Have you ever hosted a tea party? Imagine a luxurious afternoon with enjoyable company, piping hot tea, the tinkling of delicate, porcelain tea cups and a menu of petite tea sandwiches along with scones and tea cakes. A tea party is a budget friendly way to connect with friends. It is also appropriate for a special occasion such as a shower or birthday. And little girls just love tea parties!
Use what you have when decorating. Part of the fun of a tea party is that the food is uncomplicated and the decorations need not be fussy. Have a cloth tablecloth in white, pastel or floral? Use it! Any teacups (even mismatched) will work just fine. If you have any crystal or silver in your cupboards, pull them out and enjoy them. Fresh flowers (even hand-picked) in a vase or teapot add ambiance.
Tea Party Ideas for Children
A Mad Hatter Tea Party – Have different fun hats for the girls to wear, cut out tea sandwiches in hearts, clubs, spades & diamond shapes with cookie cutters. Arrange a scavenger hunt.
Dress-Up Tea Party – Have costume jewelry, hats, boas and other dress-up items along with a fun jewelry-making craft for the girls to make and take home.
Teddy Bear Tea Party – Have each guest bring their favorite teddy bear. Serve peanut butter and hone creme tea sandwiches and teddy bear shaped molasses cookies. Mix tea with warm apple juice and serve in little tea cups.
Need an extra table? LifetimeProducts.com has an adorable pink picnic table that would be perfect for a tea party!
Tea Party Ideas for Adults
Victorian Tea Party – Use lace or cloth napkins. Purchase or pick bunches of fresh flowers to display in tea pots and vases all around the area you are entertaining in. Play a Victorian Parlor Game. There is one in the Girlfriend’s Tea chapter of my book, Easy Entertaining for Beginners. Serve fresh baked Scones with Lemon Curd and Faux Clotted Cream along with hot tea.
Garden Tea Party – Host this outside in pleasant weather. Have a casual feel with sunflowers and mismatched tea cups and serve fruit salad with tea sandwiches. Try serving a chilled tea refresher such as Planter’s Punch. Give a gift to your guests of a teacup and saucer filled with a packet of flower seeds.
Types of Tea to Serve - Black teas- Darjeeling, Oolong, Ceylon. Blended Teas – Earl Grey, Chai. Herbal & Fruit Teas – Chamomile, Passion fruit
Make the Perfect Pot of Tea – Fill a teapot or pot with cold water and heat until boiling. Place 5-6 tea bags (or teaspoons if using an infuser or 1 teaspoon per cup) in a 24 oz. tea pot. Fill with the hot water and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove tea bags and serve immediately. Offer sugar cubes, lemon wedges and milk if serving black tea.
Sample Tea Menu
Tea Sandwiches (crusts removed, cut into small squares or triangles or cut with a cookie cutter) such as cream cheese with watercress or cucumbers, egg salad or chicken salad
Scones (lightly sweetened biscuits) with clotted cream, fruit preserves or lemon curd
Tea Cakes, petit fours, mini-cupcakes or any bite-size cake or sweet
Trifle (layered dessert) or mini pastries such as napoleans or eclaires
