DIY, Home Decor, How To

DIY Harry Potter Spell Books

I’ve got another Grandin Road dupe for you, but this time with a Harry Potter twist! These Harry Potter Spell Books are a more elegant decoration for Halloween, and they are beyond easy to make!

I got the idea when I saw these Grandin Road Spell Books. They started at $50… ouch! They are on sale now, but for about a tenth of the price, I’ll take my version any day!

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Before we get started, I have to ask.. did you know that Dollar Tree had hardback books?! Because I definitely didn’t! The second I saw them I grabbed 3 and giddily ran to the checkout knowing I was going to make these Harry Potter Spell Books on the cheap! My out of pocket cost here was $3.75 for the books and $1.98 for the spiders, although I got two in the pack (from Walmart). Everything else I had on hand from other projects! WINNING!

Harry Potter Spell Books – What You’ll Need:

3-4 Hardback books (check Dollar Tree or other discount stores!)
Small plastic spider (I grabbed mine at Walmart and removed the fur that was on it)
Gold spraypaint
Gloss spray Polyurethane
Glitter
Gold Gilding (optional)
Gilding Adhesive (optional)
Hot glue/glue gun
Puffy Paint

Harry Potter Spell Books – How To:

Step 1: Remove the covers from your books and throw them away.

Step 2: Use puffy paint to write book titles on the sides of your books. I used class names from Harry Potter, including the Dark Arts, [Rare] Potions, and The History of Magic. Some other options are Herbology, Transfiguration, and Charms! For the book I was placing on the top of my stack (History of Magic), I also used puffy paint to place the name on the front of the book as well. Allow to dry.

Step 3: Spray paint your books with gold spray paint. Spay the top and bottom of your spider gold as well. Allow to dry.

Step 4: Now spray your spider with glossy polyurethane and add glitter on top. I used iridescent and black glitter for mine. Wait 15 minutes and then spray again with poly.

Step 5: While your spider dries, hot glue your books together. I placed mine in a stack that wasn’t perfectly aligned for a bit more character.

Step 6 (optional): Use gilding adhesive to add gold gilding to parts of your books. This makes them look older and adds more texture to them.

Step 7: Hot glue your now dry spider to the middle of the top book.

Step 8: Finally everything another coat of polyurethane for an extra glam look. If you chose to do step 6, I recommend 3 coats to really ensure that gilding doesn’t go anywhere. Allow to dry.

And that’s literally IT! Such an easy project! You could make multiple stacks of these Harry Potter Spell Books to sit on bookshelves for the holiday or out them on a spooky bar set-up. These would also be GREAT for a Harry Potter-themed birthday party as well! And at $1.25 a book, you really can’t go wrong!