Last month, Brian and I threw a Halloween/Birthday Party themed like a Harry Potter Potions Class, and it was epic!

Brian, being the genius he is, took the inspiration found at The Cauldron, an AirBnB Experience/Pop Up I went to in London this summer, and ran with it. He made potion cabinets, mixing stations, and moving Azkaban posters, too!

When I say he made them, I mean he designed, cut out with his laser cutter, built them, wires them, and then programmed them so they’d open with a magic wand.

Seriously.

While his input was the star of the party, I had several projects of my own to help create the magic. I took charge of the paper craft, the decor, and the food.

It all started with the invitations. Printed on parchment paper and sealed with wax, each student received their very own Hogwarts acceptance letter, made possible by Robin Springett’s work.

After that, I started on the decor And potions booklet. The highlight of what I created was definitely this Sorting Hat made out of paper maché.

The only thing that took longer than that we’re the potions booklets. They were quite the undertaking! I was able to use the skills developed back when I was writing and publishing the Rowan of the Wood series and O. M. Grey books. I learned to layout books in print-ready PDFs using InDesign, so I created some nice little booklets here with a similar program. You can see a couple of pages in the picture at the top of the post. Otherwise, you can download it here if you’d like: Advanced Potions Booklet PDF.

Look for the second post coming soon that will cover more decor and all the yummy food, fit for a Hogwarts Feast!! There will also be some videos of the potions cabinets in action and more…. stay tuned.