The Ultimate Harry Potter Party!

I love my friends. When I invited them to an adults-only, Harry Potter-themed Halloween party, they didn't look at me like I was crazy. Instead, they spent hours searching for just the right costume and came ready for a good time! So please forgive this completely self-indulgent post, but I just had to share with you my ultimate Harry Potter party.

The Invitations

For the invitations, I found a drawing of the Marauder's Map online and printed it on parchment-colored card stock. On the inside of the invitation, I drew little fading footprints with name plaques of several Harry Potter characters. On one of the name plaques was a link leading to this picture:

One person set their paper completely on fire and another never figured out the riddle, but the rest were able to successfully reveal the hidden message (painstakingly written with a baking soda solution):

The Decorations

 

Of course guests entered through platform 9 3/4.

I was really pleased with the way my house banners turned out.

Honeydukes!

Anyone forgetting a wand was able to pick one up at Ollivander's. The wands were bamboo garden stakes I cut up and spray painted. I found the Ollivander's logo online.

What would Hogwarts be without the Sorting Hat? I made this out of a Target's Dollar Spot witches hat, mod podge, paper bags, and a couple binder clips.

Then I added a few other details around the house.

The Guests

Everyone did such a great job on their costumes!

Luna Lovegood

Bellatrix Lestrange

Dolores Umbridge (and baby owl!)

Voldemort

Sybil Trelawney (who won our unofficial "best costume" award)

Neville Longbottom  & Hermione Granger

 

Fenrir Greyback & a victim

The Menu

When guests arrived they were directed to Potions class where my husband mixed their "potion" of choice. If you're interested, you can download his recipes here. 

Of course we served butterbeer - both alcoholic and non-alcoholic - and pumpkin juice.

 Dinner was served in four courses:

- baby spinach salad with strawberries & walnuts and homemade poppy seed dressing
- curried pumpkin soup with orzo
- roast hippogriff (bottom round roast) & yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, green beans
- butterbeer cupcakes, pumpkin pasties, Hagrid's rock cakes, and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans

The Games

Find the Golden Snitch!
This was an informal game. I spray painted a small whiffle ball gold, threaded a wisp of tulle through it for wings, and stuck it on a wire that happens to stick out of a doorway in our home.

Who Am I?
We did this one during dinner. Guests had to ask yes or no questions to figure out which character was on their forehead.

Harry Potter Trivia
First we divided the guests into houses by pulling a house name out of the sorting hat. Then I took turns asking trivia questions to each team. Gryffindor ended up the champions! (My husband - Ron - begging the hat to sort him into Gryffindor.)

It was a great evening with friends and fellow lovers of Harry Potter! Everyone had a wonderful time... except perhaps for the littlest guest!

Ha! I promise little Lizzie was just fine - her mom was standing there taking pictures with the rest of us!