The Tea House Times Tea Party Ideas, Recipes, Tea Party Games, Tea Party Planner, Invitations

By offering recipes, tea party ideas, a party planner, and games, we hope you return often and share your ideas with us. Tea is becoming the most popular form of socializing. Let's help each other spread the passion!

SUBSCRIBE NOW to The Tea House Times and receive NEW Afternoon Tea Recipes, Crafts, Tea Connoisseur, Victoriana (history, fashion, jewelry), Etiquette, Tea Society Stories, Friendship Quotes, and other lovely information to share at your tea party or tea gathering. Lovely to read from, and provides entertainment for your gathering. The Tea House Times is published 6 times per year. The Tea House Times is a pleasant reminder of a wonderful tea room experience; fine china, mismatched silver, beautiful teapots, ladies wearing hats, and the pleasure and friendships of socializing the old fashioned way--over a pot of tea. Makes you want to visit your favorite tea room more often! The Tea House Times is THE perfect party favor. Need more information about The Tea House Times? Click Here.

For tea party theme ideas, scroll down or click on the underlined headings below:

Visit our tea facts and news pages for great information and other helpful ideas and inspiration.

Visit The Tea House Times Gift Shoppe Page for Tea Party Seminar CDs You'll want them all. Very pleasant listening CDs by Lady Dawnya Sasse. We also have many new products including invitations, thank you notes, teapot place card holders, place cards, and beautiful inexpensive gifts and favors. Enjoy! See our new Tea Ribbon, Perfect for your party favors. Click here.

No matter the reason for your party, "tea" is becoming the popular theme. A baby or bridal shower does not have to focus entirely on "baby" or "bridal" themes. The gifts, food, and decorations even do not have to be specifically baby or bridal. Choose a tea-themed party and decorate accordingly. Anything pretty will do. You need not have fine linens or delicate china. There are many disposable party goods available to spruce up the beauty of your party. Remember: choose your decor and serving pieces upon those attending. Having small children?--choose paper products, plastic, or a less valuable set of china. Having a formal tea?--your finest china, tea cups, silverware, and linens are a must!

Thinking of hosting a Victorian themed tea? Well how is that different from a regular tea party? Afternoon tea otherwise known as "low tea" became popular in Victorian times. We have attended some very formal teas where everyone was requested to come dressed in full Victorian costume, corset and all. But you can just request your guests dress in lacy, pretty outfits with hats of course! Foods should include finger sandwiches, scones, sweets, and tea. Serve it on your finest china and use your best teacups or have everyone bring a cup from home. Special party favors might include a fan and the printed history of the fan and what certain signals meant. Or give everyone some Victorian inspired writing paper or an issue of The Tea House Times.

HIGH TEA: The term "High Tea" is often misused because people think the names sounds lofty and regal. High Tea, in fact, refers to tea that was served at a high dining table rather than a low tea table. During the Industrial Revolution, the second half of the Victorian Era, working class families would return home exhausted after a long day. The table would be set with foods like Welsh rabbit, shepherd's pie, steak, bread, butter, potatoes, pickles, cheese and tea.

LOW TEA: Also known as Afternoon Tea, Low Tea was usually taken late in the afternoon. It was taken in the sitting room where low tables, like coffee tables, were placed near chairs and sofas. Tiny tea sandwiches, scones and pastries were served with Afternoon Tea. These finger foods were ideal, as the small bites allowed for guests to easily maintain conversation.

TEA ROOMS: As teas became more popular, Tea Rooms sprang up throughout England and many served tea daily from 3 to 5 in the afternoon. Today most Tea Rooms offer three basic types of Afternoon Tea:

This above description of High & Low Teas is from A Little Indulgence -- TEA ©2005 CQ Products. The information is used by permission of CQ Products. This is copyrighted property and may not be re-printed or used in any manner without proper authority from the publisher. Order A Little Indulgence -- TEA from CQ Products today.

HOSTING A FABULOUS CHILDREN’S TEA PARTY

by Lady Dawnya Sasse

Gone are the days where a child’s tea party only involves a solitary child and a table full of stuffed animals and empty plastic tea cups! The options for creating a children’s tea party are boundless, which this article will briefly demonstrate.

