A Harry Potter Party Decorating Tips

Make a sorting hat centerpiece:

1. Cut a cone shape from a 24" x 18" piece of purple poster board.
2. Roll into cone, staple and/or tape closed.
3. Cut out star and crescent moon shapes from yellow construction paper and glue to the hat. (Use the cover as a guide).
4. Place the finished hat in the center of the table.

Note: This could also be done as a craft, with each guest making his/ her own wizard’s hat!

Here are some other great Harry Potter decorating ideas....

• Hang a Harry Potter banner on your wall.
• Purchase or borrow two or three stuffed owls to hang around the party area.
• Buy a wizard hat pinata.
• Cut out a number of large stars and lightning bolts. Paint them silver and/or gold and hang them from the ceiling or dangle them from helium balloons.
• Using plain white construction paper, color placemats to represent the four houses of Hogwarts. Slytherin (green and silver), Gryffindor (scarlet and gold), Hufflepuff (yellow and white) and Ravenclaw (blue and silver). Have each guest draw a house name from the Sorting Hat centerpiece to determine their house appropriate seat. Ensure you that you have the same number of colored placemats as names in the hat.
• For older children, consider burning candles throughout the eating area.

Harry Potter Party Food

When it comes to the food, let’s start by saying that partygoers are usually perfectly content to eat pizza or hotdogs, and it is certainly much easier on the hosts! However, if you have the time, and would like to serve theme-related treats, we have a few suggestions.

• Freeze different colored ice cubes (Kool-Aid works well) before the party and let children put them in ginger ale making their drink “magically” turn colors.
• Make a Harry Potter cake by baking three or four layers of round cakes.  Frost between layers and stack.  Use a knife to cut the layers into a an inverted cone shape.  Frost entire cake with purple frosting. Add stars and crescent moons with yellow gel frosting.
• Serve “Bernie Botts Every Flavor Beans.” We suggest Jelly Belly brand jelly beans because they have the largest variety of flavors.

Chocolate Frogs

1. Purchase a number of gummy frogs, available at candy stores.
2. Microwave one cup of chocolate chips for one minute and stir. If chips have not fully melted place in microwave for an additional 15 seconds.
3. Once the chips are melted, dip the gummy frogs into the chocolate and place on waxed paper.
4. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

There are also a number of treats in Harry Potter books that are made from everyday products:

• Butter Beer -- Similar to root beer and served at the Three Broomsticks.
• Chocoballs -- Chocolate covered strawberry mousse balls.
• Fizzing Whizbees -- Sherbet balls.
• Rock Cakes -- Shapeless cakes with raisins
• Chocolate Éclairs
• Licorice Wands