How to Have a Merry Harry Potter Christmas

I’ve dreamt of having a Harry Potter Christmas ever since seeing scenes in the first film of the Great Hall decked out in greenery and Hogwarts blanketed snow. There’s something inescapably magical about the holiday season in general. Toss a little Harry Potter themed decor into the mix and it’s brilliant.

I’m so excited to say I’ve partnered up with Kara of Whimsy Soul on today’s post! Kara’s blog is always packed full of value and her Instagram is my go to for AESTHETIC inspiration. Kara herself is a massive fan of the Harry Potter series – and has done some crazy cool inspirational shoots to boot (from a Chamber of Secrets door photoshoot to HP themed cocktails and beyond). When Kara hit me up with a little Harry Potter Christmas party scene of sorts she was dreaming up, I couldn’t resist. We broke out all the Christmas decorations – and all the Wizarding World gear – and enjoyed a fun day filled with cookies, tea, and plenty of magic.

You can read Kara’s blog post from our shoot here!

If you’re on the hunt for your own inspiration to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas, look no further.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

How to have a merry Harry Potter Christmas.

Break out the tree, but make it black.

A Christmas tree is a must have when recreating Christmas scenes from the Harry Potter films. I fell absolutely in love with the idea of a black Christmas tree when plotting for our photoshoot this year. Having a black tree sets a very spooky season sort of vibe, without being overtly Halloween. We usually keep our decor for the holidays on the neutral side anyway, so felt like a black tree really fit in with our overall home decor aesthetic. Plus, I actually was able to put our tree out early as a Halloween decoration. For Halloween I strung it with orange garlands and decorated with pumpkins at the base. Swapping the black tree out for a more Hogwarts vibe was as simple as removing the garland and pumpkins and adding some neutral bulbs to the branches.

Break out your Wizarding World gear.

If you’re really wanting to get into the Hogwarts Christmas mood, it’s time to bust out all the gear you have. I recently got my hands on a customized Ravenclaw Triwizard Tournament jersey and have loved wearing it around the house. I’m also a huge fan of spirit jerseys, again in house colors!

I have a few places I love to shop for all my Wizarding World inspired gear.

Seeker & Slade

Seeker & Slade is a small business based out of Nashville, TN. While the amazing tees, crewnecks, and accessories inspired by the movies that Seeker & Slade produces aren’t licensed – I also don’t personally need them to be. I find that the artwork used is unique that few other Harry Potter fans have the pieces I own. I also love that everything looks so much more artisanal and interesting as opposed to how cosplay-ey some of the licensed merch can tend to look. Because Seeker & Slade is a small business, pieces are very much sold on a first come first serve basis. I’ve definitely had items I had my eyes on sell out! Just a heads up in case you’re wanting to buy for the holidays.

The Common Room Shop

The Common Room Shop is another amazing small business e-tailer producing magical world and book inspired clothing and accessories. While Seeker & Slade is often more fantasy focused, you’re able to find general literary gangster type items on The Common Room Shop. Have a penchant for Little Women? There’s a tee for that!

Common Room Shop is also a great place to stock up on other fandom items (like Twilight) and even Taylor Swift inspired merch.

Harry Potter Shop UK

For all my licensed merchandise needs, I always shop online at the Harry Potter Shop. Because this site is the legitimate store for all things Wizarding World, there are few items you can’t find. Not only can you snag clothing, but home decor, stationary, and replica items as well. It was on this site that I purchased both my Triwizard jersey and my Ravenclaw spirit jersey.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Light a fire (and hang Harry Potter stockings on the mantle).

Nothing screams Hogwarts in the snow like a warm common room. We transformed my living room into a makeshift common room by lighting our fireplace and having these amazing Harry Potter stockings on the mantle. Kara is a Slytherin (she’s so sweet, so it’s definitely her ambition that landed her in that house) and I’m in Ravenclaw. It was so fun to see our house colors hung up on the mantle, ready for presents! The stockings really completed our little Harry Potter Christmas scene.

Play a Harry Potter movie marathon.

I definitely don’t need a holiday to tell me it’s time for a Harry Potter movie marathon, but wow do the Harry Potter films make for great Christmas movies. From the cinematography to the soundtrack, the films are pure magic and playing them during the most magical time of year feels very festive.

I’ve raved about my love of our Samsung Frame TV, but will take a moment to reiterate here how much we love it. We have our TV hung over the fireplace. When I don’t have my Harry Potter movie marathon on, I’m able to display artwork that I can change seasonally! Meaning even my TV can be considered Harry Potter Christmas decorations.

Opt for Harry Potter home decor.

For those of us who feel like Hogwarts is our home, you can literally make your home look like Hogwarts with on-theme decor – even year round! I ordered this crystal ball lamp ages ago and have it sitting on my desk. I love the magical vibes I get when working or reading at night. I’m also currently lusting after everything from Harry Potter bedding to Harry Potter throw pillows. I think Pottery Barn does an amazing job at making Harry Potter home decor look elevated instead of cheesy or corny.

Read the books at the base of your tree.

I’m a big advocate that if you love a series, buy multiple copies. Sort of like when you find a sweater that fits you really well so it makes sense to buy it in all the colors. I very much apply the same philosophy to my home library. Not only do we own our original copies of the Harry Potter series from when we were kids, but also have special edition copies in our library. House editions have recently been released, so you can show your house pride as you read your favorite Harry Potter books. There are also many different illustrated editions that make for amazing coffee table books. I did an entire blog post all about Harry Potter illustrated books that highlights my favorite versions.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Get into the Hogwarts Christmas spirit with this guide on how to have a very merry Harry Potter Christmas at home.

Send out Harry Potter Christmas cards.

Once you’ve got your scene all set up, it’s the perfect excuse to do a little photoshoot and create Harry Potter Christmas cards! As soon as we have kids, we’re going to be all over this. I love the idea of bundling a little one up in a Dobby outfit, tossing on some Harry Potter Christmas pajamas, and sending out the most magical and festive holiday cards you’ve ever seen. Christmas at Hogwarts is honestly such a mood.

Plan a trip to the Wizarding World.

I know this one’s a long shot, but it’s on my bucket list so I have to include it. Visit the Wizarding World theme park in Orlando! I’ve loved seeing online how the park is decorated for Hogwarts at Christmas. Diagon Alley is lit up and the entire park is very holiday inspired. If you happen to live in Florida, please let me live vicariously through you, and take a trip to the Wizarding World! If like me, you don’t live nearby, we’ll have to settle for future planning.

Brew some tea and break out the cookies.

Kara and I couldn’t resist a little tea and cookies moment next to the fire. If you’re really up for it you can bake your own – but I have to say the boxed cookies suit me just fine. Tea is also such a quintessentially British thing that tea time makes for awesome Harry Potter magical Christmas vibes. Especially when you drink your tea from a fancy teacup – or even a Harry Potter themed mug!

Don’t forget to check out Kara’s blog post! Happy Holidays!