sorting hat cheese ball

LEVITATE YOUR HARRY POTTER PARTY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Anyone else fall in love with reading because of the Harry Potter series? Super nostalgic.

It’s such a magical theme for Halloween or even a family Christmas party! And it’s always fun to celebrate Harry’s birthday every July 31st.

So here’s how to throw an awesome Harry Potter party for adults, with a few ideas for any kids in attendance. Plus, check out the free printables over in the library!

Three elements of a good party:

  • Food & Drinks
  • Decor
  • Engaging Activities

Pro tip: invite people with good group chemistry. A way to make this more likely is by inviting couples or two friends from the same friend group–AKA perfect social security blanket. Most people will feel WAY more comfortable at a party where they at least know one other person besides the host.

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Hogwarts Food and Drinks

Food

  • Sorting Hat Cheese Ball: Cheddar and ranch cheese ball wrapped in plastic wrap, shaped into a cone, and then refrigerated overnight (or at least 3 hrs). Before taking off the plastic press your thumbs in to make the eyes, and use the side of your hand to make the mouth. Then set on a small plate and spread a thin layer of cheese ball on the edges. Finish by covering with poppy seeds or black sesame seeds.
  • Olivander’s Wands: Pocky Sticks
  • Mandrake Cupcakes: Fill 2 inch terracotta pots from Michael’s with your favorite chocolate cake or muffin recipe with about 1/2 inch room at the top and bake about the same as cupcakes. Then top with wooden beads with black paint eyes and mint leaves or artificial leaves on top.
  • Nimbus 2000s: Mozzarella sticks cut in thirds, then on the end make two cuts, turn, and make two more cuts. Then poke pretzel sticks into other end. They were cute, but didn’t get eaten much. Next time I’d poke the pretzels into Reese’s cups instead.
  • Gryffindor Grapes
  • Ravenclaw Berries
  • Sweet and Spicy Slytherin Slices: Spicy Maple Bourbon Pickles
  • Hufflepuffs: Cosmos Salted Caramel Puffed Corn
  • Cheesy Bacon Potato Soup: Comfort food fit for a crowd. We served them in these handy paper ice cream bowls.

Drinks

  • Hot Butterbeer: After experimenting with multiple butterbeer recipes, my favorite version is definitely hot. I used this recipe (this one looks good too), but I’m not a cream soda fan, so I subbed for more milk. My other tweaks included adding sea salt, vanilla, caramel extract, butter extract, and this homemade butterscotch sauce. (The trick to not having a grainy sauce is adding a quarter cup of water when cooking). Then I combined all the ingredients in a crockpot and used an immersion blender to help the butter not float to the top. I found that adding extra whipping cream on top mellowed out the flavor too much, so I wouldn’t worry about it next time. Such a fun drink!
  • Pumpkin Juice: I’d add a little less brown sugar, but this recipe tastes like fall in a cup. Yum!

Harry Potter Decor

  • DIY Quidditch Hoops: We made our Quidditch hoops using 14 inch embroidery hoops, along with scrap wood and gold spray paint.
  • Platform 9 3/4: You could DIY this… but this brick backdrop on Amazon and saved me a bunch of time. Just measure the space you want it to go before purchasing. It makes a great photo op!
  • Floating Candles: hang electric taper candles (with wand remote, eeek!) with clear fishing wire. After tying a square knot around the wicks, thread the fishing wire through the top of the cardboard box backdrop. Yay for no holes in the ceiling.
  • Devil’s Snare: Jazz up your house plants with a subtle reference. It’s all about the details.
  • Hogwarts Letters: I printed the template on résumé paper, cut it out, folded them, and then hot glued the Hogwarts seals. I made the seals out of red modeling clay, pressed down with my thumb on wax paper, then engraved a simple “H” and baked per instructions. I made 28 to have the proper effect, but these would also be awesome for a coming out of a fireplace.
  • Daily Prophet Wall Collage: Found quotes and pics online, but to make things easy I put them all in one place in my printable library.
  • Free Invisibility Cloaks: Easy and hilarious.
  • Bathroom Decor: Guests loved Moaning Myrtle and the surprise under the lid.

Subscribe to get all of these Harry Potter printables from my free printable library 🙂

Harry Potter Games for Adults

  • Harry Potter Minute to Win It: Ah I wish we had done these games at the party! Next time for sure.
  • Ultimate Charades: Normal charades is not my fave, but I LOVE ultimate charades! It has three phases and always results in laughter. The perfect group game. Ultimate Charades Rules:
    1. Everyone writes a noun on 4 slips of paper, or you can print out these Harry Potter ones.
    2. Fold them in half and place in a bowl.
    3. Divide into two teams (we drew M&M’s to split up into different Hogwarts houses: blue and red were Team Gryffinclaw, yellow and green were Team Slytherpuff haha).
    4. Choose a time keeper for each team and one score keeper.
    5. Each team member will have 30 seconds to get their team to guess as many of the words on the paper slips as possible before switching to the opposing team.
    6. Round 1: Using Catchphrase rules try to describe the slip of paper using as many words as you’d like besides the actual word or things that rhyme with it. Keep switching teams until the bowl is empty.
    7. Round 2: Put all the papers back in the bowl. Now you only can say ONE word to describe the slip of paper (Don’t worry, “ummm” doesn’t count). Actions are also welcome and may be useful for the final round.
    8. Round 3: Put all the slips back again. Now it’s classic charades rules of ACTIONS ONLY. Decide ahead of time if sound affects are okay. I personally think they are fun.
    9. Count up the points and declare the winner!
  • Quidditch: We let the toddlers at the party play with our Quidditch hoops with metallic balloons, but learn how to make tabletop Quidditch here. OR once our great room reno is finished I think it would be a blast to play some version of actual Quidditch with our larger hoops and cheap DIY brooms.
  • Harry Potter Quizzes: These are great starter games and perfect for the intellectual, quiet, or quiz loving guests. Find the spell printable here and the patronus printable here.
  • Magical Creature Hunt: If you do have any kids to entertain at the party, send them on a magical creature hunt with a wand (aka chopstick) and have them “charm” each creature (aka tap) before bringing them home. Then they can practice keeping balloons in the air to fine tune their wingardium leviosa skills.

Our Harry Potter party was a blast! While I will always love throwing parties for our little girls, it’s refreshing to have a party for adults. Being surrounded by a bunch of my favorite people is the best!

I hope your Harry Potter party is absolutely magical too.

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