Harry Potter Decor Ideas
We like to keep things a little geeky here on Sixpence + Silver so today we have some decor ideas for the Harry Potter fans amongst you. Now, for a Harry Potter-themed birthday party or dinner party I'd advise going big and completely saturating your space with whatever you can find, but this can sometimes come off quite tacky for weddings or other big events so I've taken some nods from the Warner Bros. Studio Tour and the graphic design pop-up The House of MinaLima (both of which I visited last week!) to offer some ideas that will make people gasp only in the good way!
This idea comes straight from both the Harry Potter books and movies, but was executed just brilliantly in the House of MinaLima display. What could scream Harry Potter more than a fireplace streaming Hogwarts letters? Fireplaces are always good focal points for wedding decor but sometimes they aren't quite the large, striking, clean photo opportunities couples are expecting. This idea works on even the smallest or sootiest of fires and is easy enough to DIY!
Another paper-based idea (and another one great for DIY) comes straight from the MinaLima window. I loved this display of the Ministry of Magic paper aeroplanes and it is surprisingly striking for something that is really quite simple! There's so many ways these could be incorporated into a wedding, from them hanging above the wedding cake like a mobile or to them having the couples vows written in and being 'flown' to the couple by the Best Man and Maid of Honour. They'd also make an interesting party invitation. The possibilities are endless!
While I don't know how many people want to plaster the word 'undesirable' around their wedding or party, after seeing the newspapers MinaLima worked on for the Harry Potter films they became one of my most favourite details. The way this one is framed lends itself perfectly to a guest-book frame. A personalized Daily Prophet front cover for your guests to sign around; what could be a more perfect keepsake?
This next idea comes straight from the Studio Tour itself - in fact, just from the lobby! Here there is a beautiful wave of the flying keys from the Philosopher's Stone that sparkles perfectly in the light. While this one would be a bit more technical, it is also DIY-able and again, has almost endless possibilities. A wave of keys rising from foliage across a mantelpiece; keys dangling from a pagoda; a semi-circle of keys around the cake; even a key perfectly nestled in bouquets.
The mini-dragon models at the Studio Tour were another favourite of mine. Albeit less subtle than the keys, they're also pretty versatile. They can nestle away around centerpieces as little surprises for your guests or even work as cake toppers! The only tricky part here is finding some model dragons that can live up to these beauties by the films' art department!
The Potions classroom at the Studio Tour is set up to look like it is in use and as such there's hundreds of little details to fall in love with. I personally loved these set-ups of vials and spellbooks and the way they capture the imagination. A bar area decorated like this for cocktail hour would be my idea of perfection and it is easy enough to recreate! If you're thinking of making a little splurge for one of the replica spellbooks, why not use it as a guestbook and ask guests to leave their own best 'potion recipes' for a happy marriage?
Last, but most definitely not least, is another piece of artwork by MinaLima. I love all of the little details that brought the world of Harry Potter to life, but I have to admit I have a certain soft spot for this Bertie Botts box design. All of the graphic pieces MinaLima created are beautiful and can be bought as high quality prints. Framed and with wooden numbers affixed to the frames, don't you think they'd make just beautiful table numbers?
