A few years ago, I found this tutorial on YouTube on how to make Mermaid’s Tears. This was the video that got me into wanting to make potion props. Then of course I started looking into making Harry Potter potion props and found Cooking and Craft Chick. Then my brother and I started making them, adding our own twist to it. And now a few years later, I am re-creating my collection and adding a bunch of new potions to the mix.

But the Mermaid’s Tears have always stayed with me as something nice to make, so here I am going back to the initial tutorial that sparked my interest in making potion props. For this one, Dream Gem uses a base of clear glue, but I decided to use styling gel this time around to see how well the glitter and sequins would stay suspended…And let me tell you, the styling gel is a gamer changer!

Ingredients I used:

• Small Glass Bottle
• Styling Gel
• Glitter (I used different shades of teal, blue and greens – I also added some chunky glitter in for texture)
• Sequins (teal and light blue)
• Seashell Charms
• Jump Rings
• Eye Pin
• Paper Bowl
• Plastic Spoon
• Piping Bag (for easier transfer into the bottle)
• Cooking Skewer
• Potion Label

I added my styling gel, glitter and sequins into the paper bowl and mixed it before adding it to the piping bag. Make sure when you cut the bottom of the bag to add the mixture to the bottle you cut it wide enough if you are using chunky glitter and sequins. Once added to the bottle, you can use the cooking skewer to move around the glitter and sequins to where you want them.

For embellishing, I added a seashell and starfish charms. You can really see the different textures in the bottle close-up. For the potion label, I did an image search on Google to find one I liked. There are many different options out there.

Boomslang Skin is the dried skin that is shed from the boomslang, a large poisonous snake. It is an ingredient that is used in Polyjuice Potion. This ingredient isn’t widely available to students and isn’t sold at the Apothecary in Diagon Alley. However, it could be found in a Potion’s Master’s private stores.

Ingredients I used:

• Glass Bottle
• Bubble Wrap (small bubbles)
• Dark Green, Tan and Brown Markers
• Cooking Skewer
• Paper Towel
• Jute Twine
• Gold Hot Glue
• Potion Label

After tearing some pieces of the bubble wrap, I popped the bubbles and stretched out the wrap so it looked more like snake skin. I used a paper towel to smudge the markers and blend the colors together. Then I added them to the bottle, using the cooking skewer to position the “skins” inside. The bottle was finished off with dripping gold glue onto the top of the bottle.

Ahhhh, what better way to get 2023 started than with some liquid luck! Felix Felicis is a potion that allows the drinker to have success at pretty much everything they attempt. It is meant to be used sparingly and is actually toxic in large quantities.

We first encounter Felix Felicis in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. In the movie, the potion is clear. It looks like water in a fancy bottle.

C&CC’s version has gold flakes in it, which I think is a neat touch for this particular potion.  

Ingredients I used:

• Small Glass Bottle
• Styling Gel
• Gold Flakes (gilding gold flakes)
• Cooking Skewer
• Jute Twine
• Potion Label

If you can, try to get the air bubbles out of the gel. If you notice on the top part of the bottle in my finished potion below, the gel on top is slightly changing to a greenish blue color. I think it might be from oxidation, but I will see if it gets worse in the next week or so. I saw in the comments section for this tutorial that resin can also be used to avoid oxidation issues. Some people seem to have experienced the same issue as me…Maybe I will try the resin, we shall see! 

If you happened to come by a vial of liquid luck, what would you use it for?

We are introduced to unicorn blood in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone when Harry serves detention in the Forbidden Forest. Firenze explains that unicorn blood will keep someone alive even if they are an inch from death, but it comes at a terrible price. The act of slaying a unicorn will cause the drinker to have a cursed life.

Ingredients I used:

• Round Glass Bottle
• Styling Gel
• Silver Glitter (I used a couple of different shades)
• Silver Water Based Paint
• Bowl (for mixing)
• Plastic Spoon
• Piping Bag (for easier transfer into the bottle)
• Jute Twine
• Potion Label

I totally forgot to take a picture of what I used to make this – sorry!

Instead of using a funnel, I mixed the styling gel, paint, and glitter with a plastic spoon in a paper bowl. Then I transferred it to a disposable piping bag so I could easily add it to the bottle.

