Okay. So we had a lot of last minute craftiness going on last week. And when I say “last minute,” I mean we were literally crafting up to the very last minute before kids starting arriving for Em’s party on Saturday.

So you saw the invite last week. When the kids arrived to “Kings Cross” to find platform 9 3/4, they found this…

If you’ve read the HP books, you know that the witches & wizards must run into the wall between platform 9 & 10 at the train station (platform 9 3/4) and they will magically be transported into the other world. So we set up a “fake wall” that the the Hogwarts’ students could “run into.” The brick fabric is gossamer that I got from this place. I had intended on putting it all over the dining room and hallway to turn it into a castle. But, I ran out of time…and realized that our house, with the brick and stucco walls was close enough to a “castle” for a 9-year old’s party!

Once all of the guest arrived, we had a sorting ceremony where all of the kids put on the sorting hat and pulled out a card telling them which house they had been placed into. I just made up cards for Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff because Em was adamant that none of her friend would want to be a Slytherin. Our lovely Professor McGonnagal (Audrey’s older sis, Yvette) helped “sort.”

Addie was so excited to be a Gryffindor!

Then each student got to pick a wand.

J. and I made wands using this tutorial. And we also handed out their textbook – which was full of the most crucial Harry Potter spells…

and some potions and ingredients…

I found a similar book and copied the idea. I collected the pieces, laid the booklet out in InDesign, printed it on fake parchment paper and then just “bound” it together with some twine. It was a huge hit. As we were walking to school this morning one of the kids ran past and tried to cast a spell on Em. Apparently we turned out some pretty good students in our short little day together.

Once we had our supplies and were sorted into houses, the students got their schedules for the day.

Then they were off to class. In Prof. McGonnagall’s Transfiguration class they practiced casting spells. Then each of them were “transformed” into a character from Harry Potter. They had to ask their classmates questions to try to figure out who they had been turned into.

And then they moved onto Herbology with Professor Sprout. There they learned about an important potion ingredient, and planted some ginger. (It was the weirdest plant/seed/root I could find for them to plant!)

And finally, they went to everyone’s favorite class, Potions with Professor Snape. We had the most fun coming up with all of the potions.

All of the potion ingredients were edible. Not necessarily delicious…but edible! We had a lot of gatorade, lime drink, strawberry syrup, dark syrup, coconut, cherry juice, pixie sticks…oh, and POP ROCKS!

A few of the bottles I borrowed from friends, but most of these bottles I have collected over time. I used labels from DreamLoft on Etsy and just added text in Illustrator and printed them on adhesive backed paper so they were like real labels.

Most of the kids actually tried their potions. Although, I’m not sure I would! They were all very pretty and colorful, but I’m certain didn’t taste as pretty as they looked!

(Charlie came straight from a baseball game, so he was a little smudge-y!)

After classes, there was a final exam (it wouldn’t be school without a test, right?!) which I am pleased to report ALL students passed.

And then we had ButterBeer (delicious recipe here!) back in the Great Hall…

And Cauldron Cakes…(cupcakes dipped in chocolate with caramel – gold – frosting!)

And, to top it all off? A little bit more sugar. We re-created the Honeydukes Sweet Shoppe that the characters in the books visit on their Saturday trips to Hogsmeade.

The students got to “shop” and fill their goody bags to take home. (Again with the label paper. I printed out the Honeydukes logo and we stuck them onto small white craft bags.)

Of course we had chocolate frogs…

And Bertie Bott’s…

We also had Acid Pops, Fillabuster’s Fizzes, Professor Sprout’s Magic Mushrooms and Dumbledore’s lemon drops!

It was a little too hot for a quidditch match, so we finished with a little viewing of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The planning and execution of the party was so much work, but so very fun. All of Em’s friends are so sweet and ensured me that it was the “best Harry Potter party ever!” And that made the birthday party hangover on Sunday, all worthwhile.