The Top 10 Harry Potter Potions & How to Make Them

Looking to make your very own Harry Potter potions? Even if you don’t want to take a class with Professor Snape, the Wizarding World still has lots to offer when it comes to magical remedies!

From elixirs that take away anxiety to love potions to make someone fall head over heels in love, Severus Snape could teach you quite a bit if you’re willing to learn. While not as flashy as classes like Defense Against the Dark Arts, paying attention in Potions class can really make you a true wizard!

Ready to dive in? Here are the top 10 Harry Potter potions along with a DIY lesson on how to make some of your own (including some custom labels)!

1. The Harry Potter Love Potion: Amortentia

If only it was possible to make your crush fall irrevocably in love with you. It may be tempting to take the shortcut and slip a few drops of Amortentia—the strongest love potion out there—into their beverage. But this could have undesirable results. Not only does it cause them to feel an intense passion for you, but also overwhelming infatuation that might not fade anytime soon.

The love potion makes an appearance two main times in the Harry Potter series. The first time was when Ron eats chocolate laced with the potion meant for Harry in Half-Blood Prince. Until he gets the antidote, he can’t think of anything other than Romilda Vane.

The second occurrence was when Voldemort’s mother also may have used a love potion to ensnare Tom Riddle Senior. It’s unclear whether she uses the Imperius Curse or a Love Potion. However, Dumbledore speculates it was the potion. Merope conceives Tom Marvolo Riddle while Tom Senior is under the spell.

Some fans believe that the reason Voldemort cannot love is that he was conceived while one parent was under the power of Amortentia.

3. The Harry Potter Potion to Master Your Disguise: Polyjuice Potion

Introduced in The Chamber of Secrets, Polyjuice Potion played a key role in the Harry Potter series. From Barty Crouch Jr. using the potion all year to impersonate Mad-Eye Moody to the Order of the Phoenix using the potion to create multiple decoy Harrys in book 7 to get him from the Dursleys to the Weasleys, it seemed like everyone had Polyjuice Potion at some point. 

3. The Harry Potter Potion of Liquid Luck: Felix Felicis

Why Harry didn’t use this magic potion every single time he fought Voldemort? We’re not sure. While he always scrapes by and saves the day, it would have made things easier if he always had some felix felicis on him. 

This liquid luck potion makes sure everything goes your way. Wouldn’t that be nice to have in the Muggle world?

4. The Harry Potter Potion to Relieve Anxiety: Draught of Peace

While more witches and wizards could have used this throughout the Harry Potter series, the Draught of Peace rarely gets mentioned. It’s essentially the potion version of anti-anxiety medication. Madam Pomfrey says she prescribes it to students suffering from intense nerves during their Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.s). 

5. The Harry Potter Potion of Death-like Slumber: Draught of Living Death

This potion sends the taker into a sleep so deep that it seems like they died. It can have some nasty side effects, and it’s extremely difficult to brew correctly. Even Hermione struggled to make it. Stay away from this potion!

6. The Harry Potter Potion to Regrow Your Bones: Skele-Gro

Remember when the well-meaning Gilderoy Lockhart tried to heal Harry’s broken bones in Chamber of Secrets? And instead removed them? Classic Gilderoy.

Good thing Madam Pomfrey’s got some spare Skele-Gro to help Harry regrow his bones.

Unfortunately, it tastes absolutely disgusting. But what was Harry expecting? Pumpkin juice?

7. The Harry Potter Potion to Calm a Beast: Wolfsbane Potion

When a wizard turns into a werewolf, they lose control of themselves. Not only do they turn into the creature physically, but they lose control of their minds.

That is, of course, unless they take the Wolfsbane potion. When consumed at the right time, it lets the wizard turn into a werewolf and maintain their mental state, even though they make the physical change. Instead of going on a mindless rampage, they can curl up and take a catnap until they turn back into their human selves.

8. The Harry Potter Potion of Truth: Veritaserum

Ever wish you could really get the truth from someone? The real truth? Then you need a bit of veritaserum. 

This truth-telling serum will get the real answers you’re looking for if you slip it into your subject’s drink.

9. The Harry Potter Potion of Immortality: Elixir of Life

The Elixir of Life potion became the center of attention in The Sorcerer’s Stone. The creator of the Sorcerer’s stone, Nicolas Flamel, and his wife make the Elixir of Life by using his creation.

However, they decide to destroy the stone to prevent Voldemort from using it. Flamel is well over 600 years old when they destroy the stone.

10. The Harry Potter Potion to Undo Other Potions: Antidote to Common Poisons

To stop the effects of common poisons, you’ll have to use this combination of bezoar, mistletoe berries, and unicorn horns. And if you’re poisoned with something rarer?

You’ll just have to take the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons. The only problem is figuring out whether you’ve been poisoned with something common or uncommon.

How to Make a Potion from Harry Potter

So making Harry Potter potions as decor is a little different than actually brewing them in the Wizarding World. It’s more about aesthetics than using the “real” ingredients. Who actually has a bezoar on hand, anyway? 

When creating Harry Potter potions as decor or Halloween props, you’ll want to think about the label and the bottle. If you want that mystical, vintage-feel, head to your local thrift shop. You’ll find one-of-a-kind glass pieces that would look excellent to make unique pieces of decor.

If you can’t find anything great while thrifting, Michaels has some great glass pieces you could use. Age them with a bit of brown paint. Paint a thin layer, and dab and wipe off the brown paint in splotches with cotton balls. You don’t want the paint to be too thick, otherwise, you can’t see the potion!

Next up, you’ll want to choose an awesome label. To get some inspiration, here are some beautiful options you can download.

Harry Potter Potion Labels

If you’re making your own, choose hand-drawn, script fonts to look like a wizard or witch wrote it on themselves. Add vintage flourishes to make it pop, and print it on paper that looks like it has a parchment texture.

Then, start to fill the bottle with water, glitter, and a food coloring concoction with a funnel. Once you’re happy with the filling of the bottle, add a layer of hot glue around the rim, and pop in the cork. You want to make sure it’s sealed tight, so you don’t have any leaks.

Now, it’s time to accessorize! Wrap the top with twine, add charms, and maybe add a spritz of glittery spray paint to top it all off.

Once you’ve put your special twist on it, you’ve got the perfect way to show your love for all things Harry Potter: a homemade Harry Potter potion bottle with your own creative twist.