesigned)
4. Two flowing skirts (donated)
5. Cape with hood (donated)
6. Black shoes (donated)
7. Jewelry (donated)
8. Dark wig (new, but then teased and styled and adorned with ribbon)
9. Wig Cap (new)
10. Vacuum (donated)
11. Makeup palette (new)

Sarah Sanderson:

1. Striped tights (new)
2. Dress (donated costume)
3. Scarf belt with coins (piece of donated costume)
4. Cape (donated)
5. Black shoes (donated)
6. Jewelry (donated)
7. Long blonde wig (new, then teased and styled)
8. Wig cap (new)
9. Broom (donated)
10. Makeup palette (new)

The candy’s great and everything, but to us what’s REALLY fun about Halloween is the costumes!

And, not just any old costume. At arc we have a special place in our hearts for creepy and frightfully awesome build-your-own creations, for Halloween get-ups that are inspired by the imagination!

Building your own Halloween costume – whether it’s scary or silly, based on your favorite celebrity or TV character or purely fantastical – might seem a bit daunting. But we’re here to tell you it’s really actually quite easy! It’s as simple as going to your local arc, grabbing a cart, strolling the aisles, and then letting your imagination run wild! And, the good news is that because you’ve thrifted it, it won’t scare your bank account.

Here are a few particularly great costume creations we came up with when we were at the Louisville store. And, the treat of this trick is that each one of these cost less than $25!

ROGERS

If the world can’t have this wonderful man with us now, at least you can dress up like him!

1. Gray pants
2. Belt
3. White shirt
4. Tie
5. Cardigan
6. Gray wig
7. Wig cap
8. Tennis shoes
9. Dress shoes

KHALEESI FROM GAME OF THRONES

Just because the show is over doesn’t mean you can’t fangirl all over Khaleesi.

1. White graduation robe (sleeves turned inside)
2. White dress
3. Gold belt
4. Silver high heels
5. Black brooch
6. Long blond wig
7. Wig cap
8. Toy dragon

BOB ROSS:

This master of the Happy Tree is the personification of creativity!

1. Jeans
2. White button down shirt
3. Belt
4. Tennis shoes
5. Curly wig
6. Wig cap
7. Painting
8. Paint brushes and a palette

ZOMBIE PROM QUEEN

Scream queens are always popular!!

1. Pink dress
2. Pink high heels
3. Silver tiara
4. Pearl bracelet
5. Purple bracelet
6. Crystal bracelet
7. Long blond wig
8. Wig cap
9. Makeup palette

Make sure to check out our Pinterest page to see full build-outs.  https://www.pinterest.com/arcthriftstores/halloween/diy-halloween-costumes/