Spellbinding Harry Potter Party Ideas for a Bewitching Party

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Throwing a magical Harry Potter party?

Even though the last Harry Potter film came out way back in 2011 the hype still lives on.

Whether you’re celebrating Halloween, a birthday or another special occasion, these creative Harry Potter party ideas will bring the wizarding world alive for the muggles in your life.

These amazingly creative Harry Potter party ideas will help you bring the Wizarding World to life, whatever the occasion.
These amazingly creative Harry Potter party ideas will help you bring the Wizarding World to life, whatever the occasion.

Harry Potter Party Invitations

The first step to any party is to get the word out.

Here are four fun invitation ideas that are totally on theme for a magical Harry Potter Party.

Harry Potter Party Invitation Template From My Poppet Makes

Everyone dreams of getting their own Hogwarts acceptance letter. Or at least I still do.

I love this Hogwarts acceptance letter invitation template from My Poppet because it’s so easy.

Just print it out and cut around the template for a super cool scroll effect.

Cintia from My Poppet includes the suggested text, along with the Hogwarts crest, so everything is in place for you to kick off your Harry Potter party in style.

For an extra special touch you could use a Hogwarts wax seal like this one to seal the envelopes.

Printable Hogwarts Acceptance Letters From Pieces by Polly

If you don’t have time to cut out a big pile of invitations you can print out the crest and text on regular printer paper, and age it with tea or coffee or brown stamp ink like these acceptance letters from Pieces by Polly.

Hogwarts express Ticket party invitation from Super Busy Mum

These Hogwarts Express ticket invitations from Super Busy Mum are a fun way to start off the journey to Hogwarts.

The little tear off RSVP stub is a great touch, and how fun would it be to check the tickets at the door? All aboard!

Origami Howler party invitation from Vítor Bravin

These origami howler invitations are full of character.

If you have a bit more time on your hands they would be an unexpected and super creative surprise in the mail!

Find the printable instructions here.

Harry Potter Party Decorations

Every good party needs decorations.

Bring Hogwarts to life in your own home with these fun DIY creations.

DIY Brick Wall and Hogwarts Express Sign from East Coast Mommy

This brick wall from East Coast Mommy is super quick and easy to put together.

All you need is tablecloth, a sponge and some fabric paint, and the result is this really effective result.

Use it as a backdrop for party photos. It would also be a really fun way to start the party if you have the kids walk through the “wall” to get to the party room.

Because haven’t we all wanted to run through to Platform 9 3/4?

If you don’t have time to make your own backdrop you can buy a printed brick wall backdrop like this one, or for a few more dollars this super realistic printed shower curtain would be perfect behind the food table, or as a photobooth backdrop!

Floating Candle Ceiling from Eating Bender

These floating candles from Eating Bender add an authentic Hogwarts feel to your party decor, and will wow your guests.

Simply paint some toilet paper or kitchen roll tubes white and slip some LED tea lights into top. Hang them from the ceiling with some fishing wire and you’re done!

For an even more realistic effect use a hot glue gun to create the wax drips around the the top of the tubes and paint them white.

These candles are pretty easy to make, but if you don’t have the time then these flameless taper candles would work well instead.

Harry Potter Flying Keys from Tikkido

Since we’re hanging things from the ceiling, why not string up some magical flying keys!

Can you believe that these DIY Flitwick’s flying keys are made from bubble wands like these?

Or for something even easier you could pair these keys with these wings.

DIY Wand tutorial from Boxy Colonial

Every witch and wizard needs a wand.

And now you can create your own Ollivanders corner with these DIY wands from Boxy Colonial.

They’re surprisingly simple to put together. Grab a bunch of chopsticks and use a hot glue gun to create the texture and decorations for the handles before painting them up.

What could be easier? Especially since you already have the glue gun out to make those candles!

As an added bonus these wands would also make awesome party favors for the kids to take home.

Sorting Hat Tutorial from Ikat Bag

This fun felt Sorting Hat from Ikat Bag would make a great party centrepiece.

It also doubles up as a fun party activity so you can sort the kids into their different houses.

The tutorial includes instructions for including a little pocket so that you can hide a speaker or mobile phone inside the hat. The kids will be thrilled to hear the hat “speaking” as it sorts them, while you hide out in another room!

Spider Trail from Delia Creates

Create your own Basilisk escaping spider trail with this tutorial from Delia Creates.

She uses plastic spiders and magnetic strips to stick the spiders to her metal door. If you haven’t got a metal door then a bit of blu tack or removable glue dots might work instead.

Monster Book of Monsters from Samantha Kamilos

For a decoration that doubles as hidden storage, this Monster Book of Monsters tutorial ticks the box!

A bit of cardboard and some furry fabric come together in this creative DIY tutorial that will look right at home on the party table. It could be a fun way to hide some extra little treats for your party guests.

To make the DIY even easier you could cover a ready made paper mache box like this instead making your own box.

Potions Shelf from Over the Big Moon

Create your own potions shelf with this tutorial from Over the Big Moon.

Gather up some glass bottles in different shapes and sizes and fill them up with weird and wonderful liquids.

The labels really help bring these bottles to life, so don’t be afraid to get creative with them! Or you can use the free printables at Over the Big Moon.

Printable Book Covers from Little House on the Corner

These book covers from Little House on the Corner are ridiculously simple.

Just print them out on brown paper and wrap them around books from your shelf to add a little more Hogwarts charm to your party.

Moaning Myrtle Bathroom Mirror from Making Lemonade

Bathrooms aren’t usually included in the party decorations.

Since it’s somewhere that everyone is going to visit at some point, why not add a little surprise fun by sticking a Moaning Myrtle printable to your bathroom mirror!

After all, everyone knows that Moaning Myrtle always hangs out in the bathroom.

Try this Moaning Myrtle printable from Clean Eating With Kids.

Balloon Owlery from Jennifer Chaney

Balloons are always a great addition to any party, and these Hedwig balloons are the perfect budget friendly nod to Harry’s favorite owl. This genius idea is so cute and so so simple.

Just grab your sharpie pen and start drawing on those balloons!

Dot them around the room, or cluster them together to create your own indoor owlery.

Harry Potter Party Food

No wizarding party would be complete without a feast!

Food is a big party of life at Hogwarts. Those enormous banquet tables filled with yummy food is one of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of the castle!

You don’t have to prepare an epic banquet for your party table, but pick a few of your favorites from the list below and it’s sure to be a magical feast.

Pumpkin Pasties Two Ways from Bijoux & Bits

Ah, pumpkin pasties.

People are still divided on whether they’re sweet or savory so Catherine from Bijoux & Bits has cleverly included both in her pumpkin pasty recipe.

These delicious mini pasties are perfect for little fingers, and since sweet and savory camps are covered there’ll be no room for arguments.

Your guests will be too busy enjoying their delicious pasties.

Sorting Hat Hot Dogs from The Scrap Shoppe Blog

Sometimes the simplest party food is the best party food, and it doesn’t get much simpler than these 2 ingredient Sorting Hat Hot Dogs from The Scrap Shoppe Blog!

Wrap some hot dogs in crescent dough and use a knife to mark out the face and hat creases before baking.

They’ll be on the table faster than you can say accio hot dogs!

Cheese and Pretzel Broomsticks from One Little Project

Another magically simple snack idea! These cheese and pretzel broomsticks from One Little Project are just partially shredded cheese strings attached to a pretzel stick.

Sure, it might be a little time consuming to partially shred all that string cheese, but the finished broomsticks are so cute that it’s totally worth it.

Weasleys’ Dragon Roasted Nuts from In Literature

These sweet and spicy Dragon Roasted Nuts From In Literature are straight out of Diagon Alley!

They’re so easy to make, and the little bags are so cute. Head on over to In Literature for the free printable. All you need are some brown paper lunch bags and a printer! Be sure to watch the video for Bryt’s top tips for printing onto the lunch bags.

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s completely customisable. So if you’re making these for little witches and wizards you might want to dial back the chilli powder, or even leave it out completely.

The printed bags would also make these dragon roasted nuts would perfect party favors for your guests to take home!

Pumpkin Howlers from Food and Wine

These Pumpkin Howlers From Food And Wine nail the theme and are definitely sweeter than the movie originals!

Another simple recipe for the food table, these edible howlers are made of eggroll wrappers filled with a pumpkin mascarpone.

How delicious does that sound? Your guests won’t be able to get enough of them!

Hagrid’s Happee Birthdae Cake from Lillies and Loafers

Is a party really a party without cake?

I didn’t think so.

Even though cake is a must, parties should still be fun so why not keep things relaxed and simple with this replica of Hagrid’s iconic Happee Birthdae Cake from Lillies And Loafers.

The great thing about this cake is that it’s all about the decoration, and even that part is super easy! This recipe ups the easy factor by using a box cake mix and ready made frosting which makes it so achievable.

Golden Snitch Cake from Ashlee Marie

If you’re feeling really adventurous then this Golden Snitch Cake From Ashlee Marie would be a great showstopper for the food table.

