Harry Potter Nursery - making props and items inspired by HP

Got in the baby mobile items and they are awesome! 482599_4763030795203_1340436556_n.jpg
 
Hmm, I like the idea of a triangle better. Have you thought about the coins you can get from noble as well? No idea what you'd do with them, but I like me some coins :p
 
Hmm, I like the idea of a triangle better. Have you thought about the coins you can get from noble as well? No idea what you'd do with them, but I like me some coins :p
Strickler - I like the coins too but have heard they aren't that great. I think I have a link somewhere for a guy who makes some that are supposed to be what the Noble ones could have been.

I got a 14 inch birdcage today and now I'm looking for one big (screech probably) owl for it and several 4-7 inch owls for the mini owlery I'm making. We picked up a Fawkes plush from Universal and it is spectacularly fluffy and colorful. (The one I've seen online looks like a bad stuffed animal you'd win at a carnival game.) The room isn't cleared yet and I'm dying to make stuff so I'm working on the little projects as I think of them. I pulled together some bottles/jars for the potions and ingredients to go in my glass cabinet that locks. I'll probably make Gilly Weed, Floo Powder, Polyjuice Potion, Unicorn tail hairs, and then I need to think of some more.

IMG_9915 (Small).JPG
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wolfie on the forum here makes a lovely set of the coins. I've also got a few of the screen used galleons, and wolfie's coins are a nice alternative to the noble ones.

Glass jars are a fantastic idea, use some old looking corks chuck some random coloured paper or something in there. Hey presto potion ingredients :)
 
Good idea for the jars: get a bag of pot-pourie and separate the contents... (leaves with leaves, bark with bark etc) and they make even better looking "potion ingredients" and smell good too (sorry to override your idea Strickler) but either way can work. Strickler's idea might be better for a baby's room though as you can make it more colorful)

Also, dont forget to get a stuffed Dobby lol
 
A popular idea for either boy or girl could be dragons, which fit into HP and many other themes. You could paint one on the wall (a not-too-scary one). I had this idea once, which might seem a little weird, but to attach a tissue (Kleenex) dispenser (or make it baby wipes) at the junction of the dragon’s mouth (see quick pic) which could be fun and also practical. Just an idea.

View attachment 184825

This also works well as they grow up; I'm 20 and live in a room with an uncountable number of dragons, including several HP dragons and Smaug. It's always good to include elements that can grow with the kid as they get bigger and even as they move away from what you picked for them theme wise.

An idea stolen from Star Wars fans: the nightlight can be a wand with an LED in the tip, as if someone had cast Lumos.
 
Wolfie on the forum here makes a lovely set of the coins. I've also got a few of the screen used galleons, and wolfie's coins are a nice alternative to the noble ones.

Glass jars are a fantastic idea, use some old looking corks chuck some random coloured paper or something in there. Hey presto potion ingredients :)
Strickler - I'll have to look up Wolfie for coins. :D I've got moss for the gillyweed, and I'll add some green dye to water to suspend the moss in. I'm trying for HP potions and ingredients using the simple stuff. Like sparkly yarn for unicorn hairs. (I'm assuming they mean from the main or tail!)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Good idea for the jars: get a bag of pot-pourie and separate the contents... (leaves with leaves, bark with bark etc) and they make even better looking "potion ingredients" and smell good too (sorry to override your idea Strickler) but either way can work. Strickler's idea might be better for a baby's room though as you can make it more colorful)

Also, dont forget to get a stuffed Dobby lol
panterateama - Potpourri could work well. A lot of them come dyed different colors now too depending on the scent. The only thing is that these will be in baby's room so all stuff like this will be glued shut for safety and then placed in my awesome looking glass (potions) cabinet that locks with a skeleton key.

Dobby could be adorable for the room. I think I'll see if the lady who did my mobile toys and mandrakes can make one. She already made my other special order so I'm sure she could make a Dobby!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Contec - I love the idea of glow in the dark stars. I had this in my bedroom for 5 yeas growing up and it's still one of my favorite memories. Maybe we can use the clear glowy paint instead of stickers. When we moved after I turned 18, the stars were a nightmare to remove!

