Reader Spotlight: Sweet Harry Potter Ideas To Steal!

John and I've been brainstorming this week for our next Potter party (because of course we are), so I went looking through my stash of favorite reader crafts - things you guys have shared on either the Epbot FB page or FOE. While I was in there I found some goodies I can't believe I haven't shared yet, so let's fix that.

 First up, crafty genius Shanon L. found the best way ever to display - and use! - your Ollivander's wand boxes:

HOW PERFECT IS THIS? I'm seriously about to go nail some boxes to the wall in John's man cave, I love this so much.

But wait, there's more! Shanon has a whole nook of Potter pretties, and I'm seeing all kinds of inspiring ideas here:

Also, I'm getting the impression Shanon might be a Slytherin. :D

Alicia K. put together the most gorgeous Ravenclaw tree last year, and now I want to make one for every House:

The leather books underneath are the perfect tree stand - if you look closely, you can see one is The History of Magic! And I love the glasses on the owl, ha. Let's see, I also spy a diadem, an "Accio" ornament, a wand with a magical spray coming out of it, mini potion bottles, and Alicia even used my parchment-with-floating-quills technique! Yay!

Jamie K. threw a Potter party for her daughter, and made the CUTEST centerpieces - though I admit I'm a little biased:

She used my tutorial, but made it so much better. I love the cheery yellow flowers, and how she planted the Mandrake babies in actual dirt!

Leah L. has a double-hitter for us, and it's about to make you start collecting cloches if you don't already. Because LOOK. HOW. PRETTY:

Trapped flying keys! Yes!

Then Leah took another glass cloche - well, more of a globe, really - and put an incredible 3D papercutting in it:

It even lights up! Eh! Eh! EH!!! (That's the sound of me trying to grab it through the screen.) I MUST TRY THIS. Leah, do you have a tutorial anywhere? Templates? Tips? I think I speak for us all when I say inquiring minds want to know.

Here's a larger version of that first photo:

In case you're like me and studying every detail so you can try your own. :)

This isn't exactly holiday-appropriate, but Lisa T. made the prettiest Death Eater mask I think I've ever seen:

Then again, pair it with one of those blinking Christmas light necklaces and some Rudolf horns, and you'd be totally festive, right? :D

Lisa made it with a plastic mask from Michael's, craft foam for the mouth, and puff paint for the details. To paint it she based it in silver, added real rust with Modern Masters iron like I did for mine, then dry brushed on a little more silver for highlights. SO GOOD. Especially when you consider mine turned into the stuff of John's nightmares (he *still* won't let me display it), while Lisa's strikes that perfect "elegantly evil" note.

And finally, I'll end with a personal bucket list item: The Monster Book of Monsters. I've always wanted to make my own, but Sherry G. went and did something unexpectedly amazing with hers: she turned it into a pillow.

 Or rather, she made it out of a pillow, so it's still squishy. That means you can hug it! YES!

I'm especially awed because Sherry gave hers away. You wouldn't be able to pry that furry baby out of my grabby, grubby hands!

Here's a larger photo, so you can ogle all the details with me:

Sherry sculpted everything herself from clay, then used a ribbon to simulate the page edges, which is particularly clever. It looks like a professional movie prop, so talk about craft goals! 

Hope you guys enjoyed the magical goodies! As always, if you want to share your projects and photos with me, post them over on the Epbot FB page or FOE (just be sure to tag me & say if I have permission to share if it's on FOE.) John and I already have some new ideas for the party this year, so I hope to have some fun project builds to share over the next several months!