How to Plan a Harry Potter Party

Steps to plan a Harry Potter Party

With the upcoming release of the last [[KW]] Harry Potter [[/KW]] book and the fifth movie, one could say that there has never been a better time for Harry Potter enthusiasts to celebrate. Taking into consideration the vast intricacy of the Potter world, the possibilities for party planning are both endless and enticing.

This photograph was imported from Flickr. It was originally taken by Flickr user michaelkpate and the original photo can be found here

1.Decide on the basics. When planning a party, it is important to consider the "Five W's" (who? what? where? when? what time?) before stressing out about themes and decorations. You can use the answers to these questions to personalize the party to your unique needs and budget. Most importantly, know your audiance; this means taking into consideration the maturity and ages of your guests when planning food and beverage choices, music, and entertainment.

2.Choose your decorations If you have plenty of money budgeted for decorations, you could search for wall hangings and Potter themed kick-knacks on the internet, local department stores, and book stores. If you would are looking to get creative with the decorations while saving money, making your own could be a good option. Making your own decorations can be as simple as cutting out Golden Snitch and sorting hat shapes out of poster boar, starry-looking fabric to drape over the windows, and finding old brooms to create "Quidditch Broomsticks".

3.Plan your menu. There are several "Harry Potter brand" snacks on the [[KW]] market [[/KW]] today, including: Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Wizard Cards, Cockroach Clusters, Jelly Slugs, Blood Pops, and Acid Pops. Placing these candies into a wooden bowl for everyone to share or even in individual take-home bags can make for a fun treat. There are several homemade Harry Potter inspired treats that can be made as well. For drinks, you could make the classic party punch with lime green sherbet and sprite or place an orange colored juice into goblet-style containers for a "goblet of pumpkin juice" effect. Any British inspired entrée or decadent dessert would create the feel of a Hogwarts feast. Additionally for dessert, you could create or buy pastries and place them on a cart or side table to re-create the feel of snake on the "Hogwarts Express" train.

4.Picking out background noise. If you wish for a simple way to add more of a Harry Potter feel to your party, filling the air with the proper sounds can be effective. Try purchasing the movie soundtracks on the [[KW]] Internet [[/KW]] or in your local music store. In a pinch, continuously playing the movies on a low volume could to wonders for the atmosphere.

5.Choosing the right entertainment. If you scan the internet looking for news on the Harry Potter, you will likely find that the internet is filled with Harry Potter trivia games. You can use these questions or make your own to create a Harry Potter trivia tournament. Be sure to offer prizes such as Harry Potter bookmarks or pencils to the winners. You can even tailor well-known party games such as hangman, pictionary, or charades to fit your Potter theme. Another idea would be to hold a contest to see shows up in the best costume.

6.Send out Potter themed invitations. Before to include extra information on the invitations such as whether or not it is a costume party and if guests are welcome to bring along other people to the party.