Title image: @itsmagicallyally
In short: A Harry Potter room gets cosy in winter with lots of warm light like in the Great Hall, blankets in house colours, a homemade Butterbeer and a film marathon of almost 20 hours. Here are decor ideas, my Butterbeer recipe, marathon tips and everything for a Hogwarts Christmas.
Outside, the November rain lashes against the window as if someone had planted the Whomping Willow right outside. Inside it could be so lovely: a crackling fire, a well-worn armchair, a hot Butterbeer in your hand. In a word: the Gryffindor common room.
The good news: you need neither a castle in Scotland nor the right password for the Fat Lady. With a bit of Harry Potter decor, a good blanket and the right evening plans, your room becomes a Harry Potter room where even Ron would do his homework voluntarily. I will show you how, with my Butterbeer recipe, tips for a Harry Potter marathon and ideas for a Hogwarts Christmas.
Harry Potter room decor: candlelight like in the Great Hall
In the Great Hall, hundreds of candles float beneath the enchanted ceiling. I cannot quite manage that many at home, but the principle holds: lots of warm light, spread over many small sources, and the big ceiling light clocks off.
To start with, Potions Fairy Lights are enough, hung over the bookshelf as if it were Snape's store cupboard. On the bedside table goes the foldable Hogwarts Castle Lamp or, for everyone who solemnly swears they are up to no good, the Marauder's Map Lamp. And the Hedwig Mood Light watches over you when you fall asleep over your book.
Real flames belong in there too, of course. Pop a tealight into the Tealight Cauldron and your room bubbles like the dungeons during Potions, just without a Neville accident. If you want to show your house colours, set up the House Crest Candle Holder, and Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws have their own light too: the Hufflepuff Tealight Holder and the Ravenclaw Tealight Holder.
The Gryffindor common room at home: blankets, cushions and a hot water bottle
What makes the Gryffindor common room so cosy is quickly explained: red and gold fabrics, well-worn armchairs and a fireplace where you can chat away whole evenings. At your place, a really good blanket stands in for the fireplace. The Marauder's Map Fleece Blanket shows you who else is wandering around the castle, and with teddy fleece it gets even softer. The classic choice is the Hogwarts Crest Fleece Blanket, and if you still shed a tear over Snape, snuggle into the Always Fleece Blanket.
A Gryffindor Cushion belongs on the sofa, and if you are secretly still waiting for your letter, add the Hogwarts Letter Cushion. For cold feet there are the Gryffindor Plush Slippers or the Hogwarts Socks 3-Pack. And if you want to slip under the covers in full common room style, put on the Gryffindor Pyjamas.
The secret star for anyone who feels the cold is the Harry Potter Hot Water Bottle with Hedwig. It warms you more reliably than any warming charm, and if you love Dobby even more than owls, take the Dobby Hot Water Bottle. And since Mrs Weasley is not knitting for you right now, the Hogwarts Knitted Jumper and the Marauder's Map Knitted Jumper step in.
Homemade Butterbeer: my recipe for cold evenings
No visit to the Three Broomsticks is complete without Butterbeer, and luckily it is easy to make yourself. My recipe is warm, tastes of caramel and makes two big mugs.
In a small pan, melt two tablespoons of butter with three tablespoons of brown sugar and stir until the mixture bubbles gently and smells of caramel. That takes two to three minutes. Then add a pinch of salt and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Now slowly pour in 500 millilitres of malt beer (a sweet, non-alcoholic dark beer; cream soda works too). Careful, it foams a lot. If the caramel sets for a moment, just keep stirring, it dissolves again as it warms. Heat it, but do not let it boil.
For the topping, whip 100 millilitres of cream with a tablespoon of caramel syrup until softly peaking and spoon it on top. Done. Because malt beer is alcohol-free, first-years can join in too. In summer it works cold as well, ideally in the Butterbeer Glass Set.
On the Hogwarts breakfast table, on the other hand, there is always pumpkin juice. For two glasses, blend 200 grams of cooked Hokkaido pumpkin with 400 millilitres of apple juice, a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon. Tastes like autumn and looks very much like the Great Hall.
For tea and hot chocolate in between, have a look at our Harry Potter mugs. The Chocolate Frog Mug with Spoon will not hop away, but it empties just as quickly. The Cauldron Mug with Stirring Function stirs your hot chocolate all by itself. And if you are inviting the whole house over, set the table with the Hogwarts Crest Cauldron Tea Set.
