How To Decorate Your Home Like The Sanderson Sisters From Hocus Pocus

"I put a spell on you and now you're mine," sings Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus. They started out as just a tale told by fictional teachers to scare school children in Salem, Massachusetts, but the Sanderson sisters quickly became one of the most iconic trio in Halloween history. Since Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker starred as Mary, Winifred and Sarah Sanderson in 1993, Hocus Pocus has been inspiring witches everywhere. And the most recent sequel, Hocus Pocus 2 gave fans a deeper look into the Sanderson sisters' histories and psyches. The sisters were just children living in Salem in 1653 when they were driven out of their home and into the forest by an angry mob led by the town reverend. While stranded in the forest, the sisters meet a witch and the rest is history. This look into the Sanderson sister's childhood allowed fans to see a more sensitive side of the trio. Now, we can't get enough. So, here's a look into the Sanderson's sisters' home from both the original film and sequel, and some tips on how to bring their witchy aesthetic into your own home — black flame candles, dead man's toe, and all! So grab your brooms (or vacuum cleaners) and fly into your new Sanderson sister-inspired home. 

"We must find the book, brew the potion and suck the lives out of the children of Salem before sunrise." — Winifred Sanderson. 

A witch is not a witch without her cauldron — even witches as powerful as the Sanderson sisters can attest to that. The trio is seen brewing a special batch of child-soul-sucking potion during the first scene of Hocus Pocus. The lethal brew is meant to keep the Sanderson sisters young. But their plan is foiled when Thackery Binx pushes over their cauldron and spills the potion. However, the sisters return to their cauldron multiple times through out the movie. 

If you're ready to commit to a witchy aesthetic for your home, you'll need a cauldron. And they actually aren't as difficult to find as one may think. In case you weren't sure, a cauldron is simply a pot, usually made of cast iron, that has been used (and still often is) for cooking over a fireplace. A cauldron can be used for basic recipes and, of course, spooky concoctions of all kinds. In fact, myths from all different types of cultures often depict healers using cauldrons to mix their elixirs. There are several options for modern-day cauldrons including an updated dutch oven. Just make sure it's made of cast iron. Other materials can be toxic to ingest. The safest and most durable option for cauldrons is cast iron, per The Witch's Life.

Your cauldron is really the main piece that pulls the rest of the kitchen together. It's certainly a gathering place for the Sanderson sisters. So, you'll want to be sure to choose the right cauldron for all your witchy needs. 

"Well, it says to form a circle of salt to protect from zombies, witches, and old boyfriends." —Allison

Salt is just one of the ingredients you'll want to keep in your apothecary pantry. Of course, you'll also need all the ingredients required to make your potion meant for luring children to their demise. However, the word "apothecary" wasn't always associated with witches. In fact, according to The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the term is derived from apotheca, meaning a place where wine, spices, and herbs are stored. People started using "apothecary" to describe someone who kept these items in stock and sold them from either their shop or a stall on the street. As the spice trade grew and pharmacy developed, apothecaries also evolved. By the mid-sixteenth century, apothecaries became what we know today as pharmacists. It wasn't until people started fearing witches that apothecaries became associated with black magic.

Now that the word "witch" has been reclaimed and the ancient practice of apothecaries is now valued again, having an at-home pantry fit for an apothecary is essential for a Sanderson-sister-inspired home. Start by installing shelves. You'll need deep shelves strong enough to hold pestles and mortars, sage bundles, ceramic bowls, potion jars, and more. Once you have space to store your ingredients, the fun part arrives. Visit spice shops to purchase some unique flavors for your food that you haven't tried before. Then stop at a crystal shop for sage and palo santo. Then top it all off with some crystals — each crystal is connected to different healing properties. Finally, transfer all of your spices into these DIY vintage apothecary jars, per Capturing Wonderland. Now that your pantry is set and your apothecary powers are ready to shine, you'll be brewing potions in no time!

