Chica and Jo Chica and Jo

DIY tutorials, party ideas, recipes, crafts, and tips for everyday life

Chica and Jo Chica and Jo

DIY tutorials, party ideas, recipes, crafts, and tips for everyday life

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Harry Potter Party Ideas

by: Jo
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Harry Potter Party Ideas
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Little Jo loves all things Harry Potter. She has seen the movies more times than she can count, and she is in the middle of reading The Goblet of Fire. It came as no surprise to me that this year when she said she wanted a Harry Potter birthday party. The party was a huge success, and I have so many great Harry Potter party ideas to share with you.

Creating the Great Hall

I set up the Great Hall inside of our living room. To create the floating candle effect, McGeeky hung battery-operated LED taper candles from the ceiling using fishing line and clear push pins. I used different sizes and varied the height. The look was fabulous when the sun set! I covered the large wall in our living room with a stone wall backdrop which really set the scene.

Harry Potter party ideas Great Hall candles

I covered the tables in either Gryffindor red or Ravenclaw blue plastic tablecloths and decorated with lots of different candleabras. Each placesetting had a gold charger that I decorated with printouts of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw crests. Then I topped it with a disposable plastic plate, making sure to choose a clear one so that the crest would show through.

Harry Potter party ideas Great Hall tables

To make the banners for the wall, I used my Artograph projector to project the Hogwarts crest, Gryffindor crest, and Ravenclaw crest onto foam core. I outlined the images with a pencil and then painted them in. Finally, I trimmed out the edges with some coordinating cording. The lightweight foam core made them very easy to hang.

Harry Potter party ideas crest banners

The Sorting Hat cake

Chica made an amazing cake that looked just like the sorting hat. She covered it with Wilton chocolate fondant that tasted like Tootsie Rolls! I can't even explain how she did it, but Little Jo and I believe there was some magic involved.

Harry Potter party ideas sorting hat cake

Harry Potter party decorations

We went crazy decorating the party space, from small to large elments. Our most outrageous party decoration was the 5' suit of armor statue that Little Jo and I dragged home from a home decor store one night. McGeeky wasn't too thrilled about that purchase, but I think our armored friend looks right at home!

Harry Potter party ideas suit of armor statue

For additional party decorations, I took inspiration from stories in the books. In the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry must capture a particular flying key. I portrayed that story by hanging feathered, vintage-looking keys from the dining room entryway.

Harry Potter party ideas flying keys

Even Dumbledore took a few moments to pop in on the festivities, by way of a Professor Dumbledore cardboard cutout.

Harry Potter party ideas dumbledore cutout

I decorated one wall with printouts of educational decrees that I found online.

Harry Potter party ideas proclamations

And another wall was plastered with Harry "Wanted" posters.

Harry Potter party ideas wanted posters

Next to the entry way, I had Hedwig the Owl in a cage near a box full of note pads and quills. I made the quills by snipping the ends off of large feathers, pulling the ink tube out of a ball point pen, and inserting it into the feather. A little white or black duct tape to secure them in place, and we had some awesome homemade feather quills.

Harry Potter party ideas hedwig the owl

And of course, we had to include stacks of Harry Pottery books and an iconic pair of Harry Potter glasses.

Harry Potter party ideas books and glasses

Nearby, I an old fashioned ink well surrounded by gold coins was a perfect way to represent Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

Harry Potter party ideas Gringotts wizarding bank

Honeydukes candy store

A major element of the party was Honeydukes, the kids' favorite stop at the end of the party. I decorated a Candy Shoppe cardboard stand with Honeydukes signs and filled it with lots of Honeydukes-inspired candy.

Harry Potter party ideas Honeydukes candy shop

The Honeydukes signs and candy packaging all came from our Harry Potter Honeydukes printables, which include templates for making custom boxes, labels, and tags. We used these all over the party space!

Harry Potter party ideas Honeydukes signs and tags

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Contains DIGITAL printable templates for creating your own packaging and labels for your Honeydukes inspired candy! Includes printables to make "Every Flavour Beans" boxes, chocolate frog boxes with customizable wizard trading cards, "Fizzing Whizzbees" tags, "Sugar Quill Lollipops" labels, and Honeydukes logos in several sizes. Assembly instructions with color photos are included.

