Showing posts with label diy harry potter party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diy harry potter party. Show all posts

The Ultimate DIY Harry Potter Party

In November, my oldest son turned 8, and he requested a Harry Potter theme for his birthday party.  I immediately starting planning all the fun DIY details, and today I am thrilled to (finally) share The Ultimate DIY Harry Potter Party with you. 






I set the tone for the party by designing a super cute invitation. The invitation was written like an acceptance letters to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  (You can find a full tutorial for the invitation here.)



The decor of the party also helped to set the mood.  The entrance to the party room was my absolute favorite DIY element.  I think it made a huge impact on the guests.  (You can find the tutorial for all of the DIY signage here.)




After passing through the brick wall (Platform 9 3/4), each child had their forehead marked with a red lightening bolt.  Then, they were directed toward a table where they colored a Harry Potter Tie that they could wear.  (You can find the free printable Harry Potter Ties and Glasses here.)







It was then time to go shopping for robes and glasses at Madam Malkin's robe shop.  (I was able to purchase vampire capes on clearance after Halloween.)




The shopping trip continued with a trip to Ollivander's wand shop where the children were able to choose their own wands.  (You can find the tutorial for the Harry Potter Wands I made from wooden dowels here.)




Then, we took a break for some lunch and cake.  (You can find tutorials for our two easy-to-make cakes here.)




After the cake, the kids received spell books and quills for their Charms/Spells class.  (You can find the free printable spell books here.)




Then, it was time for some Harry Potter Games.  We practiced our spells, played freeze dance, played pin the scar on Harry, tried a bean bag toss, and destroyed a pinata.  (You can find all the details of the games we played here.)




And finally, when the party was over, the guests were invited to "go shopping" at Honeydukes Sweet Shop for their loot bags.  (You can find out how to put together your own version of Honeydukes Sweet Shop here.)




I loved all the easy and inexpensive DIY elements of this party, and my sweet birthday boy was thrilled with how it all turned out.  Do you know someone who would enjoy a Harry Potter party?


♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


You might also be interest in the fun DIY party ideas here.

Harry Potter Party Games

Today I am sharing another one of the fun elements of my son's Harry Potter party... the DIY Harry Potter Party Games.  With 20 little guests, it was important to make sure there were plenty of great games to keep the little ones entertained.


We played 6 games.

1) Charms and spells class - I pretended to teach a class using the spell books and quills I made for the guests.  The children loved practicing the spells and trying them out on each other.  {You can download the spell book I created here.}


2)  Howarts Freeze dance - We played freeze dance using some spells from Harry Potter.  We used Tarantallegra to make legs dance uncontrollably and Petrificus Totalus to make the kids freeze like a soldier.

3)  Pin the Scar on Harry - I drew Harry Potter on a piece of bristol board and gave every child a scar to place on his head. 


4)  Bean Bag Toss - I made a simple beanbag toss using an old cardboard box.  {You can download a template of the head a drew here.}


5)  Wingardium Leviosa - The kids used the wands I made for them to try balloons in the air.

6)  Piñata - I made a simple piñata using a balloon and some paper mache.  Then, I drew a simple owl on it using a sharpie.  Easy peasy!


All the guest had fun with our Harry Potter games, and they were all easy and inexpensive to put together. It doesn't get much better than that!


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Harry Potter Party Signage

Today I am sharing another fun element from my son's Harry Potter birthday party.  I absolutely loved the Harry Potter party signage I created (and it was all easy and inexpensive to put together).


The 9 3/4 Platform sign (and brick wall) that greeted guests as they arrived at the party was my absolute favorite.


For the 9 3/4 platform sign, I started with a piece of foamcore from the dollar store, I covered it with a piece of red bristol board, and I secured it around the edges with red duct tape. Then, I printed the number and letters on my computer, cut them out, and attached them to the sign.  (I finished the sign with a plastic chain I purchased at Halloween... but a piece of twine or ribbon would work too.)


To make the brick wall, I started with a white paper tablecloth (backed with plastic) from the dollar store.  Then, I dipped a sponge in red paint, and pressed it onto the tablecloth to make a "brick".  I repeated this process until the entire tablecloth was covered.


I also had signs for the different "shops" from Harry Potter.  I had one for Flourish & Blotts, one for Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and one for Ollivander's.  I printed them on my computer, and framed them in inexpensive red frames (from the dollar store).




Finally, I made a bright and cheerful sign for Honeydukes Sweet Shop.  I started with a piece of foam core from the dollar store, and I trimmed the edges with duct tape.  Then, I printed the letters on my computer, cut them out, and attached them to the sign.


I thought these signs were a lot of fun and really helped the guests feel like they were transported to the world of Harry Potter.  I loved them all, but the Platform 9 3/4 signage was definitely my favorite. What do you think?

And... if you want to see the rest of the Harry Potter Party details (including our invite, food and cake ideas, and party activities), you can check them out here.


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


You might also like the fun party ideas here.

Harry Potter Spell Books and Quills {with free printables}

Today I am excited to share another great DIY project from my son's Harry Potter party.  I made every guest their very own Harry Potter spell book and quill.  The kids LOVED them, and I was really pleased with how they turned out.


I started with inexpensive black duotang folders, and then I added some fun pages, including:

  • a cover page that said, "This Book Belongs to:", which allowed all the kids to add their names to their books.  I printed the intro page on some paper I found at the dollar store to add some color to the book without spending a lot of money on color printing.  








And, of course, little wizards need their own quills, so I used hot glue to attach feathers to ball point pens.  Cute, right?


These Harry Potter spell books were definitely one of the most loved elements of my son's 8th birthday party.  The kids even started making up their own spells and writing them in their books.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get the "automatically clean up the mess from the party" spell to work.  Maybe next time!


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


PS (Find more DIY Harry Potter Party details here.)


*Enjoy my printables, but (as always), they are for personal use only.  I am providing them for free, and they are not meant for resale or for any profit-making endeavour.  

Also, please feel free to share this post, but do not link directly to the download.  Thank you!

DIY Harry Potter Wands

There are tons of fun versions of DIY Harry Potter Wands on Pinterest, so I was inspired to make a batch for my son's 8th Harry Potter-themed birthday party.  Today I am sharing a tutorial for my easy and inexpensive version.


My version is made from inexpensive dowels that you can buy at any dollar store or craft supply store.  You'll need dowels, hot glue and a glue gun, brown paint and a paintbrush, and inexpensive "gems" for the ends.


Here's how you create the magic:

1)  Use hot glue to make a design on the dowels, and allow them to dry completely.  {I stuck the wands in floral foam to allow for easy drying}.

2)  Use brown acrylic paint to completely cover the dowels.  {I painted the tops, allowed them to dry, and then painted the bottoms.}

3)  Use got glue to attach a "gems" to the bottom of the wands.

That's it!  Aren't they cute?


They were definitely a hit at my son's Harry Potter party.


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Honeydukes Sweet Shop

Check out the "Honeydukes Sweet Shop" I put together for my oldest son's Harry Potter party.  Isn't it the cutest?


I made the sign using a piece of (dollar store) foam core trimmed with pink duct tape.  Then, I printed some letters onto cardstock and used double sided tape to secure them in place.

For the treats, I bought some jars at the dollar store, and added some labels I made using Picmonkey.com. 


Here are the treats we had:

Bott's Every Flavor Beans - no-name gourmet jelly beans
Ollivander's Edible Wands - black liquorice
Fizzing Whizbees - popping candy
Mad Eye Moody's Eyeball Gum - eyeball gumballs
Chocolate Frogs - chocolate frogs made from frog-shaped chocolate molds
Remus' Werewolf Fangs - candy corn

I also made some "Golden Snitches" by hot gluing feathers onto gold foil wrapped chocolates.


What Harry Potter fan wouldn't love shopping at Honeydukes Sweet Shop?  It's a fantastic loot bag idea.


Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Easy Harry Potter Cakes

I am not a professional cake decorator. In fact, I have never even taken a cake decorating course. But, I always try to make special cakes for my boys' birthdays.  This year I made two Harry Potter cakes for my oldest son (and I'm also sharing a simple cake I made for a movie night). All THREE Harry Potter cakes were simple to make and turned out totally cute!


The first cake I made for the Harry Potter party was a simple "Quidditch Cake".  


To make each goal post, I wrapped electrical tape around pipe cleaners and twisted them into a circle.  Then, I stuck the end into a paper straw.

And to make the golden snitch, I added wax paper wings.

I finished it off by adding some "every flavour beans" along the bottom of the cake.  I think it adds a nice touch of color, don't you?

The second cake I made for the Harry Potter party was a simple "Crest Cake".


I started with a basic rectangular sheet cake, and I carved it into the shape of a crest.  I did a crumb coat, and then covered the cake with yellow icing.  I piped on some red trim, and then I added some fun "Harry Potter" items -- a fruit roll-up scar, a foil wrapped golden snitch, some every flavour beans, and a chocolate frog.  Simple and fun! 

And... for a special movie night with my boys, I made this simple cake with pink icing and green icing... a replica of the cake Hagrid made for Harry Potter in the first movie. It doesn't get easier than this one!



Which Harry Potter cake is your favorite? I think a Harry Potter fan would love any one of these magical desserts!


Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)




You may also be interested in our easy and inexpensive DIY Harry Potter party. The simple details are super-fun!


DIY Harry Potter Invitation

Next week, my son is turning 8, and we are having a Harry Potter themed party for him.  Today, I thought I would share the adorable invitation I created for him.  Isn't it the cutest?  


I wrote a Hogwarts acceptance letter, and then I printed it on some "scroll" paper I found at the Dollar Store.  Then, I rolled it up, tied it with a ribbon, and attached a tag containing a picture of my son dressed as Harry Potter.


I am seriously delighted with how it turned out... and so is my son.  I can't wait to share the rest of the fun party details with you.


Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Harry Potter Glasses and Ties with free printable templates

I am in the middle of planning a Harry Potter party for my seven year old, and I thought it would be fun if all the guests had their own Harry Potter tie and glasses. Of course, I had to come up with something inexpensive, so I made mine from card stock. Cute, right?


To make the Harry Potter ties, download the template here, print it onto card stock, and have the children color the ties with crayons. Then, punch two holes in the tie, add some reinforcements, and tie on some elastic (so that the kids can easily put the ties around their necks).


To make Harry Potter glasses, download the template here, print the glasses onto card stock, and cut them out. Then, add a piece of pipe cleaner to each side.


Feel free to pin this post and share it with friends, but please don't link directly to the downloads. Thanks so much, and enjoy your Harry Potter glasses and ties!


Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)



Don't miss any of the fun....