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Harry Potter-Themed Baby Shower! Part Three. The Big Day!

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Mini Bowtruckle Pins I Made for Aaron and Jenny to Wear for their Big Day! Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Mini Bowtruckle Pins I Made for Aaron and Jenny to Wear for their Big Day! Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

The Big Magic-Filled Day!

Aaron and Jenny’s Baby Shower was going to begin at noon and there was a lot of setting up to do! Jenny’s mom, sisters, and I got to work before the expectant couple arrived.

Magical Creature Adoption Center (Prize Table)

Full View of Prize Table of Magical Creatures. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Full View of Prize Table of Magical Creatures. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Pygmy Puffs. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Pygmy Puffs. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

First order of business was to set up the “Magical Creature Adoption Center” table for those who won prizes throughout the afternoon. My Pygmy Puffs were snuggled together in their cage, Bowtruckles were hiding among the branches and plants, the Mandrakes were surveying the land, and the Monster Book of Monsters were looking for things to eat!

Some of my potion bottles made it to the table along with my Gryffindor scarf for decoration.

**Fair Warning: This post will be very picture heavy, but what better way to show off how amazing this day turned out to be?**

Monsters. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Monsters. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Bowtruckle and Mandrakes. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Bowtruckle and Mandrakes. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Potion Bottles. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Potion Bottles. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Side View. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Side View. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Magical Creature Adoption Center Sign. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Magical Creature Adoption Center Sign. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Great Hall Dining Table

After setting up the creature table, there were little things to do here and there, but Jenny’s sisters and mom had already done a lot of the decorating the night before.

Here are some images of the beautiful table fully equipped with the wax-dripped wine bottle candle holders, lanterns, remaining potion bottles, Howlers, and Harry Potter grab bag characters that I had brought for the cause. Andrea put together the flower centerpieces as well and the table came alive with magic!

Howler Place Setting. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Howler Place Setting. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Great Hall. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Great Hall. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
A Table of Wizardly Proportions. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
A Table of Wizardly Proportions. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
An Elegant Affair. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
An Elegant Affair. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Lanterns, Flowers, and Candles, Oh My! Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Lanterns, Flowers, and Candles, Oh My! Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
What is it About Keys that's Just so Magical? Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
What is it About Keys that’s Just so Magical? Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

With a burlap runner underneath, wine glasses, and faux silver settings, this Potter Party was an elegant affair. Decorative keys, potions bottles, lanterns, candles, flowers, and wood cut pedestals, turned what could have been construed as a kid’s theme, into a party for both young and old.

Color a Onesie for Baby Aiden

Blank Onesies Needing Some Inspiration. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Blank Onesies Needing Some Inspiration. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Working on Marvin the Martian. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Working on Marvin the Martian. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

There were several stations around the back yard where you could do fun things, some for yourself to keep, and others for the parents-to-be. One that I made a point to find time to do was the color/draw on a onesie station. There were stencils for those that wanted to use them, or you could get creative, grab a fabric pen, and go to town!

All Done! Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
All Done! Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Knowing how much my brother was into Marvin the Martian as a kid, I thought it only fitting to find a cool image of Marvin on my phone and recreate it on a onesie for baby Aiden to wear in the future.

Mega Man Done by a Friend. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Mega Man Done by a Friend. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Other creative people did Mega Man (another of my brother’s favorites), the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter, and a slew of others.

Sorting Hat Drawn by a Friend. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Sorting Hat Drawn by a Friend. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

It was difficult to get the solid color with the stretchy onesie fabric moving around, but if you were patient, it was certainly doable.

My brother was a happy camper when he saw Marvin on his son’s onesie.

All Finished. A Few Still Needed Some Love. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
All Finished. A Few Still Needed Some Love. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Wand Making Station

Wand Making Station. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Wand Making Station. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

When Pottermore came out, I immediately went over to the site to take a look. One of the fun things you got to do was to see which house you would have been sorted into by the Sorting Hat. When I took the quiz, it came out that I would have been sorted into Ravenclaw.

My Ravenclaw Wand Found a Happy Home on my Knick-Knack Shelf. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
My Ravenclaw Wand Found a Happy Home on my Knick-Knack Shelf. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

So, when I saw there was a wand-making station equipped with ribbon, jewelry wire, gems, and a hot glue gun (regular glue for the kids), I knew I would be making a wand using the Ravenclaw House Colors with the materials on hand.

