HARRY POTTER PARTY: IDEAS & INSPIRATION
I love theme parties! Halloween is the perfect time to throw costume parties and I’ve hosted several with various themes over the years. One of my all-time favorites was a Halloween Harry Potter party and it was an absolute hit!
MY HALLOWEEN HARRY POTTER PARTY
From the invites to the food to the decor – everything was centered around the famous wizarding world that most millennials grew to love over their childhood and adult years (and hey, it’s making a comeback with the next generation)! Although my theme party was set for Halloween, it could easily be adapted for a birthday, movie night, or other special event where HP could take center stage.
Here’s how I put it together to make sure everything was as “magical” as possible for the big day…
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THE INVITATIONS
I went a little overboard with the invitations, but they turned out pretty cool!
I used “antiqued” paper with matching envelopes to print my custom invitation for each witch or wizard. Then, I used my ink and feather pen set (yes, I own a quill pen set for occasions such as this!) and signed each invite. To top it off, I used a wax seal that I purchased in Italy on vacation on the outside of each to add to the aesthetic.
Let me tell you, there is nothing more exciting than getting your own “Hogwarts Letter” delivered to your home– even as an adult. Everyone absolutely loved the invitations, and they added to the anticipation of what was to come at the party!
If you like the idea of special invites but don’t know where to start with designing them, check out these custom Hogwarts invitation designs. Once you purchase the files, you can edit them to your liking. This may be easier for you than constructing them from scratch!
THE COSTUMES
Everyone was so creative with their costumes! We saw all the characters from Moaning Myrtle to Professor Lupin to Severus Snape! Not wanting to leave my pups out, Copper transformed into Dobby the Free Elf and Lucy sported a handmade Slythering bandana.
I chose to repurpose an old witch’s dress and go as Bellatrix Lestrange. If you don’t have the items on hand for a handmade costume, then try one that’s ready to go like these:
THE DECORATIONS
There are a bah-zillion scenes and locations from the Harry Potter series that you can re-create – the first one being the Great Hall at Hogwarts, complete with floating candles.
I made these DIY floating candles via A Few Shortcuts from paper towel rolls, hot glue, and tea light candles.
Don’t have the time or resources? Try this wand-operated floating candle set!
The rest of my Harry Potter tablescape consisted of:
-DIY wands (check out Anjali’s tutorial for crafting them from chopsticks and hot glue at This Splendid Shambles)
-Magical textbooks and rolled newspaper articles from printables on the same aged paper I used for the invitations
-DIY crystal balls made from candlesticks, clear Christmas ornaments, and screen prints (see Bev’s original post at Flamingo Toes for the full tutorial).
-DIY potion bottles, using thrifted bottles and free printables from Over the Big Moon
I made the DIY dementor out of a Dollar Tree skeleton, black spray paint, Mod Podge, and black gauze. I’ve since used it every Halloween as part of my decor! Becca from Pins and Things has an in-depth tutorial on how to create a hanging dementor.
I purchased these house banners to hang. I accented other areas of the house with black mesh, plastic spiders, and misting cauldrons.
The flying keys from The Chamber of Secrets were constructed from keys, paper wings, and fishing lines. Potter Crafts has a great tutorial for these along with a template for the wings. I purchased these bronze skeleton keys for the project.
Finally, I made a DIY sign to place in the entryway, pointing to some familiar locations from the movies.
HARRY POTTER-INSPIRED FOOD
You can get super creative with the food, here. Any fan knows about Honeydukes, so I set up a sweet station in honor of it. The chocolate frogs were a big hit, and I used these candy frog molds to make them.
I found a recipe for pumpkin juice like this one from My Frugal Adventures. Butterbeer was another must-have, so I found a recipe like this one from Bijoux and Bits. Then, I finished off the menu with some easy finger foods, dips, and snacks.
SOURCE AND INSPIRATION LIST
And that, my friends, was one magical party!
That night, Potterheads united for some fun costumes, good food, and maybe a few games of Quidditch Beer Pong (see how to make the DIY game from Farm to Fete).
If you see any items below that you may want to add to your Harry Potter party, just click on the picture for more info!
