Now That's Thrifty!

Do you love Harry Potter? I absolutely LOVE Harry Potter, but I realized that they never made a Harry Potter version of Mystery Date. I thought it would be fun to play Mystery Date with the Harry Potter characters, so I designed this game. It took a lot of time for me to design this game, but I wanted to make it easier for you to create. In this post I will teach you how to make your own DIY Harry Potter Mystery Date Game, and I have included FREE printables for you to use!

 

Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. This just means that we make a little money if you buy something through one of our links. It does not cost you any more to purchase an item through our links. It just helps support this blog so we can continue to bring you more content like this.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the images or fonts that are used to create this game. You may only use my templates for personal use. None of the items in this post or in the resource library can be sold or redistributed for money.

 

DIY Harry Potter Mystery Date Game Instructions

 

Step 1: Find a Mystery Date Game

I purchased this High School Musical Mystery Date game for less than $2 at a thrift store.

I have seen quite a few of these games at thrift stores, but you could use a different version as well.

The printables I designed fit the measurements of the High School Musical version, so I don’t know if they would fit another version of the game.

Feel free to email me if you purchase a game with different measurements, and I can try to readjust the printables to fit your game 🙂

If you can’t find one at a resale shop or garage sale, you can purchase one off of ebay pretty easily.

The game doesn’t have to be complete either!

It just needs to have the following items:

• a box in decent shape
• a game board in decent shape
• a door that works and is not broken!
• the mystery date cards that go in the door (you will use these to trace)
• the plastic stands for the 4 pawns
• a die (although, you could easily purchase one if it is missing)

Step 2: Purchase Your Supplies

There isn’t a lot that you need to make this game, but there are a few supplies that I recommend.

• Scotch Photo Mount: I used this spray to adhere the game board and the box lid. This works really well because it doesn’t leave any wrinkles.
• Krylon Protective Spray: this is what I used to protect the game board and box lid from damage. It keeps the ink from bleeding because it protects against water (I tested it and know it works!)
• Card Stock: The cards, the door cards, and the pawns are all printed on card stock. This makes them more durable.

 

Step 3: Print Your Items

I have provided the documents for everything that you need to print for free in our resource library. Just click on the picture below to get access to them 🙂

If you’ve already signed up, you can go ahead and download these printables in our resource library!

The documents that I printed for this game are:

• Game Instructions (printed double-sided on white 8.5″ x 11″ computer paper)
• 48 Game Cards (printed double-sided on white 8.5″ x 11″ card stock)
• 5 Mystery Date Door Cards (printed single-sided on white 8.5″ x 11″ card stock)
• 4 pawns (printed single-sided on white 8.5″ x 11″ card stock)
• Game Board (printed on approx. 20″ x 15″ thick poster paper)
• Box Lid (printed on approx. 23″ x 18″ poster paper)

You can choose to have the game board and box lid printed somewhere professionally, or you can try to print them at home.

The university I graduated from has a workroom that has poster printing services, so i was able to print there for not a lot of money.

You can check out your local printing places, office supply stores, or even look at photo printing at retailers like Walmart.

It is possible to print out the game board in two pieces on your printer and then piece them together.

The box lid will be more difficult but not impossible to piece together. If you are worried about the sections peeling apart, you could always try covering it with clear contact paper.

If you choose to print at home, make sure your printer has the ability to print on card stock before you use it because you don’t want to get it jammed.

 

Step 4: Cut Out Your Items

After you have printed out all of your items, you can cut them out.

The game board and box lid have a lot of ink to dry, so they may seem wrinkly at first. Make sure that the ink is completely dry before you start cutting.

I used a rotary cutter and cutting mat to cut out the box lid and game board.

The accessory cards and pawns were cut using a paper cutter. If you print them at home, you could use a paper cutter or scissors.

I cut the mystery dates out with a paper cutter first, and then used a knife to cut out the sections for the door.

