Make your own Harry Potter advent calendar

[getupgonow]

My 9yo loves Harry Potter, so I was thinking about a HP advent calendar. However, they're very pricey and I'm now wondering if I can do one myself!

Any ideas on what I can include (not Lego)?

So far, I have socks and a wand pen that I've bought for pence in the sale.

Primark do loads of bits - packs of badges for around £3 I think - could split up to cover several days. Pens. Socks.....if you can get to a big one there is loads!

Primark do loads of bits - packs of badges for around £3 I think - could split up to cover several days. Chocolate frog or bean boozle. Keyring.

A chocolate frog - possibly for Christmas Eve as they tend to be pricey

Printable colouring pages? Different characters, graphics of the Houses so he can decorate his room etc?

A mini jigsaw or similar? Or keyring?

Handwrite (fancy writing) or print out the words to some spells from the books, he can build a spellbook by Christmas.

Do you have all the books and DVDs?

If not, maybe adding to his collection some of the days.
If you do have them all, maybe a note one day to have a carpet picnic watching his favourite one.

Stickers for his folder for school, or a pen.

Fab ideas - thanks!

Make up a packaging for Bertie Botts Any Flavoured Beans - use Jelly Beans Bamboozled beans as 2 looking identical could be completely different flavours (like ear wax and grass cuttings are "nasty" ones, and apples and cherry might be "nice" ones).

Or a recipe from the internet to make something later that day from/inspired by HP - Butter Beer, or some other recipe but putting a "wizarding" twist on it (Hagrid's Hands - large baps with burgers and have crispy fried onions as "toenail clippings" in them; Severus's Toads - toad in the hole; or just do something sensible like searching the internet for proper ideas not my nonsense, and find people like this who have thought about it properly and have simple ideas like "Hogwarts House Cup Chicken" ).

Golden snitches - could find some on Amazon, or that lady above had the great idea to hot glue feathers to gold foil wrapped Ferrero Rocher!

I love the idea of a HP themed activity on some of the days rather than a "thing" - more environmentally friendly too.

Quite a few places do packs or 3 or 4 pairs of HP socks that could be split over a few days.

Aldi have HP stuff at the moment like a colour change mug for £4, drinks bottle £3.

Claire's accessories do hair bows (again could be split) coin purses, earrings, stationery etc.

Hobbycraft have lovely Harry Potter fat quarters in their 3 for £18 offer

I got funko pop style keyrings on ali express for £2.39 each (I'm sure they aren't real, but look fine). I also got a set of the 3 coins (galleons, knuts etc) for 93p.

When I did party bags for dd1's harry potter party I put in some things that were harry potter like but not actual harry potter items - like a toy spider and snake, a potion bottle with glitter in and a big plastic gem. Something like that might be an option.

This is the most amazing idea!

Primark have got wooden Harry Potter train fill your own advent calendars at the moment for £15 in Oxford St (not sure about elsewhere). The drawers are tiny, just enough for a sweet or tiny toy, but if you have a bigger item you can put a note in with a clue as to where it is hidden in the house. Or a clue to a Harry Potter activity for the day. They also have a Harry Potter Christmas tree decoration advent calendar in Primark.

And, of course, the calendar is reusable...

I feel a trip to primark coming on...

Love this idea, the last couple of years DDs have had quite a few HP things in their advent calendars anyway. Definitely Primark and possibly bits and bobs in The Works. I've already bought some HP earrings for grown up DD's stocking from Primark. I absolutely love doing the kids advent calendars.

Don't forget to look online for free printables so you can print out and Harry Potterify some normal things too.

You could definitely get away with a few days of Halloween sweets as fillers to allow you to spend more on other days

You can buy charms really cheaply on eBay. They could build up to make a charm bracelet.
Funko keyrings. There is currently a bowtruckle on eBay at 15p
Book mark - either bought or made.
Copy of the marauders map.
Gold chocolate coins- from gringotts or niffler treasure.
I have a snitch watch necklace that was cheap from eBay too.

B and M had a lot of HP bits and bobs the other day.

Make some biscuits and ice them in the four house colours.

If he likes baking I got ds a Harry Potter spell baking book for Christmas last year. You could copy out some recipes to make.

Thanks all - I went to primark today and bought:

• 3 pack of socks
• stationery set that can be split into 5 days worth
• a character pen
• a water bottle
• a pencil case

I'm going to keep going back to check for key rings/badges etc