It’s a red velvet cake with a cheesecake center that looks super complicated to make, but Ashlee Marie breaks it down step by step and makes me feel like even I could attempt this.

Butterbeer Cupcakes from One Sweet Appetite

I feel like cupcakes are the perfect party cake.

Sure, they might not be as impressive as a big show cake, but everything is pre-portioned so there’s less fuss and less mess. You just wheel out the cakes and everyone can dive in and help themselves.

And you can be sure that they will help themselves to these dreamy Butterbeer Cupcakes from One Sweet Appetite.

Butterbeer is an essential at a Harry Potter party, and your party guests will be delighted with these light butterscotch cakes, filled with butterscotch and topped with butterscotch whipped cream. It’s butterscotch heaven!

Sorting Hat Cupcakes from Sugar Bean Bakers

These Sorting Hat Cupcakes from Sugar Bean Bakers are so much fun.

Although they might look like ordinary cupcakes, they actually magical sorting cupcakes!

Just fill the cakes with buttercream that’s tinted with House colors for a simple and entertaining way to sort guests into their Houses.

Hogwarts House Cake from Bakingdom

This Hogwarts House Cake From Bakingdom is a great way to celebrate all the different Houses in one cake.

Nothing’s quite what is seems at Hogwarts, and although this cake looks unassuming from the outside I love how the vertical layers add a touch of the unexpected when you cut into it.

Licorice Wands from Pastry Affair

Recreate a little corner of Honeydukes by filling glass jars with themed sweets like Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans, Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum and these Licorice Wands From Pastry Affair.

Deathly Hallows Sugar Cookies from The Kitchen Magpie

These lemon flavored Deathly Hallows sugar cookies from The Kitchen Magpie are a great themed addition to the party table.

The lemon sugar cookies are simple to whip up, and the Deathly Hallows symbol is pretty simple to draw on.

The recipe uses Gryffindor House colors, but you could have fun with doing all sort of different colours if you wanted to!

Butterbeer Ice cream from 3 Yummy Tummies

Ice cream is always a welcome addition to any party, and what could be better at a Harry Potter party than butterbeer ice cream?

This Butterbeer ice cream recipe from 3 Yummy Tummies is a no churn recipe which is awesome because it means you don’t have to buy an expensive ice-cream machine. And if you already have one,

I’ll be honest, I do have an ice cream machine but I rarely use it because remembering to freeze the bowl ahead of time (and finding room the freezer to fit it in!) requires a degree of advance planning that I’m rarely capable of. Which is why I’m a huge fan of no churn ice cream recipes!

This Butterbeer recipe does use butterscotch schnapps as an optional ingredient, but you can just leave it out if you’re serving this to kids.

Harry Potter Party Drinks

5 ingredient Butterbeer from Love is in my Tummy

We’ve already covered Butterbeer cupcakes and ice-cream, but pure, unadulterated Butterbeer is an essential in the wizarding world.

This non-alcoholic Butterbeer recipe From Love Is In My Tummy uses only 5 ingredients to create this classic beverage which will definitely delight your guests.

Pumpkin Juice from My Frugal Adventures

For a healthier alternative, why not try this delicious pumpkin juice recipe from My Frugal Adventures.

It’s a bewitching twist on apple cider using only 3 ingredient that you can whip up in blender. Super simple.

Polyjuice Potion from I Knead to Eat

For a refreshing surprise that’s a little more unexpected, why not try this Polyjuice Potion from I Knead To Eat.

The shocking green color comes from lime jello and kiwi juice, which sounds way tastier than the real Polyjuice Potion!

Magical Color Changing Drinks from tikkido

This fun party piece will add a touch of magic that the kids will be talking about long after they’ve gone home.

All it takes is a little bit of advance planning. Pop a few drops of liquid or gel food coloring in the bottom of cup and let it dry.

When it’s time to serve, fill the cups with ice to hide the food coloring and hand them out to your guests. Fill the cups with clear soda and see their amazement as the clear drink transforms in front of their eyes.

To keep things on theme you could use House colors. And for the biggest impact make sure that your cups are clear or white inside so that the color reveal really stands out.

So easy, and everyone will think you’re magic.

Harry Potter Party Games and Activities

DIY Harry Potter Photo Booth From One Sweet Appetite

This photo booth idea from One Sweet Appetite can be put together with a few print outs and some painters tape.

Kids will have a blast posing with the Have you seen this wizard frame which you can make out of cardboard, or you can buy a ready made one like this.

For a bit of extra fun why not throw in some Harry Potter props like these.

The only limit is your imagination.