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We recreated Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans boxes with a template from the Honeydukes printables set, and filled them up with jelly beans.

Harry Potter party ideas Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans printable

The Fizzing Whizzbees candies were my favorite addition to the Honeydukes stand. I filled a bee-shaped chocolate mold with melted chocolate with some Pop Rocks mixed in. They gave the chocolate the perfect fizz and were so fun! I put the bees in long plastic pretzel rod bags and topped them with the label from the printables. These made such a cute Harry Potter party favor!

Harry Potter party ideas Fizzing Whizzbees

The bee mold I used for the Fizzing Whizzbees is included in the Harry Potter candy mold kit available in our Amazon store, which also includes molds to make an assortment of chocolate Harry Potter themed chocolate lollipops. The kit even includes a bunch of sticks, bags, and twist ties for packaging them. I love all of the Harry Potter chocolates I made with these molds, and so did the kids.

Harry Potter party ideas chocolate suckers lollipops

And what trip to Honeydukes would be complete without grabbing some chocolate frogs? I made these with the chocolate frog mold that's also included in our Harry Potter candy mold kit, then boxed them up in the Chocolate Frog Boxes from our Honeydukes printables. I tucked in some of the printable Wizard Trading Cards that I had customized with the kids' photos, and it was the perfect party favor.

Harry Potter party ideas chocolate frog boxes

I tucked all the goodies into the Honeydukes candy stand, and decorated it with the diamond-shaped Honeydukes logos. I used more logos on some plain brown lunch bags to create sacks for the kids to hold all of the treats.

Harry Potter party ideas treat bags

As a final touch, I printed out some of our Honeydukes play receipts and tucked them inside each bag, with a little note thanking the kids for coming to the party.

Harry Potter party ideas Honeydukes

Sorting the guests into houses

To get the party started, we first sorted the kids into houses. Each guest wore the sorting hat, which decided whether they were placed in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor.

Harry Potter party ideas sorting guests into houses

Equipping the wizards with wands

Once the kids were sorted, they were off to Ollivander's Wand Shop, where they made their own wands. This was a really fun party activity for the kids! Take a look at our DIY magic wizard wand tutorial for more details on how to make your own, and where to get the supplies.

Harry Potter party ideas Olivander's DIY wands

Hosting a Quidditch tournament

After the lesson, we let the kids unwind with a fun game of Quidditch. We made the goals from smaller hula hoops attached to inexpensive tomato stakes.

Harry Potter party ideas Quidditch tournament

We used the quaffle that Little Jo bought when we visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and we provided some ordinary straw brooms for the kids to "ride".

Harry Potter party ideas quidditch quaffle and brooms

The rules may have evolved throughout the game, but the kids definitely had a blast with it.

Harry Potter party ideas Quidditch game

Attending wizarding classes

After that, it was time to attend classes! First was the Care of Magical Creatures taught by Hagrid. A hand-painted sign led the way to the nearby barn.

Harry Potter party ideas wizarding classes magical creatures

A caveman beard and pink umbrella transformed a friend into a Hagrid lookalike, and he cheerfully led the kids to the field to learn about animals. The kids really enjoyed Hagrid's quick intro to animal care with one of the horses out at our barn.

Harry Potter party ideas wizarding classs magical creatures

Next up, it was off to the dungeons for Potions with Snape. I decorated a corner of our basement by hanging black plastic sheeting along the walls, creating a perfectly dark and creepy space. Then Professor Snape (a.k.a. McGeeky) showed the kids a few simple tricks.

Harry Potter party ideas wizarding classes potions with snape

For one such trick, I used our potion bottle labels to decorate bottles, then filled them with tonic water. Snape turned on a black light and the kids marveled at how the magic potions glowed.

Harry Potter party ideas wizarding classes glowing tonic water

A great addition to Snape's area is the potion making kit we created to look like it came straight from Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary. This really helps set the scene, and also makes for a unique birthday gift for the guest of honor. Check out our post about how to make your own potion kit, complete with all the trimmings.

