Thrifty Thursday: The Frugal Muggle

       My oldest just turned 11. An avid reader, she has devoured the first 5 Harry Potter books. And, since wizards receive their acceptance letters to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at eleven years of age, she determined this year she would throw a Harry Potter themed birthday party!
     (For those unfamiliar with the story, "muggle" is the term used by wizards and witches for non-magic folk.)
       There is literally no end to Harry Potter themed party ideas on Pinterest. The trick, therefore, was not in coming up with ideas, but finding ones that would fit our budget, both in terms of time and money. Fortunately for me, I've got a creative genius for a daughter, and she doesn't mind the monetary limits I impose. I often catch her rummaging through the recycling bin in search of materials for her latest projects. Case in point: we had to save our toilet paper tubes for her to use in constructing owls. (In the wizarding world, owls serve as mail carriers. So we delivered her party invitations by owl!)

       We printed the invites two to a page, in green and gold ink, following the layout of the acceptance letter in the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. After cutting them to size, my little "witch" rubbed yellow and brown crayons over them, to give them an aging-parchment effect. We then rolled the invitations small enough to fit inside the cardboard tube owls. She made a variety of owls, each delightfully unique. I wish I'd taken a picture of them all.

       When the guests arrived, Professor McGonagall was at the door to meet them and direct them through the train station barrier to Platform 9 and 3/4 in order to catch the Hogwarts Express.

       My costume was just a hodgepodge of items hanging in my closet and a borrowed hat. (Thanks, Carlee!) I used an old pair of glasses from Richard and perched them on the end of my nose so that I could still see! 

       The barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters was created from a dollar store shower curtain. We used an old bag of sponges from the garage to paint reddish-brown bricks (using paint we already had). Then we hung the curtain in our entryway and cut strips in it so the new pupils could crash through, just as Harry learned to do from the Weasleys. (The only draw back was that our barrier shed a lot. The first time we tested it, we ended up with tiny paint flecks all over our faces! But that must have shaken most of the loose ones free, because I don't recall the guests having any paint flecks on them.) 

       We also played music from the movie soundtrack which really set the tone! (You can find the music online, or check out a cd from the library. I used my laptop and played the soundtrack from my Spotify account).

       The first-year students then boarded the Howarts Express. They each got a treat bag from the food cart as it came by.

       Students were then equipped with their own wand (a package of a dozen chopsticks for $2.19 were lovingly painted by the birthday girl), as well as a bag of that favorite wizarding candy, Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (look out for the earwax flavored ones! They ran $2.99/lb). 

       Treat bags also included an edible golden Snitch (skillfully created from a package of gold foil-wrapped peanut butter cups - $1 for a package of 12 - and toothpicks with tape or paper wings.)     

       Snape's Soothing Hand Lotion was handed out later in Potions Class. Prof. Severus Snape only paid a dollar for each bottle. The labels we already had, but they also came from the dollar store.)

       Before attending their first class, however, students had to be divided into their respective school Houses. Therefore, upon their arrival at Hogwarts, the students were led to the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony.

       In the book, a tattered, old, bewitched hat is placed upon the student's head and calls out which house the they belong in. I suggested to my creative genius that we might use one of our own hats and find something brown to cover it with. Instead, she disappeared downstairs with several sack lunch bags. Fifteen minutes later, she reemerged with the Sorting Hat.

       After the Sorting Ceremony, the new students were brought to their House common room. In the book, the Gryffendor common room entrance is guarded by a enchanted portrait of a lady in a pink dress who requires a password from students before allowing them admittance. We fashioned a cardboard frame and dressed up a willing younger sister in her fancy pink dress. We then instructed her to hold the frame up around her face and ask for the password before permitting anyone in through the door! 

       Our basement family room was transformed into the Gryffendor common room by draping quilts of the House Colors over our brown couch. Two young Gryffendors lounged on the couch, playing Wizard's Chess and a cozy fire glowed. . . on the tv screen. (Years ago, I purchased a dvd as part of a Date Night gift package for my husband. It's simply footage of a crackling fireplace! It worked perfectly for the Harry Potter party.) 

       Students also enjoyed a clever game: Pin the Scar on Harry!

       This was our pride and joy! We came up with the idea independent of Pinterest (although I'm sure we're not the first to think of it) and my daughter asked me to draw it for her. I had just recently purchased a giant pad of drawing paper at a thrift store for $6. We used an over-sized sheet from it and penciled in a portrait of 11-year-old Harry. (I just found an image online to use for reference while I drew.) Once we liked how it looked, we traced it with permanent marker and colored his face with colored pencils. His hair was colored with a combo of pencils, markers and crayons. The tie was colored with markers, and his robes were painted black. Then we cut him out and pasted him onto a piece of black poster board that has been lying around the house for years. (Seriously. I remember taking it when we moved from our old town home and thinking, "I know as soon a s I get rid of this, I'm going to find the perfect use for it and regret throwing it out." Some things just take a little longer to fulfill their destiny!) We then took our masterpiece to the UPS Store and had it laminated so we could reuse it. With tax, it cost $1.29.

       Finally, the first-years reconvened in the Great Hall for a feast! Our dining table was complete with floating candles and a snitch. My 11-year-old had created paper candles and hung them using clear stretch cord from her craft kit. (You can find yards of it at Joann's in the jewelry making aisle).
With the aid of a fellow Potter fan, we enjoyed gourmet, made-from-scratch cupcakes, decorated with fondant eyeglasses and snitches. (You rock, Addie!) And of course, refreshing glasses of pumpkin juice (aka, orange juice with ginger ale).

       For one of her gifts, my first-year received dvds of the first 3 Harry Potter films (which, I might add, I found for $4 a piece at the second-hand store. Boo-yah!) So after the feast was done, all our guests retreated to the common room to watch one.

       Since the majority of the needed supplies we already had on hand, even including the gift dvds, I spent a total of $30 on this extravaganza. And what a magical time we had!




*Sidenote - If any of you dear friends intend to throw your own Harry Potter party, you're welcome to use our shower curtain brick barrier or the Harry poster!