Potion Slime from Little Bins for Little Hands

We all know kids love slime, so why not get the kids involved with a potions class.

They’ll get to have fun playing with glitter and gooey stuff, and learn a bit of science at the same time.

It also does double duty as a party favor that the kids can bring home with them. Which means less mess for you to clean up. Kind of.

If you need some printables for your bottles, True Blue Halloween has some great free downloadable ones here.

Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt from More than Thursdays

For a fun activity that will have the kids occupied and burning off some of that Honeydukes sugar, this scavenger hunt from More Than Thursdays is perfect.

All the clues are broken down for you so that you can follow it as is, or customize it however you like. It would work really well indoors or outdoors, depending on your space (and the weather!).

It would definitely buy you a few minutes to sit down and put your feet up.

Herbology Class from The Suburban Mom

We’ve had a potions, so how about a herbology class?

This fun Herbology Class idea from The Suburban Mom is another activity can double up as a party favor.

All you need are some baby succulents (aka mandrakes!) and potting soil. Have the kids repot the mandrakes into some cute owl pots like these. Done!

Harry Potter Minute to Win it Games from Jonesing to Create

Jonesing To Create has a great selection of Harry Potter inspired Minute To Win It games. My favorite is this Wingardium Leviosa spell that kids can use to keep the keep balloons in the air.

If you make the hot glue wands in the Decorations section this would be a great way for the kids to put them to use!

Tabletop Quidditch from Farm to Fete

This tabletop Quidditch game from Farm To Fete is pretty much kid friendly butterbeer pong!

There’s a little DIY involved, but as long you can cut a dowel rod and drill a few holes you’ll be fine.

Backyard Quidditch from The Scrap Shoppe Blog

If you’d rather keep the activity outdoors then this Backyard Quidditch from The Scrap Shoppe Blog is a similar idea on a bigger scale.

All you need are some hula hoops and PVC piping. You’ll have the kids having a magical blast in no time!

Harry Potter Party Favors And Goody Bags

Party favors are like the icing on a cake. They can add that special final touch that makes a party so much more memorable.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, but keep it on theme to keep the wizarding world magic alive long after the party has ended.

Chocolate Frogs from Ezra Pound Cake

These peanut butter filled chocolate frogs from Ezra Pound Cake are a simple yet fun party favor.

All you need are some chocolate frog molds like these to whip up a batch that you can “hop” into some favor bags.

Honeyduke’s Chocolate Frog Box From Muggle Magic

For bonus points, use this free printable template for the Honeyduke’s Chocolate Frog Box from Muggle Magic.

Ferrero Rocher Golden Snitches from Party Delights

This is a genius idea.

These Ferrero Rocher Golden Snitches from Party Delights are possibly the easiest party favor ever.

They’ve made the free printable golden snitch wings for you, so just print them out and stick them onto individual Ferrero Rochers.

For how quick and easy this is it’s super effective.

Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans Template From One Creative Mommy

Kids will love having their very own box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

This free template from One Creative Mommy does the work for you – just fill them up with regular jelly beans and you’re done.

Edible Felix Felicis Potion From Not so Idle Hands

These little phials of Felix Felicis, or Liquid Luck potion from Not So Idle Hands are a fun magical addition to a goodie bag.

They’re super simple to put together too. Just mix together light and dark corn syrup to a perfect amber and pour into little potion bottles. If you wanted to fill them with something a little healthier then some clear apple juice might work too!

These cute teardrop bottles would be perfect!

Printable Harry Potter Bookmarks From Artsy Fartsy Mama

Sometimes it’s nice to include a candy free favor.

These printable bookmarks from Artsy Fartsy Mama are completely adorable and perfect for the occasion.

Simply print the free templates out on cardstock and cut them out! It doesn’t get much easier.

DIY Harry Potter Wand Pencils From the suburban Mom

These Harry Potter wand pencils from The Suburban Mom are a fun and practical party favor.

They’re basically a mini version of the DIY hot glue wands, so if you’re already making up a batch of those it wouldn’t take much more time to include these also.

Just gather up all those unused pencil you’re sure to have lying around the house and transform them into these cute wands. Or you can pick up a box of plain pencils like these.

You’re Ready!

Are you all hyped for this Harry Potter party yet?

I’m definitely ready to be sipping on an ice cold butterbeer in Hogsmeade and munching on pumpkin pasties.

So pick a few of your favorite party ideas and get planning that magical Harry Potter party! You’ve got this.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

These amazingly creative Harry Potter party ideas will help you bring the Wizarding World to life, whatever the occasion.

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