The ulitmate, magical DIY Harry Potter party -- fun video included!

If you are a Harry Potter fan, you are going to LOVE the DIY Harry Potter party video I made. I have ideas for invites, decor, costumes, wands, activites, games, food, party favours, and MORE!!!

Find all the details in the video I made here:

Every party needs an invitation to set the stage and let guests know what to expect. For this party, I used my home printer to create an acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Of course the letter was from the head mistress of Hogwarts --  Minerva McGonagall. I rolled up the invite like a sheet of parchment, tied it with a ribbon, and added a picture of the birthday boy. So easy… but so cute!

Creating an entrance to the magical world of Harry Potter is easy, inexpensive, and fun. Grab a dollar store paper tablecloth, sponges and red paint. Then, dip the sponge in the paint and press it onto the tablecloth to create a brick. Continue the process until the entire table cloth is covered. Hang it up in a doorway, and cut a slit in the middle to allow people to walk through. You can also make a 9 3/4 platform sign from a piece of dollar store foam board. This was a BIG hit at our party!

I wanted all the guests to get the full Harry Potter experience, so I set up a “Madam Malkins Robes for all Occasions” shop. Everyone could shop for robes (which were black capes I bought on clearance after Halloween). I also had homemade glasses and ties that the kids could decorate. 

Every wizard needs a wand, so I set up an Ollivander’s wand shop for the party guests. To make cheap wands, grab a package of dowels, hot glue, and brown paint from the dollar store. Drizzle hot glue around a dowel, let dry, and paint with brown paint. Then, if desired, you can add a jewel to the bottom like I did. Pretty fun, right?

I also thought it would be fun to let the kids shop for their school supplies at Flourish and Blotts… just like the characters did in the books and movies. I made a spell book from a duotang, and filled it with a list of spells, a word search, and some Harry Potter trivia. I also made quills by hot gluing feathers to the ends of pens. It was really easy to do, and a fun takeaway from the party.

Having simple Harry Potter games to occupy party guest is key. We played freeze tag to Harry Potter music, I made a “Pin the Scar on Harry” game, I turned an old box into a Harry Potter ball toss, and I made a pinata from a balloon covered in paper mâché. The kids really loved the Hedwig pinata!

Of course themed party food is an important part of any party, and I had a lot of fun with this one. I had lots of food laid out, but the stars of the show were two easy-to-make cakes. The first cake was a quidditch cake. I started with a plain chocolate cake, and added 3 quidditch posts made from paper straws and pipe cleaners covered in black electrical tape. Then, I added a snitch made from a Fererro Rocher chocolate and parchment paper wings.

The second cake was a rectangle cake that I carved into the shape of a crest. Then, I added a lightening bolt cut from a fruit roll up, a snitch, Bernie Bott’s every flavour jelly beans, and a chocolate frog. The cakes really were easy to make, and they turned out super-cute.

I love sending guests home with a fun goodie bag, and for this party, I had the perfect idea for a party favour. I set up Honeyduke’s sweet shop, and filled it with Harry Potter themed goodies. Each guest was given a bag to fill, and a fun tag to tie the top of the bag with. Some of the items in my shop included: bernie bott’s every flavour beans, golden snitches, black liquorice wands, Mad Eye Moody’s Eyeball Gun, Remus’s werewolf fangs, chocolate frogs, and fizzing whizbees.

Have I inspired you to host a Harry Potter party? You could also just grab a few of these ideas for a fun family movie night. Make sure you check out the video here, and let me know which of these ideas is your favourite.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Warm and Fudgy Valentine's Day Chocolate Cakes (with only three ingredients!)

Valentine's Day is synonymous with chocolate, and today I am sharing a recipe you are definitely going to want to try this year. You literally only need 3 ingredients and 2 minutes to make delicious warm and fudgy Valentine's Day chocolate cakes. 

To make these quick and delicious chocolate cakes, you'll need: 

• 3 tbsp chocolate fudge cake mix
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp semi sweet chocolate chips

Combine the ingredients in a microwave safe ramekin, stir, and microwave for 50 seconds. 

(Note: Be careful when you remove it from the microwave because it will be hot.) 

You can eat the cakes plain, or you can dress them up. I like mine with a little powered sugar and raspberries, but they are great with whipped cream and sprinkles too!

And, of course, milk pairs perfectly with the rich chocolate flavor.

