DIY Harry Potter Birthday Party!!!!

What is a better way to celebrate your birthday than have it Harry Potter themed? I had made up my mind that I wanted one too. But my resources were limited and I wanted to do everything at home. After hours of brain storming and thinking, I came up with few easy and fun projects that I used in my party. Here are tutorials for each project and the party. In part A of each step (prepare the part 'A' before the party). I'll share the tutorial of how to make each of the components and part B is regarding the party. Simple? So take out your wand and let's get started!! Go through the instructions and refer to the images for ease of understanding.

DISCLAIMER

Except for a few, all the images are of my own. Certain images have been taken from the internet for ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSE ONLY.

Hogwarts acceptance letter is the best way to accept (actually invite) all your guests!

To create the letters you will need-

• print outs of the letters
• envelopes
• print outs of the seals.

Here is how to make them:

You can customize the template appropriately. Then print the letters out. You can also add a ticket to platform 9 3/4 if you want. Then fold it and put it into the envelope. Cut out the seals. Glue them to the opening of the envelope so as to seal it. On the the other side of the envelope write the name of the recipient. Go give then to your friends! You can also put it into their letter box! Make sure you give it to them at least a week before so that they can confirm their presence (through their owl of course!) and also prepare their costumes. Meanwhile start working on other projects....

Imagine your guests running through the brick wall instead of walking i through a boring door? They can walk into the platform 9 3/4. Then they can spend some time in the Great Hall before going to Hogsmeade. Here are ways you can build up the ambience:

Brick Wall:

{Part A}You will need

• paper roll (or you can join few sheets of chart paper)
• rectangular sponge (pick it up from any hardware/craft store)
• brown paint
• rope/string/ribbon

Process: First gather all the materials. Then in a bowl, mix brown paint and some water. Make sure it is pretty diluted as little bit of paint is enough. You would not want to waste any. Dab the sponge into the paint. Press it down on the paper. Don't worry! It does not have to be perfect! Ensure that the next layer of 'bricks' are NOT exactly aligned with the previous line. Make two of such sheets and each must be long enough to cover your door. Attach a ribbon or rope really tightly to the behind part of the sheet. Using these ropes, hang the sheets to your door. Tape the edges to the rim of the door. You are done! "Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous."

Alternative: Someone can be dressed up as the Fat Lady and allow the guests to enter only if they give the right password. In this case, you wouldn't need the Acceptance letters or the Platform sign.

{Part B}

The party begins as soon as the first guest arrives! Let them run through the wall and notice their expressions (you can video it too!).

Platform sign:

{Part A}You will need:

• cardboard
• printed Hogwarts emblem
• black and white paint

Process: Cut out the emblem. Write down in BIG BOLD letters the word "platform". Then above that, paint a white circle and line it with black paint. Write 9 3/4 in it. Towards the north-west, paste the emblem. Your done!

{Part B}

Fix this on the wall near your door (the brick wall).

Chamber of Secrets Message

{Part A}You will need :

• An old lipstick
• mirror near a washroom.

Process: Write down the message on the mirror near the washroom using the lipstick. In places make impressions of dripping blood (Just add little water.) You are done!

{Part B}

Ensure your guests use the washroom at least once.

Seating Arrangement

Make your guests seat according to their houses.

Others...:

• You can have socks(for the elves of course!) kept all over the house.
• You can hang candles from the ceiling too.
• Print out posters or daily prophets and place it around
• Print out quibblers and keep them for reading
• Print out an image of Moaning Myrtle and paste it in the washroom.

You can't be a wizard/witch without a wand right? So you can have a wand choosing ceremony! Or actually let the wand choose the wizard/witch.

{Part A} Wands

You will need:

• Chopsticks/long sticks
• Hot glue gun (Alternative: Use tissue paper)
• Brown/black paint

Process: First get all your materials. If you are using tissues, tear a thin strip of it and coil it. Wrap the coil around your stick. You can coil to make beads (like the elder wand) or just coil it like a spiral. No two wand should be the same! If you are using a glue gun, just make the details using the hot glue. Then paint and you are done! You will need to make one for each of the guests.