Themes

A children’s tea party does not need to be limited to fancy dresses, gloves, and quiet chit-chat around the table—although this type of tea party can be great fun! If you are interested in hosting multiple tea parties or creating one special event, having a variety of themes to choose from may help get the creative juices flowing. Tea parties can focus around any of the following themes:

. • Birthdays

. • Seasons

. • Holidays

. • Special events (graduations, celebrations, etc.)

. • Favorite things (dolls, stuffed animals)

. • Special people (such as grandparents, friends)

. • Much, much more!

Choose decorations that compliment your theme, and if possible, find invitations that are either theme-or tea-related, such as cups and saucers or teapots.

Supplies

Depending on your needs, you will need to have a certain amount of

supplies for the designated party, or, if you are interested in hosting

children’s tea parties as a business venture, a variety of supplies. Some

ideas include:

Dress-up clothes

Girls especially like to dress up, and if you are able to locate a variety of fun clothes (check local discount or pre-owned clothing stores), children can pick and choose. Faux jewelry and lots of fun hats are also good to have on hand. If the party will be a one-time event, invite children to come dressed-up on arrival.

China

While tea parties of old often made use of plastic tea sets, consider looking into inexpensive china from second-hand stores, friends, or relatives. Adding this special touch along with some carefully chosen table ornaments, such as flowers and doilies, will help give the tea party that extra special aura.

Activities

Many tea parties will need additional activities to compliment the time sitting at the table. Use your theme for ideas, as well as these ideas:

. • Songs (I’m a Little Teapot)

. • Pin the Tail on the Donkey (or cup on the table, handle on the cup)

. • Pinatas (cup or teapot shaped)

. • Fashion show (let the children show off their outfits)

. • Crafts (color paper tea pots, decorate a cup, etc.)

. • Relay races (incorporate the theme or use tea trays with plastic cups)

. • Games (filling teapots with water one cup at a time, three legged races, etc.)

Food and beverages!

The food you choose to serve will depend largely on the theme. If a traditional English or New England theme is chosen, consider serving small sandwiches or delicate cookies. A birthday theme may incorporate scones or small cakes. Whatever is chosen, think about ease of serving, utensils required (if any), and the overall messiness of the food.

Finally, don’t forget the tea!

There is an abundance of tea options to choose from. Fruity or herbal teas
are probably best (as opposed to real teas which are stronger tasting and
contain caffeine). Have a few choices on hand so the children can
experiment. Also, even though it is a tea party, have some non-tea
beverages available just in case.

Last-minute tips

Always remember to be flexible and have back-up plans if needed. For
example, outside games may need indoor counterparts in the event of bad
weather. Have fun and enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lady Dawnya Sasse, is author of the world's first online tea business programs entitled "Start a Tea Business" (TM) and "Start A Children's Tea Party Business." (TM) To learn more about her online classes and to sign up for her FREE Tea Radio(TM) Broadcasts visit her site at www.TeaEvents.com See Also Start a Tea Business.

Visit The Tea House Times Gift Shoppe Page for Tea Party Seminar CDs You'll want them all.

Very pleasant listening CDs by Lady Dawnya Sasse.

“GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN!” OR HOW TO PLAN A TEA PARTY
by “Lady” Dawnya Sasse

Confucius is credited with saying “the great man is he who does not lose his child’s heart.” That sentiment can accurately be paraphrased as “greatness comes to those who remember the joy of childhood.” And what was more fun in childhood than having a tea party?

It’s time to forget all the staid rules of entertaining. You don’t have to have a seven course, sit-down dinner to be the social highlight of the year. Instead, how about returning to the giggles and glee of past years?

Planning a tea party is really very easy. Remember when all you had to have was a stuffed animal and a cup of water? It’s not much different now. First, decide who to invite. Of course, there is always the lovable “best” friend, and those playmates you pal around with, but part of the adventure of a party can be in making new friends! Don’t be afraid to invite new people. It’s the mix of personalities that provides the “pop” to the party!

Next, decide what kind of party you want to have. You don’t have to have a birthday, a wedding, or a baby shower to celebrate. Consider throwing a tea party to “Fight the February Blahs,” to “Commemorate the 26^th Saturday of the year,” to “Honor your Youth,” to “Play-Hooky-From-Housework,” or to “Share Secrets.” (Remember how much fun it used to be to whisper around a lovely table set with dainty cups and tiny spoons?)

You’ve heard of wine tastings? How about hosting a tea-tasting, sharing those rich, warm, exotic, pungent teas from India, China, and Japan? Since tea is the featured ingredient of the whole party, use good quality, loose-leaf tea. Nothing is as elegant, or as much fun, as partaking in the ritual of afternoon tea, brewed, poured, savored and sipped at the tabletop. Experiment with the Chais, herbals, and bubble teas. Ask everyone to share a memory associated with tea. You’ll be surprised how much fun you have.

The next step in your tea party preparation is to decide on your refreshments. But remember that a tea party is play time and any kind of a snack is welcome. Consider doing “themed” treats. How about if you have a strawberry theme, serving scones with strawberry butter, or strawberry jam cookies, or fresh strawberries with cream, or strawberry tea? Plan around the red and pink of the fruit, using red napkins and red plates.

Another option for themed refreshments is to serve teas from one specific country or region and decorate accordingly. (Think of the rich, jewel-tones of India and imagine napkins or a tablecloth set with such gorgeous fabrics. You could even practice sari-wrapping on your guests.) Consider having a “shape” theme, making everything you serve be round, or square, or triangular, or star-shaped. Pick a color theme, and plan the tea and food around the color. (Orange, black, and green teas are obvious, but there are also the names of specific teas: Blue ginger, White Lotus, Silver Pearls, to name just a few.) Decorations come naturally following the name of the tea.

Finally, the last step in hosting a tea party is simply to have fun. Enjoy the people around you. Remember what it’s like to laugh. Giggle as you did when you were a child. Savor life as you’re sipping tea – and smile.

Lady Dawnya Sasse, is author of the world's first online tea business programs entitled "Start a Tea Business" (TM) and "Start A Children's Tea Party Business." (TM) To learn more about her online classes and to sign up for her FREE Tea Radio Broadcasts visit her site at www.TeaEvents.com (TM) See Also Start a Tea Business.

Visit The Tea House Times Gift Shoppe Page for Tea Party Seminar CDs You'll want them all.

For a Baby Shower tea, think about other showers you have attended. Were they small gatherings in a home, or the local firehouse, or did you go to a restaurant or catering facility? The options are endless really. You can even have an outdoor party or book your local tea room or host a tea at your own home.

First put your list together of people to invite. Once you have your total number of attendees, determine the type of party and a location large enough to comfortably fit everyone with room to move around and socialize and play games and open gifts.

If you decide to host a tea themed baby shower, you can still decorate accordingly with pink and/or blue decorations, but make your foods and games and party favors tea related. Tea party foods include finger sandwiches, scones, sweets, and tea of course. This type of food is fine whether you decide to host a sit-down affair or a banquet style casual dining experience.

A tea party baby shower is such a nice treat for the ladies. Adding pretty and dainty details that go along with an afternoon tea experience make a tea party baby shower extra special. Use fresh flowers on the tables. Use your finest dishes and teacups. If you don’t have anything suitable, visit your local antique shop or go to ebay.com to find some inexpensive but beautiful options for serving. If you are not having a sit down area, consider those lovely luncheon dishes that come with a teacup. The plate has a spot on it for the cup. So you can socialize and eat and have your teacup nicely balanced altogether.

I’m sure you have played games at a baby shower. The games are very similar to the games we have here at our website except the usual baby shower games are baby related and our games are tea themed. Try our tea party bingo and the tea party word scramble. Just print them off and you are ready. If you are including children at the party, print off the cootie catchers/fortune tellers too, they love it.

