DIY Harry Potter Series – HP Franchise Magazines

A very easy and fun DIY to stack your library with HP themed magazines. Perfect to give as gifts to friends or to read on a cold, rainy day.

You will need:

• A good, working printer
• Google images
• Elmer’s glue
• Scissors

What you do:

1. Decide what books you would like to re-create from the franchise. I decided to do a ‘Dark Forces: A Guide To Self Protection’. Here’s the fun part. Do a google search finding images and articles to match your topic and print the sheets out.
2. The first step is to create the front and back cover. I found one page with the title of my book and put a related topic for the back.
3. Print both sheets and cut them out with some extra paper on either side (about an inch). Add a small strip of glue to the inner side of the back cover and stick it tot he front (make sure the pages are aligned correctly).
4. Let it dry and start gathering the inner pages to stick in. Decide how may pages you need and find content for both sides of the page.
5. Decide the order of the pages and stick one image to the backside of another page to form a double sided page. Stick this page into your book.
6. Start with the last page and stick each page over it to form a book. Let everything dry.
   

   

   
7.  You might have to add more glue to stick the pages in firmly. Try adding some advertisements or posters for certain products etc.

 

I made a few more:

• Potions for all afflictions
• Weasleys Wizard Wheezes
• Daily Prophet – Read how to make one here: Daily Prophet Newspaper
• Witch Weekly
• Which Broomstick
• Quibbler – Make one from here: DIY Harry Potter Series – Loony Luna Lovegood
• A Beginner’s Guide to Hogwarts
• Quidditch at Hogwarts

I have a lot of magazines for my library now and so will you 🙂

 

 

 

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DIY Harry Potter Series – Hagrid’s ‘Happee Birthdae Harry’ Cake

Professor Rubeus Hagrid (b. 6 December 1928) was a half-giant wizard, and was a member of both Orders of the Phoenix and participated in several battles against Voldemort. Hagrid was among the characters that Rowling says she created on “the very first day”.

When introduced in both books and movies, he made a cake for Harry for his eleventh birthday. Today’s DIY is a mini clay version of the cake with a matching bakery box to use as a HP themed Christmas tree ornament.

What you need: 

• Air dry clay
• Acrylic paints – Neon green, bubblegum pink
• Green glitter glue
• X-acto knife, pencil and scissors
• Thick white cardstock for the box

What you do:

1. Roll a small ball of clay and lay it out flat on a surfce (an inch thick and approx 3.5 cm wide). Using the X-acto knife and a google image for reference, draw a small line from the top right of the clay to the middle and another line from the bottom left to the center, ending in a straight line (looks like a sideways L). Use the image below for reference.
   • I love how a partial deathly hallows image was created in the second image by accident 🙂 See if you can spot it.
2. Lightly carve the words ‘Happee Birthdae Harry’ using the knife. Let dry for 30 mins.
3. Paint entirely with the pink paint and dry for 20 mins. Use 2 coats.
4. Use the glitter glue to trace out the carved letters (giving a 3D look). Let the glue dry. You might have to add a little more glue to raise the letters up.
5. Once dry, paint the letters carefully, using a skinny brush, with the neon green paint and dry. Lightly mist a coat of paint sealer over the cake to prevent paint from chipping.
6. TO MAKE THE BOX: Draw the following box template on the cardstock (the base and top are 5.5cm the height of the box is 2cm and the lid cover is 1cm). 
   • Cut out the box and gently fold along the lines to create your box.
   • Add some tape to the sides to secure and place the cake inside.                                   

 

 

 

 

DIY Harry Potter Series – ‘Mirror of Erised’ Mini Tree Ornament

The Mirror of Erised is an ancient, ornate mirror. It shows the most desperate desire of a person’s heart, a vision that has been known to drive men mad. The mirror’s inscription is in a foreign and possibly dead language (‘erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi’) and must be read backwards to show its true purpose, which says “I show not your face but your heart’s desire“.

