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…
Tag Archives: build
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…
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…
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),…
Wizarding Signs
Signage is apparently still an important part of the wizarding world. There are some iconic signs from Harry Potter that we wanted to create for…
How to Make Hogwarts’ Front Door
This year, I wanted to make the entrance to Hogwarts Castle feel extra special. Normally, I would have created a flat, painted cardboard version, but this year…
Video: Production Update 10-9-16
Here is a production update video for the first week of October. In it, I show the model of the Halloween house, the structures for…
A Model School for Witchcraft and Wizardry
Sketches and Photoshop mock ups help a great deal in planning the Halloween House. Sometimes, though, I find it hard to envision how the scene…
The Builders of Hogwarts
“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” ― Professor Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Many…
My Master List
As you can imagine, there are lots of things that go into creating a Halloween house, each of which has many steps and checkpoints. How…
How to Make Corn Stalks
A few months before Halloween, when we finalized the layout we imagined an area where there would be the Scarecrow standing in a field of…
Oz in Miniature
Sometimes it is challenging to envision how parts of the Halloween house will go together. I find it really helpful to work out some of…