Check out this short video I made with my boys... and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more great recipes, crafts and ideas!

These cakes are perfect for Valentine's Day, but they are great any time of the year. If you love warm and fudgy chocolate cakes, you should definitely give this recipe a try. If you make them, let me know what you think. I'm pretty confident that you won't be disappointed!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find MORE easy and inexpensive 

Valentine's Day ideas 

here.

NERF Party Cake

I am not a professional cake decorator, but I love baking and decorating simple birthday cakes for my boys. They are always thrilled to have fun and unique cakes that match their party themes. Recently, I made a couple of NERF target cakes, and below, I am sharing all the simple DIY details and instructions.

I had a joint party for two of my boys, so I made one batch of vanilla cupcakes and one batch of chocolate cupcakes. Then, I arranged the cupcakes on dollar store pizza trays in the shape of targets (see picture below).

Then, I coloured icing yellow, orange, and blue... and I piped the icing onto the cupcakes.... and added some details with black icing.

I finished by adding a few (clean) NERF bullets.

My boys were sooooo pleased with their cakes, and it was easy for the party guests to grab cupcakes during breaks in their NERF battles.

Do you like to bake cakes for your children's parties? I am really pleased with how cute these cakes turned out to be... and how happy they made my sweet birthday boys!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

For a closer look, check out the video I made here:

"I love you to PIECES" Father's Day Cake

Every festive occasion deserves a cake, right? So, for Father's Day, why not try baking this simple and fun Reese's Pieces Father's Day cake? I call it the "I love to you PIECES" Father's Day cake.

To make the cake, I used:

• 4 boxes of Reese's Pieces
• a 9X13 cake (I used a cake mix.)
• vanilla icing (I used store bought buttercream.)

I baked the caked, let it cool, iced it, and then used the candy to make a yellow tie, orange suspenders, and brown buttons. That's it!

This cake really is simple to make. I think kids would enjoy helping place the candies on the cake too. Happy Father's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Pool Party Cake Tutorial

Today, I am hosting a joint "pool party" for my two youngest boys (who are turning 7 and 9). They told me they wanted gummy sharks on their cakes, and I went to work designing something simple and fun for them. Below, I am sharing pictures of (and a tutorial for) the DIY Pool Party Cakes I made for my boys.

For each cake, I started out with two 8 inch round cakes. I levelled the cakes and used icing to create a double layer cake. I added a crumb coat, and refrigerated it overnight.

Then:

1) I added some icing and covered a "beach" area with sand (aka graham cracker crumbs).
2) I used food coloring to tint some icing blue and covered the remainder of the cake with the blue "water". I used an icing knife to create waves in the blue icing.
3) I added details to the cake: bear cookies floating in peach gummy rings, bear cookies laying on froot roll up towels, gummy sharks, and cocktail "beach" umbrellas.
4) I also added some sand and water (icing) to the serving tray, but this step is optional.

Check out the final product. Isn't it cute???

I made two because my boys each wanted their own cake. One is chocolate and one is white, so everyone is happy!

A pool party is a perfect theme for a summer birthday, don't you think? I can't wait to share the rest of our party details with you soon.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Cupcake Parfaits

Sometimes a special occasion deserves a special treat... and these adorable cupcake parfaits are among the cutest treats I have ever made. They are easy and inexpensive to make, and children and adults will love them!

First, you'll need to start with your favorite cupcake recipe. I enjoy a good shortcut, so I always use my not-so-secret BEST CUPCAKES FROM A MIX recipe (which you can find on my blog here).

Then, add gel food colouring to store bought icing, and pipe it onto the cupcakes.

Finish by filling plastic wine glass with Smarties or M&Ms and popping cupcakes into the glasses. Additional Smarties on top add an extra bit of fun too!

These cupcake parfaits look impressive enough for a party, but they are simple enough to make any time. I just made them for my boys as an after school snack, and they were smiling from ear to ear. I am looking forward to making them again, and I highly recommend giving them a try. If you make them, let me know how they turn out.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can actually use any candy for the cup and garnish. My boys have requested Skittles next time... but I think Reese mini peanut butter cups would be my favorite.)

Easy Skittles Cakes

I just hosted a Carnival party for my two boys, and they requested separate cakes, so I thought it would be fun to do a number cake for each of their ages. I made a giant 6 and a giant 8, and I covered both cakes with Skittles. The Skittles cakes were a hit!