It was such a fun, creative station to have there and everyone had a lot of fun making their wands.

Barret Holding His Wand. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Barret Holding His Wand. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Our friend, Barret, who also drew the Mega Man onesie also made a wand where he twisted the thick jewelry wire to look like Harry Potter’s glasses and lightning bolt scar. Very creative!

Barret's Wand. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Barret’s Wand. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Muggle Photo Booth

Photo Booth. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Photo Booth. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

When I saw that Jenny’s sister, Andrea, had put up a Muggle Photo Booth, I was super excited to get over there and take some pictures with my family. There were fun Harry Potter cutouts that you could hold up in front of yourself and there were lots of Harry Potter glasses too.

My son got a pair of glasses on and held my Ravenclaw wand, swishing it about.

My Son, James, with the Ravenclaw Wand I Made at the Wand-Making Station. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
My Son, James, with the Ravenclaw Wand I Made at the Wand-Making Station. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

My husband, Sean, joined me for a photo opportunity…

My Husband, Sean, and I Enjoying the Photo Booth. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
My Husband, Sean, and I Enjoying the Photo Booth. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Even though my daughter, Lizzie, was napping during our photo booth escapades, we did manage to capture her in some Potter glasses as well…IMG_3784

My Dad and Lizzie. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
My Dad and Lizzie. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Even my son, James, got in a picture with me! My brother too!IMG_3762

My brother, Aaron, and I. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
My brother, Aaron, and I. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

Along with the photo booth station there was a write a message on a diaper area which had some pretty hilarious potty humor jokes on them by the end of the afternoon!IMG_3705

An Overview of the Evening

What an afternoon to remember!!! It was magical. It was full of family, friends, and laughter. Best of all, the parents-to-be had a blast!

Getting Ready to Cut into the Snitch Cake. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Getting Ready to Cut into the Snitch Cake. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
The Kids Table. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
The Kids Table. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

The kids had loads of fun at the kids-table and also at the drawing station which later on got used for a Baby Words Pictionary game.

We ate. We drank Butterbeer and Polyjuice Potion.

Little Artists in the Making. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter
Little Artists in the Making. Photo Credit: J.H. Winter

We played games and learned more about the parents-to-be in the process.

Above all else, no one left without a smile on their face. I would say that means a job well done!

Party planning and execution successful. Truly an afternoon to remember! After the party, we boarded back on to the Hogwarts Express and with a puff of steam and the chugging of the engine, we made our way back home to Privet Drive.

I hope you all have enjoyed this three-part series of posts all about this wonderful Harry Potter-themed Baby Shower. Next up on the agenda, my husband is turning 40 in December and I’m throwing him a Star Wars costume party. Wish me luck and happy crafting!

Oh, and don’t worry… I’ll take lots of pictures along the way <wink, wink>!

Baby Shower Invite. Image Credit: J.H. Winter
Baby Shower Invite. Image Credit: J.H. Winter

 

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6 Comments

  • Jackie

    This party turned out so amazing! All your crafts look great and I love the photo booth with all the props (the pictures of James and Lizzie are sooo cute! So fun. I’m very impressed with all the extra little touches and decorations you guys made. All the handmade details are so special and it looks like they really added a lot to the party. The parents to be (and their baby!) are very lucky.

    • JHWinter

      Thank you Kelly! I’m so glad you enjoyed seeing all of the Harry Potter things I worked on. The afternoon turned out to be an amazing event for Aaron and Jenny. They had a blast!

  • Karen Snell

    Oh my goodness, l wish you were my friend in the UK…….
    This was an amazing party, so much wonderful stuff to do, and the tables looked fabulous…….Harry and old Dumbledore would have been so impressed and proud………
    I love it all….
    Big hugglies
    Karen xxxxxxx

    • JHWinter

      Thank you Karen! I’m so glad you enjoyed this series of posts. Harry Potter is too near and dear to me not to want to go a bit crazy with the party-planning! I know my brother and sister-in-law had a blast and really appreciated all the hard work put into their party. 🙂 It was a fabulous day! I’ll be your American friend from afar! 😀

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