"Come, we fly!" —Winifred Sanderson

What's more iconic than seeing Mary Sanderson fly off into the night with her sisters, riding a vacuum cleaner in Hocus Pocus? The only answer is: seeing Mary Sanderson fly off into the night with her sisters riding two Roomba cleaners in Hocus Pocus 2. Everyone knows that witches can fly across the sky using brooms. But no one knew that witches could set sail using any cleaning appliance until the Sanderson sisters showed the world it was possible. In honor of the sisters and the knowledge they brought to the world, your Sanderson-sister-home must include a cleaning supply closet stocked with the most high-end cleaning supplies. Old school brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners, Swiffer WetJets, and Roomba cleaners are all encouraged.

Now, the Sanderson sister home wasn't very large. So, you'll have to get creative about how you store your cleaning supplies in order to optimize your home's space. Organizing your cleaning closet using hooks, storage containers, lazy susans, and more can be a great way to ensure that your cleaning supplies closet is organized, per The Closet Works. Now you can take flight on your broom (or Swiffer WetJet) at a moment's notice. 

"You lit the black flamed candle?" —Cop

Everyone knows not to light the black flame candle. But that still didn't stop two generations of kids from doing it anyways. However, we can't be too mad at the children. If it weren't for them, we'd never have been exposed to the Sanderson sister aesthetic. Regardless, if you're going to design your home after the Sanderson sisters' design style, you're going to need lots and lots of candles. In both Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2, there are almost no scenes inside the Sanderson sisters' home that don't contain countless candles spread across the space. So, you'll need at least a dozen per room in your home. 

As you can see in the photo, the Sanderson sisters didn't limit themselves to just one type of candle. They used any color and size they could find. So, get creative with the size, shape, and color of your candles. There are countless varieties of unique candle shapes and sizes and each can be used for different types of design styles, per The Washington Post. And feel free to combine several different types at a time. Table centerpieces can include a mix of one 7"x4" pillar candle, 2 shorter pillar candles, and several tea candles. In every corner of the room, be sure to add rustic candle holders with taper candle sticks of varying colors. Try playing with the height as well. Both pillar and taper candles come in varying heights and combing different heights can add an eclectic touch to your space. There are even some candles that change colors as the wax melts. Your candle options for decor are just as endless as the variety of spells in your spell book. 

Any Hocus Pocus fan can imagine Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson sing-calling "Boook!" to summon her precious spell book.

A witch's spell book is probably one of her most coveted items. So, it's vital that a witch keep her spell book safe. In Hocus Pocus, the Sanderson sisters' spell book was kept in a glass display case in their home that was converted into a museum. In Hocus Pocus 2, the book was also kept in a display case but it was strapped to its display using leather bounds as added protection. However, in both instances, Book managed to either escape or be stolen and havoc ensued. So, finding a creative way to hide your spell book will be essential.

One thing the Sanderson sisters never had in their home was a hidden bookcase door leading to a secret room. This certainly would have been a helpful place to hide Book so that children weren't constantly stealing it. Nevertheless, in Hocus Pocus 2, Book was able to hide out on a book shelf containing dozens of Book replicas. You'll want to create a similar bookshelf in order to disguise your coveted spell book. Instead of titling your spell book "Book of Spells and Potions," try titling it "Recipes." This will certainly help the book blend in and make it far less likely the some curious soul will pick the book up and start reading. Additionally, completely fill your bookshelf with books. The more books surrounding your spell book, the more difficult it will be for someone to come across your secret book of spells. 

Bonus: Having a black cat dedicated to keeping people away from your spell book is a plus. Anytime someone reaches for your book, the cat will jump down and hiss at them. 

"Oh, look. Another glorious morning. Makes me sick!" —Winifred Sanderson

That may not be the reaction you have when you see a beautiful sunrise from your home's window. Nevertheless, windows played an important role in the Sanderson sisters' home. The witches only have one night to collect the souls of enough children to keep them young and alive. Failing to do so before the morning sunrise meant they'd be vanquished once again. So, looking out the window and checking for hints of sunlight was a frequent occurrence in both Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2. Max even pretends to be a great and powerful god who can speed up time. He turns on his car lights and shines them through the windows so the Sanderson sisters think the sun has risen. They begin convulsing and saying their goodbyes until they are lying on a heap together on the floor. They think they are dead until they realize it was all a trick. 

