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

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)

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?**

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!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

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

Wand Making Station

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.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.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!

Muggle Photo Booth

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 husband, Sean, joined me for a photo opportunity...Even though my daughter, Lizzie, was napping during our photo booth escapades, we did manage to capture her in some Potter glasses as well...Even my son, James, got in a picture with me! My brother too!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!

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!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.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>!