A Harry Potter Yule Ball Party!

Jan 05, 2016

Posted by: Alysha McLeod

Fandom, Fun

Members of the Leaky community sometimes ask us if we have any tips for throwing a Harry Potter party. Since I recently had one with some family and friends, I thought I’d share a few photos and ideas! The second annual Harry Potter Book Night is Thursday, February 4th, if you’d like a reason to start planning your own party–not that one ever needs a reason!

First off, the invitations. We gathered wax seal supplies, cream envelopes, and special paper that resembles a roll of parchment from a local craft store. This is what they looked like once finished (the front of the envelopes weren’t anything special):

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There are all sorts of templates on the web for Harry Potter party invitations, from acceptance letter-style invites to Yule Ball invites, and even printable Platform 9 3/4 tickets, which we also included in the envelopes. Click here for a good, comprehensive resource.

Those Platform 9 3/4 tickets came in handy once our guests arrived, because the first step was getting past the barrier!

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Click here for instructions on making the brick wall entrance. We printed and framed the Platform sign, but you could also paint it on. Alternatively, craft and fabric stores sometimes have plastic or fabric sheets that already have a brick pattern on them.

It also makes for a fun photo op! Here’s Bellatrix, Professor Sprout and Pigwidgeon (with Dobby peeking from behind):

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Of course, we had to include the night sky! The “sky” was achieved by splattering white paint onto a black sheet to create the look of stars, but you could also probably find fabric at a fabric store that already looks like a star-strewn sky. The candles were created by using paper towel rolls as the base. We then dripped a hot glue gun down the sides of the rolls to give the effect of dripping wax, and once they were dry, we painted them white. Small pieces of styrofoam were used for the tops and bottoms of the candles so they would look solid (and hold the tea lights). We then placed LED tea lights in each candle, which is completely safe (using tea lights with a real flame is a serious fire hazard, so please don’t attempt it!) Finally, we suspended the candles from the ceiling with fishing wire, which is almost completely invisible and very lightweight. The photos don’t fully capture how spectacular it looked, especially with the lights off.

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We had S.P.E.W. posters about (found on Pinterest) which we framed, and attached clothes pegs and socks to. We also had some owls on high window sills (which were difficult to photograph). You can buy owls at craft and home décor stores, and you can also see one of them below, perched on my shoulder.  I was Hermione, so it felt appropriate to take a photo with one of the S.P.E.W. posters!

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A very talented artist and family friend also created a beautiful, detailed piece of chalk art on our chalkboard so that it looked as if we were looking out of Hogwarts onto the wintery castle grounds:

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There were even adorable Christmas lights and wisps of snow in the trees! And if you look at the previous photo, you can see a patronus behind my shoulder, posed majestically. The chalkboard art made for a lovely backdrop for both the party and pictures. You can very easily make your own chalkboard wall with chalkboard paint, which is widely available wherever you can buy paint.

We also made the Monster Book of Monsters using some thick faux fur, an old belt buckle, some googly eyes and plasticine for the mouth. There are lots of tutorials online, but you can pretty much just wing it without one!

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We took a cue from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and had Moaning Myrtle lurking in the bathroom (via an iPod dock stored in the cabinet beneath the sink). We kept the lights off and had candles to create a bit of an eerie atmosphere:


And of course, every Harry Potter party needs wands! We made them for our guests using surprisingly few materials, like chopsticks and a hot glue gun. Click here for the super easy tutorial.

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We made sweet and savoury nibbles for our guests, but the sweets were the only thing that we made themed. We found confection labels on Pinterest, and the “stone” castle wall covering you can see in this picture was found at a party store. We made (bug-free!) cockroach clusters (fair warning: making these was quite a labour-intensive project because of all of the little pieces you have to delicately attach. I had no idea it would take so long to make them. Also, I couldn’t find yellow sprinkles, so I used yellow icing instead), chocolate frogs (using a frog-shaped chocolate mold from a craft store), acid pops, and we actually found packs of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans at a local discount store! We also made Butterbeer, of course! Dark cream soda (or root beer) works best, and we used Marshmallow Fluff whisked with cream soda to create a foamy topping, but whipped cream would work perfectly well. We made an alcoholic version, so we also added butterscotch schnapps, but you could add butter and vanilla extracts if you want to make a non-alcoholic version instead.

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“We’ll take the lot!”

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Both the cup and Marauder’s Map were purchased at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Our party was a costume party, with “no muggles!” designated on the invites. Everyone looked so wonderful and it was evident that a lot of thought and effort was devoted to all of the costumes. Because it was Christmastime, we made a Christmas “photo booth” with wrapping paper as the backdrop and some fun props. We also set up a camera on a tripod. Here are a few of the snaps:

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Winky, with the villainous Dolores Umbridge looming in the background. Isn’t Umbridge’s pink outfit perfect?

Dobby and Winky toiled away at their costumes, of course, and they looked amazing. This is the how-to for one house elf costume: Gather, tie, and sew a queen-size bed sheet and drag it through the garden (everything from tea bags to coffee grounds were initially used, but it turns out that dirt works the best). The headpiece was a basic rabbit-style cap made of tan-coloured vinyl with pointy ears sewn into the side seams, both of which you can find at costume stores. The noses were purchased from a dance shop and brown stage make-up was rubbed all over them to make them look filthy. The large anime-style eyes were achieved with stage make-up, but Winky’s final word is that real cosmetics would have worked best.

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“What quirks lurk beneath those rosy cheeks? What mysteries do the muscles mask? Does courage lie beneath those curls? In short, what makes a champion tick? Me, myself and I want to know. Not to mention my avid readers. So, who’s feeling up to sharing? Shall we start with the youngest? Lovely.” Our Rita Skeeter also looked incredible and instantly recognizable. She managed to find the most Rita-esque dress at a thrift shop!

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If you’re looking for some costume ideas that require just a few common supplies, going as a fantastic beast is a good idea! My friends were very creative. Buckbeak was achieved using a mask, a piece of styrofoam carved into a beak shape, paint, feathers, and a hot glue gun, as well as a grey cardigan. Pigwidgeon was achieved using a fur vest and some face paint, and mini buns to mimic owl ears. I also wore Hermione’s time turner, and I used Hermione’s wand from Ollivander’s Wand Shop at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I added the spell effect using the magic of pixlr 🙂

We didn’t plan any activities, mostly because all of our attendees were adults, and we thought we’d just let everyone mingle. The most themed activity we did was when a few of us took a sorting hat quiz on my phone, but click here for an amazing article from Buzzfeed, which has all kinds of ideas for décor, food, and activities. From organizing a backyard game of quidditch, to playing “Pin the Glasses on Harry,” to hanging a dementor piñata, there are so many cool things you can do. Looking at that list makes me want to plan another party!

Much credit is due to my mum, who poured a lot of time and love into making sure the party was the great success that it was.

If you’ve thrown a Harry Potter party, do share your tips in the comments section!





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.