For favors ideas visit our tea party planner page, but the best ideas are an issue of The Tea House Times rolled up and tied with pretty ribbon, or small cellophane bags with several teabags inside, or a teacup made into a small flower vase (just use a little of the florist foam and add water and flowers-beautiful!). We sell teapot shaped boxes and we also have beautiful ribbon printed with the words Tea, Te, The’.

If you don’t want to purchase enough teacups for your party, have everyone bring one from home. You can even have a teacup exchange if you want.

When the baby arrives, give an extra special gift: send us the announcement and we will have it custom framed with quilling (paper filigree). Simply gorgeous, elegant, and much appreciated. The perfect gift and the best decoration for baby’s room. Click here for details or visit our gift shop page.

Flash back to the golden age of T.V. and radio by offering guests of any age a 1950's tea party. A 1950's theme will easily lend itself to creativity, but needn’t cost a lot or take a great deal of preparation. To help set the tone, encourage guests to dress accordingly. If you plan to host a variety of themed tea parties, you may want to visit the local thrift shop or antique store for clothing. This way, guests who are so inclined can throw on a sweater or change into some bowling shoes. If you're able to provide some costuming, your guests will have no reason not to attend.

Depending on the amount of room available and where the party is held, there are a number of 1950s inspired activities to choose from. With minimal space, you can let guests play with hula-hoops or lip sync to 1950s music classics.

You can watch classic “I Love Lucy” episodes or listen to classic radio comedies available from www.Radiospirits.com Alternatively, set the tone of a drive-in movie using cardboard cutouts of movie stars and have speakers set at each table. Activate your imagination and the sky is the limit.

Tea tasting will be, of course, a primary activity. Black teas were most common during the 1950s, so consider offering a variety of these teas. Offer unique blends of black teas that your guests may not be familiar with. But be sure to serve an herbal option those wishing to avoid caffeine.

You can have a lot of fun with the origins of teas. Until the Korean War, the U.S. imported most of its black tea from India. During and after the war, Argentina became as primary source. Offer your guests a wide range of black teas from around the world. They may be surprised at the selection!

Decorations can be done quite easily as well. For example, you can create a "sock hop" theme with a few lights and a "jukebox." Add some posters of 1950s icons and you're good to go! With a few low-cost decorations, you can create a theme for any inspiration from the period, such as bowling balls and bins decorating the sides of the room, toy cars from the time, or even a "homey" feel giving the room a "Leave it to Beaver" flair.

Many party stores have cutout figures of jukeboxes and 1950s icons, which can be fun to place around the party and are affordable. You can also use any of the 1950s inspired clothing and shoes as decoration. Simple "home" decorations can also be included, as the 1950s Americana focused on family values. Depending on your budget, you may be able to pick-up some great 1950s furniture at thrift stores or flea markets.

There is a lot of wonderful music to choose from! A 1950s compilation may be the simplest, but other suggestions include Elvis Presley, Connie Francis, Mary Wells, Patsy Cline, the Supremes, Debbie Reynolds, Bill Haley and the Comets, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry...the list goes on! The activities of your party will influence music selections. If you're hosting dance hop, then some of the popular "pop" songs of the day are good choices. If you're using music for background, then anything from the 1950s will work.

With "retro" a hot theme these days, it is possible to find invitations that have some type of 1950s reference, whether it is a sock-hop theme, jukebox, or poodle skirt. These can be a fun way to get people's attention and are affordable.

Think Betty Crocker and soda fountains! Many of the primary foods served in the 1950s were traditional meat and potato style meals. Barbecue was also big. These foods may be a bit heavy for a tea party, so consider using scaled-down appetizers. If you don't want to make a big fuss, consider the sweet route; many candies that were popular in the 1950s can be found today, such as wax lips, Necco wafers, licorice snaps, and bubble gum.

Also, think about ways to get creative when serving teas, such as using tall sundae dishes or mugs. While Chai teas were not the custom of the time, they can make a great presentation in a sundae dish.

Creativity is the key to any successful tea party and a 1950's theme is just the same. Take these ideas and run with them, let your imagination go wild and be sure to email me with your 1950s fun.

Visit The Tea House Times Gift Shoppe Page for Tea Party Seminar CDs You'll want them all.