I started with 2 Duncan Hines mixes (white for the six and chocolate for the eight). I followed the package directions... but I cut the oil in half and subtracted 2 tbsp of water to make the cakes a little more dense and easy to work with.

I found a lot of cake inspiration on Pinterest, but here is how I made mine:

To make the six, I started with two round cakes, cut out the pieces I needed, and "glued" them together with icing. Then, I started making straight lines of Skittles. I covered the tops first, and then I did the sides. It took me about two hours (and a lot of Skittles) to make this cake.

To make the eight, I started with two round cakes, trimmed the bottom and top of the circles where they attach, cut circles out of the centres with a glass, and "glued" the two pieces together with icing. Then, I started making straight lines of Skittles. I covered the tops first, and then I did the sides. It took me about two hours (and a lot of Skittles) to make this cake.

The cakes were time consuming, but they were not difficult at all. I suggest using a good amount of icing and applying the Skittles right away. Also, don't refridgerate the cakes. I put my "eight" in the fridge overnight, and the color of the Skittles faded. The kids didn't seem to mind though!

My boys are huge fans of Skittles, but I think this would be a fantastic cake with M&Ms too! What would you top your cake with?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple DIY Hockey Cakes

I am not a professional cake decorator, but I love making simple cakes for my boys' birthdays.  Today, I am sharing the secrets behind the two easy hockey cakes I made for my oldest son's 9th birthday.

I made both of these cakes with cake mixes in 9X13 pans.  I greased the pans well to make sure they came out in one piece.  Also, I did a crumb coats, refrigerated the cakes, and then did final layers of icing.

For the first cake, I did a full ice surface, and I used the figures off my boys' tabletop hockey table (after washing them thoroughly, of course).

For the second cake, I did a partial ice surface, and I used some cake toppers I purchased from the bakery department at my local supermarket.

I think my boys' appreciate the time I spend making their cakes special, and I enjoy it too.  Do you prefer homemade or professional cakes for your children's cakes?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Heart Shaped Cake {no special pan required}

I don't have room to store a bunch of specialty cake pans, so I love the idea of making a heart-shaped cake for Valentines day without having to buy a heart-shaped pan.

To make a simple heart-shaped cake for your little sweethearts, all you need to do is make one square cake and one round cake.  (I used a cake mix for my cakes.)

Then, trim the cakes (if necessary), cover with a crumb coat, and put the cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes to set the icing.

Finish the cake by icing and decorating it any way you want.  You can even let the kids do it.

Don't you love how simple this heart-shaped cake is to make?  I think it would make a fun Valentine's Day dessert, don't you?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Eyeball Cake

I wanted to make my boys a fun Halloween cake.  So today, I baked my own version of one I saw at The Joy of Boys (which you can find here).  I think my boys are going to love this simple eyeball cake, don't you?

To make the eyeball cake:

1)  I started with a cake mix that I prepared according the directions on the box.  Then, I bake the cake for 70 minutes (at 350 degrees) in a greased, oven-safe glass mixing bowl.  (I would check it after 45 minutes, and then increase the cooking time by increments of 10 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean.)

2)  I let the cake cool, and then I frosted it with pre-made white icing.

3)  I added a little blue food coloring to some of the white icing, and used it to make the colored part of the eyeball.

4)  I used a tube of black decorating gel to make the pupil of the eyeball.

5)  I finished by adding some "veins and blood" with red decorating gel.

Didn't it turn out cute?  It was easy to make, and I think it is a perfect Halloween dessert for my three little boys.  Do you have a little one that would enjoy this adorable eyeball cake?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Spy Cake

My middle son is having his 7th birthday party tomorrow, so I thought a 007 spy cake would be perfect.  I am not a professional cake decorator, so I came up with a simple design using two round cakes and one square one.

I used Duncan Hines Cake mixes, but I used 2 tbsp less water and half the oil called for in the recipe in order to make the cake more dense and easy to work with.  Then, I carefully carved out the numbers, covered them in a crumb coats, and stuck them in the refrigerator.  When the icing was firm, I added a finishing coat of frosting.

I decorated the cakes with dollar store magnifying glasses, sunglasses, and black icing footprints.

