How to Throw the Best Harry Potter Party

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I still remember the first time I opened a Harry Potter book. A feeling of pure magic and happiness awoke in me. The moment I discovered I loved reading was when I joined Hagrid and Harry Potter on their adventure to Diagon Alley. 

What followed the first book release was a time of joy and camaraderie with friends. Waiting in midnight book release lines, figuring out which house the sorting hat would put you in (I always hoped for Gryffindor), and watching the painfully slow (yet wildly thrilling) release of each movie. It was all so exciting and complete Potter mania.

Now one great way to keep the Harry Potter magic alive is throwing an annual Harry Potter party. Every detail of this party is thoughtfully planned out and a personal tribute to the Harry Potter series. Take a peak below to see how we brought the magical world of wizarding alive!

How to Decorate for the Best Harry Potter Party

To create a Harry Potter themed party, assign each room of the party a location from the Wizarding World. Think areas like Hogwarts, Number 4 Privet Drive, Hogsmeade, Godric’s Hollow, The Burrow, Malfoy Manor, Diagon Alley, The Ministry of Magic, endless possibilities! 

For our party we went with a mix of muggle world and magical world. We did Platform 9 ¾, The Dursley’s- Number 4 Privet Drive, The Great Hall, Potions Classroom, Honeydukes Sweet Shop, Ollivanders Wand Shop, and The Owlery.  

Check out how we transformed each room of our home into different Harry Potter locations below!

1. Platform 9 ¾

A perfect place to welcome guests is your front door or porch! What better way to decorate an entryway than how Harry first embarked on his Hogwarts journey – Platform 9 ¾.

To set up Platform 9 ¾ you can use:

• A trolly 
• Suitcases
• Bird cage and owl
• 9 ¾ light 
• Wrapped broomsticks 
• Brown paper wrapped parcels 
• Platform 9 ¾ hand painted sign 
• Train tickets

We used a Bluetooth speaker to play train music from behind the set up. To create the wrapped brooms, use a stick and scrunched up newspaper to make the base shape. Then wrap in brown paper. This is one of my favorite features in all of the Harry Potter party decor.

2. The Dursley’s – Number 4 Privet Drive

One of the most iconic scenes in Harry Potter is the mail scene. All the Hogwarts invitation letters coming into The Dursley’s home at Number 4, Privet Drive. What better scene to recreate! This looks more complicated to set up than it is!

We used a big box of envelopes purchased from the dollar store. Then we soaked the envelopes in steeped black tea (adds a distressed look like they really travelled far to the Muggle world). Once the envelopes were dry we wrote “Harry Potter Number 4” across them in marker. Then used an old wine cork dipped in red acrylic paint to make a faux wax seal on the back of each letter. Once the letters were complete, we hung them from the fireplace on a light up string. Then added some additional letters around the fireplace and room.

PRivet Drive Hogwarts Letter Tutorial 

• Envelopes 
• Tea 
• Red Paint
• Wine cork
• Markers 
• Light up string

Also for an added touch to the room, we printed photos of The Dursleys and put them into picture frames for the mantle. 

3. The Great Hall

What better place to host your sit down Harry Potter inspired meal than The Great Hall at Hogwarts, complete with an enchanted ceiling.

One of the features of The Great Hall is the delicious looking food. You can make a savory stew or tasty roast. But also focus on little bits and bobs of treats, snacks, and food to add to the tablespace. We made a donut hole tree with a Styrofoam cone stand and toothpicks.

A magical feature to add to your dining table is a little witch’s hat at each setting. We made ours out of black construction paper. Also, add some leftover Platform 9 3/4 tickets to the table.

For a feature decoration, we created a Hogwarts inspired enchanted ceiling. We used LED strip lights, chicken wire, poly-fill, c-hooks, and tacks to create the color changing ceiling.

4. Potions Classroom

A beverage bar and potions classroom really go hand in hand. The ideal spot to decorate with concoctions and potions both for drinking and decor. You can recreate different drinks from Harry Potter like Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, Polyjuice Potion, or even Felix Felicis (Liquid Luck). Check out our Butterbeer recipe below!

To make your Potions Classroom look like you are brewing potions try our cauldron hack! Take a black potting container (purchased from the dollar store), add an aromatherapy diffuser inside to create a vapor stream, and add cotton around the top. This looks like you are brewing up a new batch of potion!

Butterbeer Recipe

• 1 part Root Beer
• 1 part Cream Soda (clear not PINK)
• Top with Whipped Cream
• Add Caramel Drizzle

A great welcome drink for your Harry Potter party is a small Butterbeer sampler. Butterbeer is easy to make. As well, it is a nice little sweet treat. Make up a big batch in a beverage dispenser. Then pour into small size cups, espresso glasses, or even shot glasses. Top with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. Offer your guests a little sampler, as they arrive at the party!

5. Honey Dukes Sweet Shop

Setting up Honeydukes Sweet Shop is a great way to make a spot for party favors or a little sweet treat for after dinner. You can have things like chocolate frogs, licorice wands, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. For our treats we made up little bags with caramel popcorn, mini Rolos, chopped Crunchie, and Reese pieces. Then added “Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans” to each bag and tied it into a bow. As a final touch, we added the classic Honeydukes colors of green and pink!

6. Ollivanders Wand Shop

Next, we transformed a small area into a little Ollivanders Wand Shop that looks straight out of Diagon Alley. Complete with wands, wand boxes, trinkets, letters, scrolls, and quills.

A fun activity for the party is a DIY wand kit! You can even create your own with three things: sticks, hot glue, and paint!

7. The Owlery

Our last location we picked was a super unique spot from Harry Potter, The Owlery. This space was such a joy to create. We sourced owls from the dollar store, post-Christmas clearance bins, and thrift stores! It is amazing what you can find with a little searching. Create little perches for the owls out of foliage, leaves, and twigs. Add some letters, packages, scrolls, and even a few copies of The Daily Prophet to complete the scene. As a final touch, we added a picture of Hogwarts from a digital download from Etsy.

Longbottom Line of a Harry Potter Party

Hosting a Harry Potter party brings back such a deep sense of nostalgia and magic. Remember when hosting a party, things don’t need to be perfect or expensive. Small touches are what make an event memorable. 

I’d love to hear your Harry Potter core memories! Share them in the comments below. And, if you have questions about the decorations or set up, ask me in the comments. 

Check out more party inspiration on our Pinterest here.

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