Hosting a Greek "Big Fat Wedding" themed tea party is a great way to experience wonderful cuisine and a bit of Greek culture.

Whether you are throwing the party for a bride-to-be or want to have a get-together to enjoy good food and teas, a Greek party is a fun way to spend time with friends and family.

Whatever the purpose, a Greek themed tea party is a time to appreciate the wonders of Greek culture and the country's rich history and traditions.
This could be anything from mythological stories to modern-day weddings. Use the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" as inspiration and let your imagination flow!

Hosting a dinner is a great way to sample Greek food and the perfect accompanying teas. It gives guests a chance to socialize and sample teas they may not normally try.

Watching the movie is a perfect activity as well! Also consider incorporating traditional wedding rituals. Hold the party of a Sunday, for example, as Greek weddings are almost always held on Sundays.

Give your guests small bags of candy-coated almonds, wrapped in netting, another Greek wedding tradition--but be sure there are an odd number of candies in each bag!

Encourage guests to dress in traditional Greek folk costumes or in the colors of the flag or even in “tacky bridesmaid dresses!”

Use the Greek flag for inspiration. Hang flags, photos of traditional costumes, and posters of Greece throughout the room.

Use the colors of the Greek flag, blue and white, throughout your decorations, table linens, and serving dishes.

You can also incorporate gold throughout the table settings and decorations, including gold accent pieces and candles.

There are many easy choices for music for your party, such as the soundtrack from the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

You could also use a compilation CD, such as "Hot Summer Nights: Favorite Greek Music" or "The Dance of Heaven's Ghosts."

If you would like to use something by famous Greek artists, consider "Nana Mouskouri - At Her Very Best" or "Theodorakis: Zorba's Ballet."

If you are looking for a relaxing evening or something perfect for after dinner, try "Yanni - Live at the Acropolis."

With a selection or two from the above, you can easily set the mood for your party.

You can buy a number of Greek inspired invitations, including everything from the Greek flag to the Olympics, famous ancient buildings, and mythological figures.

If you're feeling creative, you may want to make your own incorporating the colors of blue, white, and gold.

Greek food is a wonderful mix of Mediterranean ingredients such as olives, olive oil, lemon, eggplants, lamb, honey, seafood and herbs.

Begin with some traditional appetizers and finger foods including olives, feta and other cheeses, and grilled eggplant.

Follow this with a Greek salad featuring shrimp, and serve lamb for the main course. End with a relaxing post-dinner tea and dessert such as baklava!

For recipes and lists of traditional Greek foods, browse through any Greek recipe book or do a quick search online for traditional Greek foods.

There are so many wonderful options to choose from! Or, if you'd like to take the easier route, consider having some or part of it catered from your local Greek restaurant for a bit of authenticity.

Spicy Greek Foods should be paired with a hearty black tea such as a Keemun or an Assam. Talk to the experts at http://www.harney.com/ for a suggestion fit for a wedding.

Or get in the wedding spirit and buy all of your guests wedding tea tins, which are also available from http://www.harney.com/ or at The Tea House Times Gift Shoppe page.

Lady Dawnya Sasse, is author of the world's first online tea business programs entitled "Start a Tea Business" (TM) and "Start A Children's Tea Party Business." (TM) To learn more about her online classes and to sign up for her FREE Tea Radio Broadcasts visit her site at www.TeaEvents.com (TM) See Also Start a Tea Business.

I hosted a "Light Tea" since many of my friends are on diets. But my Light Tea had a twist. There were candles on the table, and their place cards were light bulbs set in a holder so they would stand upright. I painted their names on the light bulbs. The napkin rings were bracelets that lit up that I found in the 99 cent store. Each one received a pretty Victorian style night light as their table favor. They each had a pretty votive candle at their place setting (besides the candles in the centerpiece).

I tried to keep the food on the light side too, using Splenda in the scones, low fat mayo in the sandwiches and pie made with sugar-free, fat-free pudding mixes. My guests enjoyed it all, and I was surprised what a hit the flashing bracelets made.

Patricia Roberts is the owner of Coffee Tea & Thee - Fine china, tea and tea accessories. