How do you do Billy Butcherson's mouth stitches?

You can draw them on with black liquid eyeliner for an easy version, or use spirit gum to attach pieces of thick black yarn or embroidery floss across your lips.

What color is Billy Butcherson's coat?

His colonial frock coat is a heavily weathered, dusty charcoal gray or dark brown with tattered edges.

Is a Billy Butcherson costume comfortable to wear?

Yes, but the mouth makeup can make eating and talking difficult if you use real thread; drawing the stitches on is much more practical for parties.

AI-generated example

Billy Butcherson Costume

Bring the beloved Hocus Pocus zombie back to life this Halloween.

Billy Butcherson is the friendly, long-dead zombie from Disney's Hocus Pocus who rises from the grave to help defeat the Sanderson sisters. This costume is a favorite for fans of the classic Halloween movie who want a mix of spooky and nostalgic. The look consists of a tattered 17th-century colonial suit, a messy black wig, and his signature stitched-shut mouth.

Difficulty: Medium
Time: ~60 min
Budget: $40–120

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Billy Butcherson costume — Example look · AI-generated

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What you need for a Billy Butcherson costume

Short on time? Buy it ready-made

Spirit Halloween sells the complete Billy Butcherson costume — one box instead of 6 pieces.

Shop Billy Butcherson at Spirit ↗

Tattered colonial frock coat
A long, weathered colonial-style jacket in dusty charcoal gray or faded brown with frayed hems.
DIY: Take an old gray suit jacket, cut the hem and cuffs into jagged points, and rub it with sandpaper or dark eyeshadow to look dirty.
Amazon
Ruffled colonial shirt
A white or cream Victorian-style ruffled shirt, heavily stained and yellowed.
DIY: Stain a white button-down shirt with black tea and tear the cuffs to look aged.
Amazon
Dusty cravat
A tattered white ascot or cravat tied loosely around the neck.
DIY: Cut a strip of white cheesecloth or scrap fabric, soak it in tea, and fray the edges.
Amazon
Cropped black pants
Dark gray or black knee-length breeches or cropped trousers.
DIY: Cut an old pair of black slacks just below the knee and fray the bottom edges.
Amazon
Bandage-print socks
White knee-high socks distressed with gray and brown markings to look like dirty bandages.
DIY: Draw horizontal bandage lines on white socks with a fabric marker and smudge them with charcoal.
Amazon
Messy black wig
A shoulder-length black wig with wild, unkempt curls and a dusty texture.
DIY: Tease a shoulder-length black wig with a comb and lightly spray it with gray hair-color spray.
Amazon

Rather not assemble it? See ready-made Billy Butcherson costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗

How to put it together

1
Distress the colonial jacket and ruffled shirt by tearing the hems and rubbing them with dark eyeshadow or actual dirt to look freshly unearthed.
2
Put on the cropped black pants and pull the white knee-high socks up to meet the hem.
3
Layer the ruffled shirt under the tattered gray frock coat, leaving the collar open to tie the dusty cravat around your neck.
4
Apply pale, decaying zombie makeup to your face and neck, and draw or apply fake black stitches over your lips.
5
Put on the messy black wig, shaking it out to ensure it looks wild and unkempt.
6
Complete the look with dark, worn-out dress shoes or boots.

Makeup & hair

Apply pale gray or green-tinted face paint for a sunken, undead look, using dark brown eyeshadow around the eyes and cheekbones. Use black liquid eyeliner or spirit gum with black thread to create the iconic stitches across your lips.

Billy Butcherson for couples, groups, kids & more

couples: Pair up with Winifred Sanderson for a hilarious ex-lovers dynamic.
group: Join a full Hocus Pocus group with Winifred, Sarah, Mary, and Max.
kids: Use a kids' colonial costume, shred the edges, and use safe, washable face paint for the stitches.
Plus size: Look for loose-fitting pirate or colonial shirts and elastic-waist breeches for a comfortable fit.
pet: Dress a dog in a tiny tattered black cape and a small black wig.

Tips

If using real thread for the mouth stitches, use spirit gum to secure the thread ends to your cheeks, leaving enough slack so you can still talk and drink through a straw.
Use baby powder or gray hair spray to give your wig a dusty, grave-dirt appearance.
Wear comfortable black boots or loafers, as you'll likely be walking around a lot.

Billy Butcherson costume FAQ

How do you do Billy Butcherson's mouth stitches?: You can draw them on with black liquid eyeliner for an easy version, or use spirit gum to attach pieces of thick black yarn or embroidery floss across your lips.
What color is Billy Butcherson's coat?: His colonial frock coat is a heavily weathered, dusty charcoal gray or dark brown with tattered edges.
Is a Billy Butcherson costume comfortable to wear?: Yes, but the mouth makeup can make eating and talking difficult if you use real thread; drawing the stitches on is much more practical for parties.

Did you know? Billy Butcherson was played by legendary physical actor Doug Jones, who is famous for playing various cinematic monsters and creatures.