I know Halloween has came and gone, but I wanted to go ahead and get this post up in case anyone wants to do a Harry Potter birthday party or maybe even a Yule Ball for Christmas time! After this post, I will happily move on to the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas!!!
Before I came to college I heard so many roommate horror stories, but I have to say, I am extremely blessed with the best roommates and friends that hang around my dorm all the time. We like to be the gathering place for the super bowl, the Oscars, and game nights!
For Halloween, I wanted to throw a Harry Potter party since most of us are fans. I thought I would put together a post on my menu, decorations, and activities that made the party come together! Here is a short video with a glimpse into the party.
Menu:
Chili + corn bread muffins and chili toppings
Sausage and cheese dip + tortillas
Mandrake Toes (pig n a blankets)
Witch’s Brooms (small pretzel rod on top of Reese cup)
Crockpot Hot Cocoa
Decorations:
My favorite touch was the herbology corner. I downloaded a Harry Potter font from the internet to Microsoft Word, and then I printed out signs that said Herbology, Potion Station, and The Mirror of Erised. I gathered all the plants we have and even a tiny Christmas tree and huddled them in a corner to put the herbology sign. I placed the Potion Station above the drinks for a fun touch, and I hung the Mirror sign on the bathroom mirror!
The other spot I particularly loved was the “follow the spiders” trail. I bought a back of paper spiders from Walmart for .99, and taped them on the wall in a single-file line to mimic the way they move in Chamber of Secrets. This was a cheap project that made for a great photo backdrop.
I also printed out a picture of Moaning Myrtle and put it on the underside of the toilet seat lid— kinda gross, but it was funny if you have true fans at your gathering.
The key to decorations for a Harry Potter Halloween party is to only buy the Halloween stuff that isn’t cheesy or gore filled. Don’t opt for eyeballs and Frankenstein heads, but instead go for cauldrons, spiders, bones, and items more realistic to the wizarding world.
Games:
We played Secret Voldemort, which was a play on the popular Secret Hitler game. All you need is a pack of Harry Potter Uno cards, and just split the cards up in to pictures of Harry, Hermione, and Ron then pictures of people in the order- Mad Eye, Sirius, etc. and then Death Eaters and Voldemort. Voldemort takes the place of Hitler, the death eaters of the fascits, and the order of the liberals. It was fun after we explained the rules!
We also played Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit and Harry Potter Clue. These were all great board games!
Misc.:
I had my polaroid camera out for people to take photos, and everyone really enjoyed it!
Preston had the idea to get Sprite and food coloring and dye everyone’s drinks for their house colors.
I hope this inspired you to add a little magic to your next gathering!
