Wands - the making of

It's fairly cheap to make cool looking wands.  Walmart has round wooden dowels in assorted sizes for $1 per pack.  Other people have used chop sticks.  We used hot glue guns, black acrylic paint (we tried other colors but liked the black the best), and glossy acrylic spray sealer. 

The kids love to use the glue gun and shape the glue (once cool enough, wait until it's slightly cloudy). Painting the wands was more time consuming and tedious -- too many nooks and crannies.  Maybe spray painting would have been better?  Regardless, you can make these in one day.

Dowels with the glue designs added

Painted with black acrylic

And, finished with spray acrylic sealer.  Can you spot the Elder Wand?

Signage

Signs are a big part of the party, especially to clue people in who don't know every detail about Harry Potter's world.  Here are a few using logos off the Internet and a few quotes:

For the Honeydukes Express
Trolley Cart Treat Area

 

 

To hang above the toilets

 

 

To place by the lopsided, misspelled cakes

 

 

Example of treat sign

 

 

Children chose their own wands when they arrived at the party.  We were tempted to shine a light, play music, and use a fan to blow their hair back when they chose it...but we refrained.