This also works well as they grow up; I'm 20 and live in a room with an uncountable number of dragons, including several HP dragons and Smaug. It's always good to include elements that can grow with the kid as they get bigger and even as they move away from what you picked for them theme wise.

An idea stolen from Star Wars fans: the nightlight can be a wand with an LED in the tip, as if someone had cast Lumos.
Astrokid248 - That's one reason things for the room aren't going to be super licensed. I don't think I want anything to actually say Harry Potter anywhere. Just themed that way. But owls will be a running part of it with the largest owl in a cage small ones on the mobile and more small ones in the mini owlery in the bookcase. I'll lean towards dragons if it's a boy or unicorns, pegasus, and buckbeak if it's a girl. We don't find out for another month so I have to be patient.

I do LOVE the night light idea. I had a good one myself to pick up some bedside type lamps that could pass for wrought iron candle holders if painted right. I started them last night and I think it's going it work nicely. Add some candle bulbs and we have perfect little lights. (I busted one of them slightly but managed to glue it after the picture was taken)

IMG_0156 (Small).JPG

I also spoke to my crochet artist on Etsy and asked her if she could attempt Cornish Pixies since I am no doll artist and the ones I have found are not for sale and no one is willing to sell a pattern either. She made up a CUTE little pixie as a test and I'm going to get 3 for another cage in the room. Bonus - they have safety eyes so they can actually be a toy when baby is old enough! I didn't want wings on them so I could make my own. I have a million different ideas for that and most are removable for repair, replacement, or just safer play.

cornish pixie.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Contec I love the idea of glow in the dark stars. I had this in my bedroom for 5 yeas growing up and it's still one of my favorite memories. Maybe we can use the clear glowy paint instead of stickers. When we moved after I turned 18, the stars were a nightmare to remove!

The one's i showed in the video is not glow in the dark paint or stickers. It's fiberoptics
Don't seem to be that expensive if you get a kit. Google for "fiber optic star ceiling kit"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Strickler - I'll have to look up Wolfie for coins. :D I've got moss for the gillyweed, and I'll add some green dye to water to suspend the moss in. I'm trying for HP potions and ingredients using the simple stuff. Like sparkly yarn for unicorn hairs. (I'm assuming they mean from the main or tail!)

The Cornish pixies look great even if its only a mockup. If your glueing the lids shut remember the water will slowly evaporate.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The one's i showed in the video is not glow in the dark paint or stickers. It's fiberoptics As seen on TV! FOSI Star Ceilings! - YouTube
Don't seem to be that expensive if you get a kit. Google for "fiber optic star ceiling kit"

It's pretty amazing but we're in a rental home right now and that's something I'd want in a home we own. We plan to move within 2 years of baby being born so it won't do for now. But I'm sure my hubby will want to do this later on!
 
The Cornish pixies look great even if its only a mockup. If your glueing the lids shut remember the water will slowly evaporate.
Strickler - That pixie shown is the actual one she made me. She's making two more and then mailing them off. I completely forgot about evaporation. Hmm. Maybe epoxy or something similar for the jars I want to be super permanent then instead of just water.... The ones I might want to clean out later will get labeled as such and then not glued shut. They will be inside a skeleton key locked cabinet so I'm not worried about it. (Plus the ones that won't be glued will just be food coloring and water.) Baby will probably have an entirely new locking cabinet before this becomes an issue anyway. They are only using mine temporarily.

OH! I got something AMAZING today for the room. It's an Antique Armoire that has all sorts of carvings all over it and will be right at home in the baby's room. It was my birthday gift from my husband and I adore it. The top only has one shelf currently but we may just add a bar and use it as a traditional Armoire to hang the baby clothes. No idea yet. We'll see after it's in place in the room. It's just so beautiful and we got it for a steal!

IMG_0168 (Small).JPG

Tell me that won't fit perfectly in the room?!?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I dont want to be mean or anything but do you think this theme may be a little dark or scary for a baby? I know mine is just turning 1 next week and we went with the classic pastel colors but very heavy in stylized cartoony owls. But the armoire, the potting plants and other items (although I love them and they are all items I would love to have lol) seem a little gloomy for a baby room?