Here it is up-close:

And in the back:

It pairs nicely with the unicorn hair we posted last week!

In previous posts, we covered a couple of common wand cores – phoenix feathers and dragon heartstring. Today, we are creating another wand core – unicorn hair.

Unicorn hair is said to produce the most consistent magic and is described as the most faithful of all wand cores. Wands made with unicorn hair tend to be strongly attached to their original owners. They are also the most difficult wand to turn to the dark arts.

Ingredients I used:

• Glass Bottle
• Synthetic White Hair
• Spiral Turritella Shell
• White Pearl Metallic Acrylic Paint
• Silver Hot Glue
• Gold Wire or Cording or Jute Twine
• Cooking Skewer
• Potion Label

I ended up using white synthetic hair from clip in extensions. I couldn’t find turritella shells at Michael’s so I ordered some on Etsy. I bought a 10 pack (I will use them in other crafts) for $5 here.

Instead of the gold cording that C&CC used, I was going to use some gold wire, but it wasn’t as bendable as some of the gold wires I have used before. So, I ended up using goldish jute twine.

The silver “glue” looks a little weird, because I actually used silver sealing wax because I couldn’t find my silver glue sticks and my silver paint pen. (Nope, I obviously didn’t learn from doing this with the Dragon’s Blood!) Notice the strategically placed jute twine on top to cover some serious mistakes. Working with actual sealing wax was just a disaster for me, hahaha! And it is really hard to get things on top to stay put while the wax dries. Maybe there is some kind of trick to it? If so, let me know in the comments down below.

Next week we will make the perfect companion potion to this one…unicorn blood! Stay tuned!

I thought this Freezing Potion would be a perfect one to add for Winter. C&CC’s version of this is much nicer than mine, but overall, I am happy with how mine came out. A freezing potion is said to cool the atmosphere and freeze the air.

Ingredients I used:

• Glass Bottle
• Artificial Snow
• Light Blue Glitter
• White Iridescent Glitter
• Zig Glue Pen
• Hot Glue
• Funnel
• Cooking Skewer
• Potion Label

As you can see with mine, I opted not to use the USB lighted cork. The artificial snow I used wasn’t as light and fluffy as hers, but I prefer the denser pieces. I used the white iridescent glitter on the glue that I dripped over the cork. I thought adding that “frozen over” look on the top would show the freezing element of the potion.

Have you made this potion yet?

We are introduced to mandrakes in herbology class in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Mandrake Restorative Draught is used to heal those who have been cursed or transfigured back to their original state.

Ingredients I used:

• Glass Bottle
• Clear Dish Soap
• Moss
• Silk Leaves
• Sticks
• Cooking Skewer
• Jute Twine
• Potion Label

I added in the moss, silk leaves and sticks first, then added the clear dish soap. I used the cooking skewer to move around the different elements so it was positioned how I wanted it. Then after adding the jute twine, I added some greens to it. This Mandrake Draught looks significantly better than the one I made a few years ago!

And this is what it looks like in the back:

Next week, I will be posting a Wintery kind of potion…any guesses as to what it might be?

Like Phoenix Feathers, Dragon Heartstring is typically used as a core in wandmaking. It is said that not only is it a powerful core, a wand made of dragon heartstring will bond strongly with its current owner. These wands also tend to learn quickly and are the easiest to turn to the dark arts.

This potion is meant to compliment Dragon’s Blood, which we featured last week.

Ingredients I used:

• Glass Bottle
• Red Stringy Moss
• Cooking Skewer (for placement)
• Black Suede Cording
• Dragon Charm
• Black Thread (for the charm)
• Black Hot Glue (not pictured)
• Potion Label

For the red moss, you want the kind that is very stringy looking, and a deeper red/purple. Mine came in a variety pack of moss from Michael’s.

I used the cooking skewer to put the moss in the bottle and place it how I wanted it.

Again, I skipped the chain embellishment here and opted for black suede cording. Before adding the cording, I strung the dragon charm onto black string and added it to the bottle. Then I added the cording and finished it off by adding black glue over the cork.

And here it is a little closer:

And here are the Dragon Heartstring and Dragon’s Blood together: