The Ultimate Harry Potter Gift Guide

That time of year is coming up very soon where you have to buy lots of presents for people you may only vaguely know. Today I have a rundown of the best things to buy the Harry Potter fan in your life. New editions of the Potter books are great but the story doesn’t actually change. So here are a few things I’m sure any Potter fan would love.

The Ultimate Harry Potter Gift Guide

HARRY POTTER BOOKS

I know I just said there is more interesting Harry Potter memorabilia to be found than books but let’s start with the obvious. Since Harry Potter first came out in the 90s there have been numerous different editions of the books put up for sale. Some are collectors editions, others to celebrate a certain anniversary. As far as I’m concerned you don’t need multiple editions of the same book so there is no point buying any.

However, there is one specific edition which makes for a really nice gift. The Harry Potter Illustrated Editions. This is a series of coffee table books packed full of watercolour illustrations by Jim Kay. These books are seriously beautiful, the illustrations give a new life to the Potter story. So far only three books from the series have been released. But with a slightly higher price tag, about £30 online these books make a really nice gift.

If you still don’t want to buy another edition of the Potter books you could always look at art books. Since the release of the Harry Potter movies, there have been a number of art books released giving a greater insight into the filmmaking process. The best book out of the lot is Harry Potter: Page to Screen, this is a 500-page book all about the process of turning the books into films. There are also a number of other books which focus on a particular aspect of the art direction, like creature, set and character design.

If there is a graphic designer in your life who just has to have a palm-sized book which contains pictures of the design work from the Potter films, you can even buy that. It’s a bit over-priced at £8 and the book could do with being a bit bigger but that is a thing which exists.

CLOTHING

If you don’t want to buy books you could always look at clothes. The official Harry Potter merchandise sold by Warner Brothers is a good place to start. You can check out the online shop or if you’re in London head to one of the Harry Potter shops. Primark can be another good place to find Harry Potter clothes, I love how the t-shirt designs have changed over the years. Gone are the days of just buying a t-shirt with the film poster on it. You want a t-shirt that declares you part of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, that’s a thing you can buy.

There are a few websites online which are a good place to find Harry Potter clothing. Truffle Shuffle is one UK based retailer which sells lots of Harry Potter apparel along with other pop culture favourites. The Harry Potter Alliance is also a good place to check out, this is a US-based charity which using the lessons from the Potter books as a way to create real-world change. Their apparel can be found at DFTBA.com with the added bonus that you know you’re helping a really good charity. This website is based in the US so if you’re shipping to the UK it may be more expensive and take a little longer.

HOMEWARE

Homeware is another great thing to think about as a gift. There is a huge range of Harry Potter homeware available in Primark. You can get everything from mugs and plates to cushions and blankets. They also have many different sorts of Harry Potter themed trinkets to buy to decorate any sort of room.

If you want something a bit less serious you could always look at Funko Pops. This is a series of small cartoonish characters. Funko has released a huge number of Harry Potter characters in this form. You can even get the characters from the Fantastic Beast films. Personally, I love getting Funkos as a gift, they aren’t something which I would normally buy for myself. But I enjoy collecting them all the same.

WARNER BROS STUDIO TOUR

If you have a really special Harry Potter fan in your life you could always give the ultimate gift. Tickets to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in Leavesden. This is based in the studios where the Harry Potter films were shot. The tour takes you round the actual sets used in the Potter movies. I went a few years and it was a really great day out.

You can walk around the full great hall set with actual flagstone floors, get a photo outside number 4 Privet Drive, it even has a full-scale Diagon Alley. Tickets do have to be booked out far in advance and at £45 for an adult, it is quite expensive. But it also makes for a great present.

FINALLY

There we go. Just a few ideas of gifts you could give a Harry Potter fan. Obviously, there are many many more that I didn’t mention. If you’re in the US once place to go would be the Wizarding World at Universal Studios. As I’m in the UK I decided to stick to UK based gifts.