I dont mean to put a damper on things but I would suggest maybe using more stylized or cartoony elements to brighten up the room if some of the furnishings like the armoire will be dark. Just my thoughts.

Pantera
 
I dont want to be mean or anything but do you think this theme may be a little dark or scary for a baby? I know mine is just turning 1 next week and we went with the classic pastel colors but very heavy in stylized cartoony owls. But the armoire, the potting plants and other items (although I love them and they are all items I would love to have lol) seem a little gloomy for a baby room?

I dont mean to put a damper on things but I would suggest maybe using more stylized or cartoony elements to brighten up the room if some of the furnishings like the armoire will be dark. Just my thoughts.

Pantera

Not to defend her since I have a few other problems with this thread, but it's a flippin baby. It ain't gonna remember or care. Besides, most recent adults I know still have the furniture they started with as kids. I'd kill to have that armoire instead of my perfectly white, ultra girly, badly constructed gossum furniture. I've never understood the whole "babies=pastels" thing. (I also don't understand baby talk.)
 
I dont want to be mean or anything but do you think this theme may be a little dark or scary for a baby? I know mine is just turning 1 next week and we went with the classic pastel colors but very heavy in stylized cartoony owls. But the armoire, the potting plants and other items (although I love them and they are all items I would love to have lol) seem a little gloomy for a baby room?

I dont mean to put a damper on things but I would suggest maybe using more stylized or cartoony elements to brighten up the room if some of the furnishings like the armoire will be dark. Just my thoughts.

Pantera
panterateama -

I understand your thoughts but why would it have to be considered a dark room? The potted mandrakes are adorable. The Armoire is a nice piece of furniture and it's not the only thing going in the room. There will be two bookcases painted like the walls of the castle in the dormitory - which were shades of tan and light brown. There will be a picture wall with bright gold frames filled with bright painting like pictures of all baby's family and some cute pics of the main 3. The chair at the desk will have a bright gold cover over it. And the curtains are also bright gold and red. I had all dark furniture in my room as a child and loved it. I think it's really what started my preference for solid dark furniture. (my father built the changing table himself and it was stained a darker shade than this Armoire!) I personally HATE pastels. No offense to those that like them but I have always known that when I had a baby, the room would be regular colors. Pastels seem very girly to me and not in a good way. And I've never been super girly except for a few key times...dances at school, loved My Little Pony, and of course my wedding was kinda girly too with the hand beaded dress and lots and lots of flowers.

I also want our little one to have an appreciation for REAL furniture. Not the crap you buy at Walmart or even most of the furniture stores. Pieces like the Armoire were meant to stay in a house or family forever. They took a long time to make by a master craftsman. I can't believe I was lucky enough to find this piece actually. Besides, I have tons of bright Gryffindor items to plaster the room with. (other houses too in smaller doses) And the cages in the room will have adorable stuffed animals in them and be painted bright gold, silver and bronze. Did you see the baby mobile items? Not a scary one in the bunch. (well the mandrakes look cross but they'll be on a shelf for a long time) The pixies look like cute little stuffed toys, not scary creatures. (they look like a little kid version of the movies ones which is what I was hoping she'd come up with) Since all the accessories in the room will be bright and colorful, I don't think the furniture will be a problem.

One last thing, the Armoire will only be in the room for the first year. Once baby gets super mobile, it's moving to Daddy's den or Mommy's library room. (which may end up the same room anyhow) Our little one has a bunch of cousins just from my sister but they don't understand taking care of things like this very well. And besides I remember liking to bang stuff together and big furniture would be an easy target. So once baby starts becoming fun for her youngest cousins to interact with more or a little spunky herself/himself, that piece will move. But the second I saw it, I knew it was the final piece (besides crib!) for the room.

I'll post more pictures as the process moves along too. This weekend the room should get cleaned out quite a bit so we can start arranging things where they might go. And maybe I can hang the curtains! :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top