Tea Party!

More and more girls are choosing to throw a Tea Party - even when its not their Birthday!

Tea Party Invitations:

Tea Party Activity Ideas:

Decorate a Diary
This is a great activity for the beginning of your party so the glue will have time to dry before guests go home.
You will need:
4 pieces of 8 x 11-inch paper per guest
1 piece of 6 x 9-inch lightweight cardboard per guest
Various pieces of colored paper, scraps of fabric, lace, or ribbon
Quilt batting for padding
Silk flowers
Glue, a stapler, and several pairs of scissors

Tell your guests to cut each piece of paper in half, so that each child has eight pieces of paper. Fold all eight pieces of paper in half to form the inside pages of the diary. Set the pages aside.

Fold the piece of cardboard in half to form the cover of the diary. (Don't staple in the pages yet! First, decorate the cover of the diary, so that the pages won’t get any glue on them.) Cover the cardboard with quilt batting, tacking the batting to the cardboard with a few dots of glue. Then, cover the batting with fabric, folding the fabric over the edges of the cover to make a neat edge. Glue the folded-over portion of the fabric to the inside of the cover. (For a neater look, glue another piece of fabric over the open edges for a smooth finish.) Add lace, ribbons, silk flowers, glitter, and any other decorations you have to make the cover look pretty.

After the glue has dried, staple the pages inside. Use three staples along the spine of the diary to fasten everything together. Personalize the diary by writing the owner’s name neatly on the inside cover, or on the front page.

Decorative Fans
This activity makes a great party favor, and kids will have fun creating their own fancy fan! All you need are crayons, felt tip markers, colored paper, glitter, and tape, along with a few creative minds. Draw pretty pictures on one or both sides of the paper. Then, fold the paper accordion style and fasten one end with tape to create the handle. Gently spread out the other end for a beautiful personalized fan!

Tea-Time Talk
This is a fun game to play at tea-time when guests are already seated together. The birthday child thinks of a message and whispers to the next person, and so on. When the message travels all the way around the room, the last person tells the message out loud. Compare it with the birthday child’s original message and expect the unexpected. The final mixed-up message will bring giggles from the whole tea party!

Tea Party Food Ideas:

Pigs in a Blanket
Your guests are sure to squeal over these delectable delights. Purchase your favorite brand of hot dogs, cheese, and refrigerator croissants. Slice hot dogs lengthwise and cut cheese into strips. Unroll croissants and stuff them with hot dogs and cheese. Roll croissants back up and bake as directed, or until golden brown.

These delicious treats are so good, your party guests will clean every last crumb from their plates. Don't be surprised if they make pigs of themselves and come back for more!

Tea Pot Cake
Purchase and prepare your child's favorite flavor Pillsbury® cake mix according to package directions; bake using a round ball cake pan (sold separately). Prepare your own sugar cookie recipe at home. Roll cookie dough to the recommended thickness and cut into the shape of two identical teapot handles and two identical spouts. (It’s a good idea to make extra pieces, just in case the cookies break.) When the cookies have cooled, place frosting on one teapot handle cookie and stick the other one to it. Do the same thing for the teapot spouts. (This makes the handle and spout stronger). After the cake has cooled, assemble it according to the directions included. Then, carefully press the cookie handle and spout into the cake. Decorate your teapot with white icing, using a star-shaped frosting tip. To add the finishing touch, use different colored frosting to add decorative colored flowers to your teapot cake. Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Purchase large, ripe strawberries from your grocer. Wash berries in cool water and gently pat them dry. Slowly melt 6-12 oz. chocolate chips in a pan and carefully dip the berries in the chocolate halfway. Place the dipped berries on waxed paper to cool. Arrange them on a serving platter and refrigerate until serving time.

Tea Time
Be prepared to offer your guests a beverage other than real tea, in case they do not like it. Hot apple cider, cocoa, or iced apple juice make wonderful substitutions. Serve beverages in tea cups for a special effect.

Dainty Cucumber Sandwiches
For this recipe, you will need two medium cucumbers, cream cheese, bread, and cookie cutters. Peel cucumbers and cut them into thin slices. Spread cream cheese on each piece of bread. Place thin layers of cucumbers on the cream cheese and top with another piece of bread. Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into pretty shapes. If you prefer, make your child’s favorite type of sandwich instead, and cut them with cookie cutters. Chill until meal time and serve cold.

Tea Party Punch
You will need: 2 qts. weak tea; 1 qt. pineapple juice; 1 cup fruit punch; 2 cups ginger ale; and ice cubes. Directions: Make the tea in advance and chill. Add remaining ingredients and chill. Add ice cubes before serving. Makes about 12 servings.

Tea Party Decorations:

Cut several one-to-two-foot-long pieces of curling ribbon. Curl the ribbon by pulling it between your thumb and the blade of your scissors. Lay the resulting curls on your table for added color. Hang balloons in bunches for the best effect. If you choose to fill balloons with helium, wait until the party day to ensure they float well!
Use balloons to mark the party spot; hang them on the mailbox, near the front door, or tie them to the birthday child's chair to mark the seat of honor.

Place balloons anywhere that strikes your fancy. The more the better!

Gather six or eight streamers and attach them to the ceiling in the center of the party room (or over the table). Use a light fixture over the table, if you have one, as the center point for the streamers.

To create colorful two-tone streamers, put two differently colored streamers back-to-back, twist as you walk them to the wall, and attach at shoulder height.

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Reason To Party has everything you need to plan the perfect Tea Party! Tea Party Supplies, Decorations, party favors.