Potter DIY: A Magical First Birthday Party!

Born as the seventh month dies… sound familiar? For Potterhead Marla, having her child born on Harry Potter’s birthday was nothing short of serendipitous. Naturally, she had to throw the most magical first birthday for Atticus (named for another beloved literary character). The fantastic news is, most of the decor, food, and even Atticus’s onesie was DIY!

The onesie was customizable and featured a Gryffindor crest, although other House options are available! The round glasses were fashioned by Marla, goggles painted black!

Marla, along with the help of her boyfriend Evan, helped to hand paint and create the brick wall used as the entrance to Platform 9 3/4. They used different colors of red paint, a sponge as the applicator, and a white bed sheet as the canvas. As seen here, Atticus excitedly awaited his magical visitors for his big day! (No Muggles were allowed, of course.)

What sort of soiree would it be without some of Harry’s favorite friends, including his non-human ones? Dobby, as painted by Evan, made a special appearance to wish his new friend Atticus a happy birthday!

Guests were allowed to speak with another magical guest: the Sorting Hat! It was made by Marla’s mother, Stacey, with brown felt hot-glued over a Halloween costume witch’s hat.

The party also featured food that would’ve rivaled a Hogwarts feast! Pictured above is a cake made by Marla’s Aunt Liz. (Clearly, she is magical in the kitchen!) Guests got to enjoy this white cake, made with fondant and vanilla icing.

Fashioned after the cake Harry received from Hagrid on his eleventh birthday, Atticus got his own personalized cake as per tradition for most birthday parties. This cake, however, was yellow with chocolate icing.

These cookies were made by one of Marla’s friends, Nikkie, who could clearly work for Honeydukes but instead operates from home! Depicted are the signature HP, Golden Snitches, Harry’s glasses, and lightning bolts like Harry’s scar!

Here was Atticus enjoying the act of opening his gifts! The banner depicted was courtesy of Big Kid Banner.

All in all, with the help of friends and a little crafting magic, a Potter-themed party can be made possible! Whether you’re turning one or one hundred, age is but a number when you’re a Potter fan! Check out our other projects on our main Potter DIY page!