Harry Potter marathon at home: almost 20 hours of Hogwarts
Eight films, almost 20 hours of running time. A Harry Potter marathon only really sounds reasonable in winter. The most relaxed way is to spread it over two weekends: films one to four on the first, the rest on the second. That leaves enough time for Butterbeer refills and the debate about why nobody ever used the Time-Turner a second time.
Between two films, your brain is welcome to do something else. With the Harry Potter Wizard Chess Set you can challenge your flatmates to wizard's chess. Ron proved, after all, that a good game of chess can even save the Philosopher's Stone. If you would rather puzzle away quietly, you will find a Harry Potter puzzle to suit you.
And of course the books. On winter evenings they work almost better than the films, especially read aloud and with a Harry Potter bookmark at the exact spot where it gets exciting. Favourite lines and your own theories go into the Marauder's Map Notebook. Mischief is explicitly allowed. And if you still have not had enough, move on to the Shire: how to build your own hobbit hole is in my Lord of the Rings article.
Christmas at Hogwarts: ornaments, biscuits and Advent calendars
Hardly anywhere celebrates Christmas as beautifully as Hogwarts. In Harry's first year, Hagrid puts up twelve enormous Christmas trees in the Great Hall, and on Christmas morning there is a pile of presents at the end of Harry's bed for the first time: a hand-knitted jumper from Mrs Weasley, a flute from Hagrid, his father's Invisibility Cloak and a fifty-pence piece from the Dursleys. No chapter holds more feeling.
For your own Hogwarts tree, you will find everything in our Harry Potter Christmas decorations. The Wizarding World Christmas Baubles make a lovely starter set, the House Crest Christmas Baubles bring the house colours to the branches. In between hang the Firebolt, the Hogwarts Letter and Dobby with Sock, the happiest free house-elf in the world. Right at the top sits the Golden Snitch Tree Topper. Whoever spots it first gets 150 points and the last biscuit.
Speaking of biscuits: for Harry Potter Christmas biscuits, all you need is your favourite shortcrust dough and the Harry Potter Cookie Cutters. In the window goes the Hogwarts Candle Arch, a traditional candle arch from Germany's Ore Mountains that sends its greetings to the Highlands.
The Harry Potter Advent Calendar in a Hogwarts trunk shortens the wait until Christmas Eve. If you would rather fill one yourself, take the Magical Socks DIY Advent Calendar. And if you still have not had enough magic between the years, you will find twelve more ideas in my Twelve Nights for Nerds.
That just leaves the jumper. Mrs Weasley knits one for her children every year, and from his first year on for Harry too; in the book his first one is emerald green. If you do not have a Mrs Weasley in the family, take the Harry Potter Christmas Jumper with the Hogwarts Express. More Harry Potter gift ideas are waiting in our Harry Potter world.
Frequently asked questions about a Harry Potter winter
What does the Gryffindor common room look like?
The Gryffindor common room is in Gryffindor Tower behind the portrait of the Fat Lady and is done entirely in red and gold. Typical features are a large fireplace, soft armchairs and tables for homework. To recreate it at home, you mainly need warm light, blankets and cushions in red and gold.
How long are all the Harry Potter films?
All eight films add up to around 1,180 minutes, so almost 20 hours. The longest is Chamber of Secrets at about two hours 40 minutes, the shortest Deathly Hallows Part 2 at just over two hours.
In what order should you watch the Harry Potter films?
Best in release order, since that matches the story too: Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and the two parts of the Deathly Hallows. The Fantastic Beasts films are set in the 1920s and 1930s and can come before or after.
Is Butterbeer alcoholic?
In the books Butterbeer contains a tiny bit of alcohol, enough at least for the house-elf Winky to get drunk on it. My recipe with malt beer is alcohol-free and therefore suitable for every Hogwarts year.
Which Harry Potter films have Christmas in them?
Christmas appears in several films. It is loveliest in the first film, when Harry gets the Invisibility Cloak, in Goblet of Fire with the Yule Ball, and in Deathly Hallows Part 1, when Harry and Hermione arrive in Godric's Hollow on Christmas Eve. So three films are enough for a small Christmas marathon.
What colour is Harry's Weasley jumper?
In the book Harry's first Weasley jumper is emerald green. Ron gets a maroon one as he does every year, and is noticeably less pleased about it than Harry.
And now: put the kettle on
Blanket round your shoulders, Butterbeer in hand, the first film is playing. A winter evening needs nothing more. And if an owl taps on your window with your letter tonight after all: you are already packed.
Everything for your Harry Potter room is in our Harry Potter world.
0 comments