Hopefully, no one will be shining their car lights through your windows. That said, you can easily recreate the style of windows in the witches' home. The criss-cross style windows seen throughout the Sanderson sisters' home are actually called grille window panes. These panes are not a structural part of the window, so they can be added to any window for a vintage feel. You can add custom grilles to your windows using fewer than 10 materials, according to Joyful Derivatives. This criss-cross style originally worked with Colonial home styles and is now used to create a rustic feel. 

"It's all just a bunch of hocus pocus." —Max

Even when the Sanderson sisters' only source of light was candles, they still managed to find stylish light fixtures. Their home was scattered with rustic candle-donned chandeliers and sconces. The Sanderson sister's home was rustic because it had to be. Luckily, you don't have that problem. You get the best of both worlds: a rustic aesthetic and electricity. Rustic lighting fixtures will be an important finishing touch for your Sanderson sisters-inspired home. Start with ceiling fixtures. You'll want something that makes a statement while also staying true to your rustic design style. Look for fixtures with finishes including wrought iron, oil-rubbed bronze, antique copper, zinc, brass, or forged silver with raw or aged metals, those are the most popular finishes for rustic style lighting, according to Nancy B's House of Lights. 

Once you've chosen your ceiling fixtures, you'll want to fill the rest of the room with stand-up lights, table lamps, and sconces. Look for fixtures that offer a simplistic style, handcrafted appearance, and vintage aesthetic. Most "vintage" lighting now offers the look of a vintage fixture but with modern wiring. This allows them to stay true to the rustic aesthetic while being safer and more energy efficient than actual vintage lights. Once you've chosen your lighting fixtures, you'll want to opt for the right style bulbs. Rustic lighting fixture designs frequently feature exposed light bulbs. So, you'll want to pair them with an Edison bulb for a more modern feel or a candle bulb if you're going for a fully rustic look. 

"Bubble, bubble, I'm in trouble." — Bus driver

The key to disguising your witchy home is installing something that helps your house blend in with the rest of the town folk. That's exactly what the Sanderson sisters did with this literal run-of-the-mill water mill. Yes, technically it was functional, but if the witches really needed water they could have conjured a drinking spell. So, really, the mill was just for looks. However, it did end up causing some trouble when Thackery Binx used the water mill to climb into the Sanderson sisters' home in order to save his sister. Sadly, he wasn't able to save his sister. But he did spend the next few centuries guarding the home so that no more children were harmed. 

In order to honor Binx and the Sanderson sisters, try installing your own miniature version of the Sanderson sisters' water mill. It's the perfect decor item for your garden. This DIY garden water mill only requires a few materials, per Instructables. With this adorable little water mill in your garden, no one will ever suspect your home is filled with witchy goodies! 

"Dead man's toe, dead man's toe! Dead, dead, dead!" —Sarah Sanderson

Just like a spell can only be complete with the right ingredients, a home is only as complete as its final details. Now that you have all the main design elements chosen for your home, the fun part arrives. It's time to add all your Sanderson sister-inspired finishing touches. You'll want lots of jars, trinkets and witchy goodies sprinkled throughout your home. Start by repurposing old skin care and seasoning bottles into potion jars. You can paint the jars to fit your aesthetic or leave them transparent and fill them with salt, colored sand, mini gems, beads, and more. You'll also want several vases of dried flower bouquets. The Sanderson sisters only return every few decades, so you can't worry about having to water flowers. Dried bouquets are the perfect low-maintenance alternative that can complement any decorating aesthetic in your home. 

Dried moss is also a wonderful accent for your apothecary. Place a few pads of dried moss on shelves along with your potion bottles. Sprinkle some healing crystals around your home along with some sage and palo santo. And be sure to incorporate natural wood as frequently as you can. Natural wood adds texture, color, and a sense of warmth to your home, according to Cda Wood. Switch out any colorful or modern dishware for natural-finish ceramic plates and bowls. Install some brass hooks to hang your velvet witchy capes. Then, finish it all off with some lit candles and a few vials of dead man's toe. You're certainly ready to host the Sanderson sisters the next time someone lights the black flame candle!