Hogwarts Herald

Invitations are in the works. We’re inviting a bunch of magical friends - of all ages.

On to decorations - Since the party is going to be outside, I was thinking that we’d go for a “Hogwarts’ grounds” theme and utilize as much of the natural “scenery” as possible. Luckily, the backyard has a lot of greenery - so we don’t have to worry about fabricating trees and shrubs. First off, we’ll string fairy lights through the trees and shrubs (for effect as well as additional lighting) -

I have found, through experience, that balloons are a must for any party that involves children (under the age of 99).

We plan to decorate the tables, chairs, trees - basically anything that will stay still long enough to get covered!

Because you can never be sure of the weather, we’ll have a canopy (regularly used for picnics and tailgating) and decorate that as well. It can serve as a cover from the elements, as well as a “specialty” area - We could make it into one of the classrooms at Hogwarts, or (a mini) Great Hall - I’m not quite sure yet, it will depend on what supplies we’re able to find…

My next shopping trip will be to a craft/fabric store. You can check on-line or at your local fabric shop(s) for sales and clearance items. Joann Fabrics has a whole section on remnants and “odd sized” fabrics that they sell for reduced prices. Many of the fabrics are left-overs from local upholstery and designer shops - and the fabrics are of professional size and quality. Check it out and see what inspires you.

What we need is:

table clothes - a heavier but pliable, dark or jewel toned fabric -
fabric for draping (on everything) - a lighter, gauzy, shimmery fabric - maybe in a metallic
canopy - dark for underneath and a lighter fabric for accents.
miscellaneous fabrics for crafts and other decorations

It may be a little daunting (and expensive) to use so much fabric, so you can always switch in tissue paper, crepe paper, and/or plastic table covering (it comes in those long rolls).

I think we’ll take a preliminary trip out to the store to see what’s available before we solidify our vision - and as we decide…

Next week - Activities!

harry potter party, party planning