{Part B} The Wand Ceremony

Once all Your guests have arrived you may begin the ceremony. Place all the wands on a tray. Call your guests forward one by one (alphabetically). Blind fold them (using a cloth) and ask them to pick a wand. To make it more interesting, describe the core, material and the height for each wand.

Now that all of you have your wands, you need to get sorted! So for the sorting ceremony you will need a Sorting Hat. You can also give your guests a badge showing their house.

{Part A}Sorting Hat:

You will need:

• Two Black chart/handmade paper/texture paper
• Hot glue/ Mod Podge
• 2 Phones (a) and (b)

Process: Take one of the black sheets. Fold to it to form a cone and cut the the excess paper so as to make the cone even. Trace it on the second sheet and draw a larger circle around it to make the brim. Cut it out (it should be a ring). Fit the rim and glue it in place. To do so, cut the lower part of the cone into smaller sections and fold it outside (refer the picture). To make the mouth and the eyes, cut out the shapes as shown in the Step 6 in the picture. Fold them around a bottle so that they are all curved. Glue the larger pieces next to each other as eyes. Glue the smaller pieces to make them the lips. Attach one phone(b) inside. You may do so by taping it but ensure it doesn't fall off on someone's head! You are done!

{Part A}House badges:

You will need:

• Print outs of the house emblem.
• Thin card
• Glue
• Safety pin
• Tape

Process: Print the house emblems out. You will need to plan how many will be sorted into each house beforehand. (it is also recommended that you decide who exactly will be in each house and that all houses have equal number of members). Cut each emblem out separately and glue it to the card. Cut the card as well. Tape the safety pin to the back of the badge. You are done!

{Part B}The Sorting Ceremony

For the sorting ceremony, you need to have a list of all your friends' name in alphabetical order. Call them out one by one and place the Sorting Hat on their head. In the next room, ask someone (preferably a male adult) to read out the description for each guest on the phone (a) and transmit it to the phone (b) in the hat (before the ceremony starts, call from phone (a) to phone (b), answer the call and keep it on speaker mode.). It will seem as if your hat is talking! Make sure each description is very personal and convincing. You can use phrases like-

• hmmm... good in sports I see...
• Interested in drawing? Let me think...
• ah! winner of the quiz competition is it?......etc

After each guest is sorted, pin on the respective house badge. It's great fun! By now, you will definitely see your guests enthralled.

Alternative: You can use a Blue tooth speaker instead of phone (b) inside the hat.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class."

So, the first period is potions. This will be a small game. For this you will need lots of potions! One for each guest. Let's go ahead and brew some potions.

{Part A} Potions

You will need:

• Various types of juices or drinks
• Flavors/drink mix/syrup
• various vials/glasses/bottles

Process: You will need to make one type of potion for each of the guest. To make it more interesting, make sure all the drinks are of different colors. You can make then in these ways:

• buy various types of drinks or juices like Tropicana, Sprite, Fanta, Coke, ice-tea... etc
• Take sprite and add syrups to color it. Like strawberry syrup for red, pineapple syrup for yellow...etc
• Mix different drink mixes with water. Like Kool-aid, Tang... etc

Pour them into the containers and label them. Give each potion a name, like Veritaserum etc. But make sure you know the effects of each potion and their effects are enact-able.

Refer to this for the names of potions: potions list

{Part B} Potions class

Process: Bring in all the potions and keep it in front. Let everyone choose one and drink. Based on what the label of their chosen potion says, they will have to 'behave' like that! Like if the potion says "Veritaserum" which is the truth potion, the drinker will have to tell five truth of their life. Let the others ask him/her questions! Or if the potion is a hate potion, the drinker would have to pretend he/she hates everyone or maybe mention one person he/she hates! It's a lot of fun! You can give them house points if you wish too!

