If you read my recent post I was gearing up for a Harry Potter Movie Marathon by creating Hogwarts’ acceptance letters inviting my friends to my house for the marathon. I created the invitation below. (see the earlier post for all the steps and links.)
My friends were equally as excited and nerding out about the upcoming marathon. I decided I would put together a few decorative things to give the house a real “HP” feel as they entered. If you’re looking for an over the top Harry Potter themed party, this is not it. If you’re looking for a way to print out a bunch of items, and throw together something fun in a few days, then this is your post!
I decided to turn the dining room into the “Great Hall,” figuring that’s where all of our snacks were going to be so it makes sense. I found some really cheap scene setters on Amazon that were castle walls, castle windows and torches. It was perfect and hokey, just what I wanted.
I also found a banner on Pinterest that had all the houses and mottos and attached it to a sign that said “The Great Hall.” You can see it hanging from the chandelier. You can see it close up down below.
Once I felt like the dining room had the right feel to it, I moved onto the hallway. I remembered how Professor Umbridge hung her Proclamations in the movies and thought it was the perfect place for a fake torch and a few proclamations. I found all of these online by just googling “Professor Umbridge Proclamations,” then printed them out. Easy to find, easy to print out.
I also found all of the crests of Hogwarts by just googling them. I googled, found similar drawings so they would all look the same then hung them up on ta door in the family room where we would be watching the movies.
I figured, I’m done. This was easy, gave a quick feel to Hogwarts and Harry Potter…but once you start it seems so easy to keep going. I decided that the closet door could really use the “Fat Lady” portrait saying “Password,” so I googled, found, and printed.
Then I decided…well the bathroom doesn’t have anything, and we know how important a bathroom is in HP. I mean…Chamber of Secrets anyone? I wrote on the mirror with a dry erase pen (red so it looked like blood,) found a moaning Myrtle photo as well as a basilisk image (all on google.) Here’s what they looked like int he bathroom. Again, super easy, but gave me a really good laugh.
So at this point I’m thinking, “I’m done, right?” Nope.
I decided to create a mini Hogsmeade. I created a sign in paint, pointing to where Hogsmeade was and then just used a bunch of things I already had around the house to turn shelves into stores. Here’s what I used and made:
– Chess set. Knocked over some pieces and put a sign “Wizard Chess: Game currently in process.
– Leftover halloween candy. Put it in two bowls, made a Honeydukes sign in paint and a label “mix N match honeyduke candy.”
– Leftover faux fur from my halloween costume. I rolled it up to make it look like creatures, created a “Magical Menagerie” sign in paint and a lil sign saying “Ask store associate before touching creatures (nasty demeanor.)
-I cut up the amazon box that the castle walls came in, and turned them into cardboard books. I wrote the names of the books on the outside, a few fun details on the insides and put them up like books for sale. I also had these wood pencils and a wand (from a previous Halloween Costume,) and labeled that shelf “Flourish and Blotts” with a small sign by the pencil saying “Spell-checking Quills.”
Overall I think it was super cute and so easy to use my imagination and make things that I already have work for the HP theme.
Finally, I decided to put something on the front door so that my friends would have to enter into the HP world. I found a great sign for Platform 9 3/4 and then created my own in paint. I put the sign below on my front door so as they entered, they really got the HP world feel.
This was super easy and really fun. Again, this wasn’t a blowout Harry Potter Themed Party, it was just my friends and I doing a Movie Marathon and I wanted to add some fun things to the house to really give it the feel. We spent all day hanging out, baking, laughing and watching HP movies. I think the most important thing for having a fun and successful HP Movie Marathon is in this quote below:
I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my friends yesterday. We just spent the day with each other, enjoying being nerds and embracing it. We only made it to movie 5, but decided to finish everything over the Christmas holiday when everyone is around again, so it’s just another fantastic day to look forward to.
This was a really fun adventure and I’m so glad I hosted and decorated.
My next stitchfix comes soon so I’ll be posting again really soon.
**Update**
I ordered scarves for everyone for the day but they didn’t come in on time. I figured I’d share them here, we’ll be wearing these for he finish of the movie marathon! I got a great dal from aliexpress.com. I’ve never used them before, besides the scarves being late, they are actually decent quality for the price. I was thrilled with them, so I would recommend aliexpress, just make sure you leave enough time for shipping.
Thick Chic Tricks 