Harry Potter party ideas wizard's potion box

The final lesson of the day took the kids out of the dungeons and into the light for Herbology with Professor Sprout.

Harry Potter party ideas wizarding classes herbology professor sprout

Class took place on our sun porch, where there are plenty of plants for inspiration. Professor Sprout told the kids about the healing properties of aloe, then helped them plant the Venus Fly Traps that they got to take home.

Harry Potter party ideas wizarding classes herbology professor sprout

Harry Potter food ideas

All of that activity caused some ravenous appetites! Heaping platters of food were served for dinner in the Great Hall.

Harry Potter party ideas dinner in the great hall

Harry Potter party ideas dinner in the great hall

And of course we made our homemade Butterbeer recipe and served it at our version of The Three Broomsticks!

Harry Potter party ideas Butterbeer at Three Broomsticks

Party favors

It was really fun to come up with Harry Pottery themed party favors. Besides the bags full of candy that the kids got to "shop" for from the Honeydukes stand, they also each got a pair of Harry Potter glasses. My seamstress aunt also made them some simple black robes to wear and keep, and they got to keep the wands they made during the party, as well.

I couldn't resist one last favor, though, so I used a Hogwart's Crest cut file to stencil the crest image onto T-shirts for the kids.

Harry Potter party ideas party favors Hogwarts shirts

In all it was a wondeful party, and I am so pleased with the good time everyone had at such an elaborate event! I want to give a special thank you to everyone who worked so hard to help me with this part, and make it a forever memory for Little Jo.

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31 comments so far:

  • 1
    Peggi Clark 07/17/2013 at 4:31 pm

    Wow... there are some great ideas here. Maybe can use some for my 10 yr old's b'day. Thanks

  • 2
    Marlene Romero 07/31/2013 at 12:15 am

    Unbelievable party!! What great decorations and games. Wish we could have been guests! The kids must have had a blast! Thanks for sharing.

  • 3
    Kina 10/03/2013 at 12:06 am

    This is fantastic! I wish I would use these for my daughter, but she may be too old at 11. Hummmm... maybe I can convince her - however, we don't have a horse or the open yard space, but this is wonderful - you are SO creative!

  • 4
    Karen 11/20/2013 at 12:48 am

    My goodness! This looks absolutely FANTASTIC!!! There has been a massive amount of work by everyone! Well done!!

  • 5
    Jody 01/02/2014 at 7:48 pm

    Absolutely CLEVER and BEYOND amazing! I wish this idea was around a decade ago when my now grown son was into HP. LOVE the candle idea. GENIUS!

  • 6
    Louisa 04/26/2014 at 9:07 pm

    You have done am amazing job ! My son would love this! I'm doing my son a harry potter themed room and have got lots of ideas from this. Can I ask though we're did you get the suit of armour from I've looked everywhere but can't find one :(

  • 7
    Chica 04/27/2014 at 12:22 pm

    Louisa, the suit of armor came from a store called Garden Ridge.

  • 8
    Gwen 06/16/2014 at 7:50 am

    Wow, wow..wow. I think this is the best HP party I have seen. (Must have cost you a small fortune.) My daughter is 16 and would LOVE this party lol. You're never too old for Harry. Even this Mum would be there with bells on if invited. What a wonderful Mum you are :D a party that will always be remembered.

  • 9
    jess_the_ultimate_potterhead 11/25/2014 at 5:50 pm

    where in the WORLD did those quiddich goal posts come from?!?! i have been trying to find some for ages but they aren't anywhere. Did you make them? if so, how? sorry, im a huge potternerd and i cant live without quidditch. normally i have to get my sister to run around the house so i can pretend to be a seeker and catch her. yeah. its really sad. please reply asap

  • 10
    Chica 11/25/2014 at 6:43 pm

    Jess, we made the quidditch goals by attaching small hula hoops to inexpensive wooden stakes. Hope that helps!

  • 11
    LAURA 02/20/2015 at 11:27 pm

    How did you get the candles on the ceilings to hold onto the clear thread - and hang in the air? Or maybe a better way to put this is how did you attach the clear thread to the candles?