Didn't it turn out cute?  Have you ever had a spy themed birthday?  What kind of cake did you have?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Cake

My "baby" just turned five, and he requested a Jake and the Neverland Pirates party.  I love making special cakes for my boys on their birthdays, but because I have never taken a cake decorating course, I am always looking for easy ways to make adorable cakes. Here's what I came up with this year:

Fun, right?  Can you believe this is a cake mix and pre-made frosting?  I started with 2 Duncan Hines mixes (chocolate for the boat and white for the island... but I cut the oil in half and subtracted 2 tbsp of water to make the cake a little more dense and easy to work with.

I found a lot of pirate cake inspiration on Pinterest and in books from the library, but here is how you can make one like mine:

First, you'll need to construct the cakes:

1) Make one 9 X 13 chocolate cake and two 8" round white cakes.  The rectangle cake is for the ship, and the round cakes are for the island.

2) Allow to cool completely, and then trim the chocolate cake to make a perfect rectangle.

3) Use a serrated knife to cut the top off the cake.

4)  Cut the rectangle in half (lengthwise), and then cut 2-3 inches off the top.

5) Assemble the ship by placing the two long rectangles on top of each other and the smaller rectangles at either end.  (Use icing in between the layers to secure.)

6) Cut a triangle shape out of the front of the boat.

7)  Lay one of the round cakes on top of the other (with icing in between), and then cover both the "boat cake" and the "island cake" (gently) with "crumb coats" of icing.  Refrigerate until the icing is solid and easy to decorate.

Then, you can decorate the cakes:

To make Jake's boat (Bucky):

1) Frost the cake with chocolate icing, and use a knife to carve "planks" into the cake.

2) Trim the boat with yellow icing, and add a red lifesaver steering wheel and yellow lifesaver windows.

3) Finished the boat by adding a paper sail on a dowel and some little plastic toys.

To make Captain Hook's Island:

1) Frost half the cake with blue icing and create little waves with the knife.

2) Cover the other half of the cake with graham cracker crumbs.

3) Finish the island by added some little plastic toys.

Finally, to finish off the masterpiece, cover the cake board with blue icing, and create tons of waves with your knife.

That's it!  There are quite few steps, but nothing too complicated, and the result is totally worth the effort.  My little guy could not have been more pleased with his cake!

If you make a version of this Jake and the Neverland Pirates cake, please let me know.  I'd love to hear how it turned out.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more Pirate Party ideas here.

Follow East Coast Mommy's board DIY Cakes on Pinterest.

Easy Easter Cake

Happy Easter!  I know everyone is busy hunting for eggs, but I wanted to quickly share the easy Easter cake we are having for dessert today.

Isn't it cute?  I used a cake mix and frosted it with store bought icing.  Then, I added some candy covered chocolate eggs and a little chocolate bunny.

Once the cake was cooled, it took me less than 10 minutes to decorate.  It doesn't get much easier than that.

What are you having for dessert today?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Olympic Cake

Olympic fever has hit my house in a big way.  So... yesterday I baked a special treat for my boys -- an Olympic cake.  This cake was really easy to make, and my boys LOVED it!

I started with a cake mix and covered it with store-bought icing. Then, I made an Olympic flag from card stock, and I used yarn and paper straws to place it on top of the cake.  Finally, to add a bit of color, I trimmed the bottom of the cake with Smarties.

Fun, right? If your family loves the Olympics, you should totally make this cake. I think it would be really great to have it as a treat during the closing ceremonies. I might need to make a second one. ;-)

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Lego Cakes

Two of my boys had a Lego party today, and they each requested their own cake.  My 4 year old wanted a "Lego Brick" cake, and my 6 year old wanted a "Lego Ninjago" cake.  I have never taken a cake decorating course, so I like cakes that are easy to make.

The designs are pretty simple, but I think they turned out cute, don't you?

Here is how I made the Lego Ninjago Cake:

1)  I made a double layer round cake.
2)  I frosted the cake with red icing, and made sure it wasn't too smooth so it looked like cloth wrapped around his head.
3)  I used a piping bag to show the yellow face showing through, and I added some black "ninja" eyes (with black gel icing).

Here is how I made the Lego Brick Cake:

1)  I made a rectangular cake in 9 X 13 cake pan.
2)  I frosted the cake with blue icing.
3)  I covered two Oreo cookies with blue icing and stuck them on the cake.  (I did this six times.)

I am not going to win any prizes with these Lego cakes, but the birthday boys were happy, and that is the most important thing.  :-)

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)