Before you cut around the door cards, you will need to trace around the old game cards (see picture)

Use a different old card for each new card because the cut out is different for each character. This allows the door to work properly by latching onto a different card each time.

 

Step 5: Attach Your Board & Box Lid

You could use a variety of adhesives to attach your printed board to your game board, but I used Scotch Photo Mount.

This adhesive spray doesn’t leave your paper wrinkly or bubbly like glue does.

If you decide to use a spray adhesive, make sure you read and follow the directions on the can.

It’s best to do this in a well-ventilated area. If you have to do it inside, I would suggest using a room that you don’t go in very often.

After you spray it, you will likely have to wait a minute (or whatever the instructions on the can says).

Then, you can place it on the board.

It will be helpful if you have another person that can help you.

It is best to lay one side down first and slowly smooth it out until it’s completely attached.

There is a crease in the middle of the board that you should try to press the paper into while you are attaching it.

You won’t want your board to be wrinkly, so make sure you smooth it out.

I used a brayer to roll out the wrinkles. You can get one pretty cheaply on Amazon.

The next step is the most difficult part of this whole project.

You will be attaching the paper to the box lid.

Although we had two people doing this, it was still hard.

We may not have gotten the paper on as straight as we would have liked, but we were still happy with the outcome.

You will need to line up the picture onto the box, which is way harder than it looks.

Then, you need to smooth it out.

Next, you fold the paper over the sides of the box. You will then need to cut the corners so that they can fold easily.

The cutting could be done before you attach it, but it doesn’t really matter either way.

If you are using an adhesive spray, you only have so much time to attach it before it becomes less sticky.

There is enough extra paper that you can easily fold it underneath the sides of the box lid.

Make sure you are keeping it smooth so that it doesn’t dry all wrinkly.

 

Step 6: Protect Your Board and Box

You don’t have to protect your box and game board, but it is a really good idea if you want it to look nice for a long time.

I used a protective spray by Krylon that keeps the ink from bleeding.

The spray protects it from water damage, and I know it works because I tested it out!

It is best if you can do this in a well-ventilated area. If you must do it inside, you should use a room that you don’t go into very often.

This spray has a strong smell, so that is why it is best used outside.

After I sprayed the box lid and board, I moved them onto our breezeway to let them dry.

I didn’t want anything getting on them while they were drying, so that is why I didn’t leave them outside.

The instructions on my can of spray said to wait a couple hours before touching them.

Whatever spray you use, make sure you follow the directions.

 

Step 7: Paint the Door

This is another optional step.

The door that comes with the High School Musical Mystery Date Game is bright red, so I didn’t think it would match this game very well.

I decided to paint it using some model paints I had.

You could also use spray paint I would assume, but make sure that whatever paint you choose, it works well on plastic.

I didn’t paint the whole thing, but at least the top of it matches the game better now.

Make sure the door is completely dry before using it.

 

Step 8: Put Together the Pawns

After you have cut around the rectangles of the pawns, you will need to match up the front and back of each character.

Make sure that they are the same size.

The two pieces of card stock will still not be thick enough to stay up in the stand.

You will need to put something in between them.

I used a scrap piece of mat board, but you could probably use a thin piece of cardboard.

Attach the papers to the mat board and cut around them. I used a box cutter.

 

Step 9: Put Your DIY Harry Potter Mystery Date Game All Together!

In order to put the mystery dates in the door, you will have to take the door apart.

Carefully, take it apart and put the cards in the door in the correct order depending on how you cut them.

You will want to be extra careful with the door because it would be bad for it to break. The door is the most important part of the game!

Now, you have everything done, and you can place it all inside your box! Or, play it right away 🙂

 

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Did you make this DIY Harry Potter Mystery Date Game? Share a picture of it with us on social media (@nowthatsthrifty).

Check out our other DIY Games:

DIY Harry Potter Monopoly Game with Printables & Instructions

DIY Star Wars Mystery Date Game

 

Don’t forget to download your free printables!

If you’ve already signed up, you can go ahead and download these printables in our resource library!