Second period will be DADA. And what better way to involve your guests than giving them a chance to duel? This is a really simple game with enormous fun!

{Part A} Here is how to do it:

You will need:

• a list of spells
• wands (from previous step)

Process: Make a list of spells and print out copies for each house/person/couple of people. You can get the spells from here- list of spells

{Part B}Dueling

All your guests will have their wands. So, anyone can challenge anyone to a duel. Once all of them have decided who their opponents are going to be, you may proceed. Distribute the list of the spells to everyone. Give them a minute or two to memorize the spells. Then let the duel begin! Two duelers must step forward. place their wands in front of them and bow. Then turn around and walk three steps and take their stance. Then the one who challenged first must begin by naming a spell. The other must name another spell in reply. The exchange must go on until someone repeats a spell or runs out of spells. If someone takes too long to reply, he/she is defeated as well. The winner can receive a bunch of house points.

WARNING: Spells are just spells. No one dies (avada kedavra) or gets possessed (imperio)...etc.

Now, lets head to Hogsmeade village! So in Hogsmeade we will taste Butter-beer and pay a visit to Honeydukes.

Here is how to make them:

Butterbeer:

You will need:

• fizzed Apple drink like Appy fizz (alternative: mix soda and apple juice!)
• vanilla ice-cream
• butterscotch essence
• mug/glass

Procedure: Pour the apple drink into the mug. Add two drops of butterscotch essence to it. Scoop the ice cream onto the drink. The fizz will make the ice cream float and so will look like the cream. Yummy!

P.S Prepare this just before the party begins. You wouldn't want the ice-cream to melt.

Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans:

You will need:

• Jelly beans
• Spice powders (Chilli powder, instant noodles powder... etc)
• Drink mix powder
• Thick sugar syrup

Process: Get a bunch of jelly beans. Prepare a concentrated sugar syrup (take 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and boil to thicken). Dip the beans into the syrup and roll it into the powders. Let it dry. It ill be a bit sticky/messy but is amazingly fun! Especially the chilli bean!

P.S This can be prepared a day before.

Acid pops:

You will need:

• Thick sugar syrup/lemon syrup
• Lollipops
• Magic pop/ lemon powder

Process: Dip the lollipops into the syrup Roll it in the magic pop/lemon powder. An alternative could be to dip it in lemon syrup. It will be super tingly! Works best with jolly rancher green apple flavor.

P.S If you are using the Magic pop, ensure that you make this only some time before the party. Or else it loses its tingly effect.

You can make other items as well. say, cauldron cake. Your birthday cake can be fashioned after Hagrid's butt cake. Here is an easy way to make them!

Cauldron Cake

You will need...

• cup cakes
• frosting
• food color
• candy shaped like rings
• chocolate syrup

Process: Mix the white frosting with chocolate syrup. Then fill it in a zip-lock pack and cut the corner. Pipe it in form of rings on the cakes. Mix another batch of frosting with food color. Put that into a pouch too. Cut the rings into halves. Now pipe the second batch of frosting into the iced rings. Place the cut rings in the form of handles. Your done!

P.S Prepare this sometime before the party so the icing gets time to set but the cakes remain fresh too.

Hagrid's Butt Cake

You will need:

• A cake
• frosting
• sandwich bag/ zip-lock bag
• red and green frosting

Process: Bake a plain cake. It can be any flavor as the frosting will cover it up any way. Mix a batch of frosting with a little bit of red food color. Just a little to make it 'pink' not red. Using a spatula spread the pink frosting on the cake. It doesn't have to be smooth or flawless. Just make sure you cover the top and sides completely. Then mix some white frosting with green food color and spoon it into a zip-lock pack. Cut the corner of the pack. Pipe "Happy B'day ...............". Let it be messy! Only then it will look natural. That's all!

That is about it! I hope it was clear and that you have a fantastic party!!