To make a mini version of this mirror (a non-magical one because you don’t want to waste your time sitting in front of it for hours together), you will need the following:

• A miniature, gold-framed mirror from Michaels (Link: Michael’s Mirror)
• Cardstock paper
• Gold metallic acrylic paint
• Tape / Hot glue and pencil
• Thin black or dark gray sharpie
• ‘Gallery Glass’ Gold Liquid Liner or Gold Glitter Glue

What you do:

1. Cut out a strip about 2 inches thick from the cardstock. Using a pencil, draw 2 triangle shapes with a central pyramid to form the top of the mirror (I used this image for reference: Erised Image).
2. Paint it gold and let dry. Use tape or glue to stick it to the top of the mirror. Paint the frame of the mirror to match the top if there is a difference in color.
3. Use the liner to create a bar like pattern at the top, using the same image as reference and let dry. Add a few lines along the side of the frame and to the two triangles at the top.
4. Write the following phrase ‘erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi’ using the sharpie, above the bar like design.
5. Use hot glue to attach some wire or string to the back of the mirror for hanging.

 

Harry Potter Character File – Professor Silvanus Kettleburn

Professor Silvanus Kettleburn (b. 22 November,(pre- 1927) was a wizard who, after graduating from ‘Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’, served as professor of Care of Magical Creatures. His recklessness and the nature of his subject resulted in him losing all his limbs but one arm and half of one leg.

At some point during the early to mid-1920s or earlier, Silvanus met and befriended the famous Magizoologist ‘Newton Scamander‘, whom he helped with his best-selling book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by providing some of the information it contained about Chimaeras.

Kettleburn remained in his position as Professor of Care of Magical Creatures until 1993, when he retired to spend more time with his remaining limbs. As a retirement present, Albus Dumbledore presented Kettleburn with a set of enchanted wooden prosthetics, which needed constant replacement due to his habit of visiting dragon sanctuaries.

HAPPY NATIONAL ABSURDITY DAY

This day was created as a day to recall some off-the-wall and ridiculous things in history, in our country and our lives.

To Observe:

Do whatever absurd things that pop into your mind.  Have fun and do crazy, zany and absurd things. Let out the silly inside of you.

Use #NationalAbsurdityDay to post on social media.

 

DIY Harry Potter Mini Brooms – Tree Ornaments for Christmas

A repeat share from more than a year ago. With Christmas around the corner, it is time to start making and fixing my existing HP themed tree ornaments. I decided to share this again in case you’d like to make your own Nimbus or Firebolt 🙂

Follow the DIY link here: DIY Harry Potter Series – Quidditch Brooms

Fantastic Beasts: ‘The American Charmer’ magazine DIY

‘Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald’ comes out in a few weeks and I’m super excited. My plan is to go with friends to watch the movie dressed up as characters from the movies with correct props.

I wanted to make a Bowtruckle but a magazine seemed quicker. I chose ‘The American Charmer‘ from the franchise to take with me.

You will need:

1. A good working, color printer and paper
2. Google images
3. Glue and scissors

What you do:

• Do a google search to find appropriate images and articles to match your topic and print the sheets out. Some articles might not be available but you can always create your own using Word basing them off of the front page title.
  • For example, I found images and information on vintage clothing styles of the 1920s to include in my magazine.                                                                                          
• The first step is to create the front and back cover. I found one cover page of the magazine for the front and a  matching cover page for the back.
• Print both sheets and cut them out with some extra paper on either side (about an inch). Add a small strip of glue to the inner side of the back cover and stick it tot he front (make sure the pages are aligned correctly).                                                                              
• Let it dry and start gathering the inner pages to stick in.
• Decide the order of the pages and stick one image to the backside of another page to form a double sided page. Stick this page into your book.
• Start with the last page and stick each page over it to form a book. Let everything dry.
• You might have to add more glue to stick the pages in firmly.
• Try adding some advertisements or posters for certain products.                                      

DIY Harry Potter Series – Sirius Black DIYs (because it’s his Birthday and he’s my favorite character)

I love, love Sirius Black . He and Prof Snape are my two favorite characters from HP. This post is dedicated to his possessions (his wand and his Azkaban prison sign which I’m sure he wouldn’t want to associate with).

SIRIUS BLACK’S WAND – Quite easy to make, with easy to get materials but involves time and a lot of patience.

• You will need: 1 chopstick (preferably a small, short and rectangular one, black acrylic paint, dark blue fine sharpie, black glitter glue, a fine brush or toothpick
• What you do: Paint the chopstick with 2 coats of black paint and let dry in between for 20 mins.
  • Using an online image of the wand design, draw the design using the sharpie on the chopstick (you can erase mistakes using alcohol wipes). This is the design I used (Sirius Wand Design)
    

    

    
  • Use the glitter glue to go over the design to make it stand out (you cannot use the bottle directly as it comes out thick; use toothpicks or fine brushes). This is a time consuming step as you can only do one section at a time and let it dry overnight.
  • Once all sides are done and dried, you can go over a few sections again if you’d like the design darker.

Remember that the design won’t stand out after the glue dries but will have a slight impression on the wood.

AZKABAN PRISON SIGN – This was definitely easier than the wand, only because I had a plaque that I re-used.

• You will need: 1 hanging sign or plaque (craft stores or amazon), dark brown spray paint, khaki and light fawn acrylic paint, black sharpie (thick and thin), matte mod podge
• Process:
  • Spray paint the entire sign brown (best to do cover your surface with paper before spraying to avoid stains). Let dry overnight. DO NOT make the mistake I did which was waving a fan right after spraying to dry faster. I ended up getting some bubbles in the left corner 😦
    

    
  • Use the sharpie to carefully outline the numbers and runic letters on the sign (this is the google image I used as a template: Google – Azkaban Sign Image). You can divide the sign into sections with the thin sharpie as you will be painting over it.
  • Paint five squares (over the numbers), 2 rectangles below using the fawn paint  and ‘Azkaban Prison’ words on top of the squares (cover the numbers and symbols with the paint) and let dry.
    

    
  • Re-write everything over the paint with the thick sharpie (you can see where my 9 became really thick; be careful when writing). Use multiple coats to make everything pop and let dry.                                                                                    
  • Add a coat or two of the matte podge and let dry.

Hang your sign somewhere appropriate; hint: perhaps the basement or attic door 😛

 

DIY Harry Potter Series – Molly Weasley’s Birthday

Molly Weasley (née Prewett) (b. 30 October) is a pure-blood witch and the matriarch of the Weasley family. Molly and Arthur ended up having seven children, with Harry being one of their unofficial adopted sons. Molly was the mother figure for everyone within the franchise and the viewers.

“ NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!”

Perhaps the most memorable line in the entire movie, it was uttered by Molly when she witnessed Bellatrix Lestrange fire a Killing Curse at Ginny, missing her by an inch.

Celebrate her birthday by making Weasley wands in her honor: DIY Harry Potter Series – Weasley Wands

Common items at home and their everyday uses

Your home is full of everyday treasures that can be used in new, innovative ways. Read through to find out different uses for butter, straws, rice and more.

1. Use ice cubes to remove gum from carpet or clothes.
   • The ice helps freeze and harden the gum and it can be easily scraped off. Leave the cube on the gum for about 10 mins and chip away.
2. Use rice to quickly dry wet phones.
   • If you accidentally drop your phone in the pool or toilet (eww), dry the exterior as much as possible and place the opened up phone very carefully in a ziploc bag / clean, dry sock filled with rice for about 24 hrs. This will completely dry out your phone.
3. Rub butter over sticky hands to get residue off.
   • If you have sticky hands from playing around with glue or tape, rub butter over the sticky residue and wash with soap. This helps get everything off.
4. Walnuts, with their natural waxy coating, are perfect to remove scratches or blemishes from your wood furniture.
   • Gently rub the walnut against the scratch and watch it visibly smoothen out.
5. Use a straw to remove the stems off strawberries or cherries.
   • Simply stick the straw from the bottom of the fruit through the top. This loosens and pushes the stem away from the fruit.
6. Use the eraser at the end of a pencil as a cuticle polisher.
   • Gently push back the cuticle, following the natural shape of your nail bed with the eraser (doesn’t hurt or sting as much as the cuticle shaper).