Making an Entrance (Part 1)
The entrance gates to the grounds of Hogwarts are ‘flanked by winged boars’ and serve as a barrier (sometimes magically reinforced by the professors and the…
Category Archives: 2016
Half a Trunk
In similar fashion to the Making Half an Owl Cage post, we wanted the cart going through Platform 9¾ to also have a Hogwarts trunk on…
Making Half an Owl Cage
When Harry pushed through the barrier at Platform 9¾ he entered a new, magical world. While we are trying to simulate that magical world for…
Real-Life Quidditch Team in San Jose
One of J. K. Rowling’s most unique inventions in the Harry Potter series is Quidditch—the sport where players fly on broomsticks, try to score goals…
Magical Painters
As Halloween approaches there are some details that need an artist’s touch. On our final Community Painting day, several skilled individuals arrived to help us…
Educational Decrees
Madam Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge (who would later assume the titles of Hogwarts High Inquisitor and Headmistress) enacted many educational decrees during her time at Hogwarts. One…
Making Magical Moving Portraits
One of the things that Harry and his friends marvel at when they first arrive at Hogwarts are the painted portraits that appear to move…
The Sudsy Science and Not-So-Exact Art of Potion-Making
Today we have a special guest author, Grace Albertson (my daughter). Take it away, Grace! — Hi, the other day me and Dad decided we…
How to Make Your Own Butterbeer
We got to sample butterbeer at Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Southern California. We loved it and wanted to incorporate it into this…
Building Hagrid’s Hut
We wanted to make sure that the house of the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts (and sometimes teacher of Care of Magical Creatures),…