  • 12
    Chica 02/22/2015 at 1:40 pm

    Laura, we just used clear tape to attach fishing line to the candles, then attached the other end of the line to the ceiling with push pins.

  • 13
    Emily 02/23/2015 at 4:32 pm

    Such a good idea! I would love this party!!!

  • 14
    Aidan Kutsov 05/30/2015 at 10:42 pm

    I totally love this party idea, I am currently slipping the link to my sister to bring this idea up to my dad for my sweet 16 party upcoming.

  • 15
    Karen 07/18/2015 at 8:01 pm

    Great party! I'm doing one fore my son this fall. Could you tell me where you found the Fizzing Wizzbees Candy label? I've looked everywhere for a template and cannot find one. Thanks!

  • 16
    Chica 07/22/2015 at 8:42 am

    Karen, the Fizzing Whizzbees label is part of a our Honeydukes printables collection, which you can purchase for instant download further up on this page.

  • 17
    Barb 08/12/2015 at 11:51 pm

    We had a Harry Potter party for my daughter's 17th birthday, which was pretty cool, but not this cool. Hope I get to throw another one for my grandbabies someday.

  • 18
    SJM 02/17/2016 at 7:58 pm

    Simply fabulous! I am soooo inspired and in awe!

  • 19
    Rocio 11/28/2016 at 8:04 am

    This party is amazing! Congratulations!

  • 20
    Jamie 11/30/2016 at 3:21 am

    This is awesome! I'm currently working on making my nearly 19 year old daughter a Very Potter Christmas, and I've been struggling with what all that should include. You have seriously given me some very good ideas and resources that I fully intend to use. Thank you so much!

  • 21
    Jo 12/02/2016 at 3:36 pm

    Jamie, what a great idea to give it a Christmas spin!

  • 22
    Brittany 10/11/2017 at 4:26 pm

    where did you get the stone wall backdrop? I need that for my halloween party!

  • 23
    Chica 10/11/2017 at 7:21 pm

    Brittany, you can find stone wall backdrops on Amazon.

  • 24
    Sydney 10/07/2018 at 3:31 pm

    You do realize that there are other houses besides Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, right? My friend is in Hufflepuff and is sad that there wasn’t a hufflepuff table

  • 25
    Jo 10/11/2018 at 2:26 pm

    Sydney, we would have loved to include all four houses, but didn't have room. My daughter picked her two favorites!

  • 26
    teri 11/08/2019 at 2:10 pm

    Hello! Can you link me to where I can purchase the honeydukes candy shop? Thank you!

  • 27
    Chica 11/08/2019 at 2:34 pm

    Teri, you can find the cardboard candy shop stand here on Amazon.

  • 28
    Chris 10/07/2020 at 4:00 pm

    Sooooo inspiring you Rock, really!!!!! Can I just add a technical question for the candle sky? how did you light on all the candles?
    I could pin them on my ceiling 3 days before the D-day to save time, but how will I light them all on with the sheet of paper around it and while floating????

  • 29
    Jo 10/07/2020 at 4:55 pm

    Thanks! The candles we used did not have paper around them, they were just LED tapers. We turned them on as we hung them up but we did it that morning. LEDs will last awhile so you might get away with doing it a few days ahead of time. I would try putting new batteries in one of your candles, turning it on and then seeing how long it lasts. Good luck with your party!

  • 30
    Katie 01/13/2024 at 9:31 am

    Hi! How did the sorting hat work out? Did you have to keep trying until you got either of the houses your daughter picked? I’m thinking of getting one for my sons birthday but don’t know how to make it an even number of kids per house. Don’t want 10 slytherin and 4 Gryffindor! Thanks!

  • 31
    Chica 01/13/2024 at 10:19 am

    Katie, the hat we used actually didn't say anything. We just played a recording that had an even number of houses on it and let the kids come up in whatever order they wanted, so that it ended up random.

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Chica and Jo

Hi there! We are Chica and Jo, best friends who love to create whenever we can. From fun DIY projects to elaborate parties to delicious recipes, you're sure to find ideas that will inspire you. Take a look around and follow us @chicaandjo to see what we're up to today.

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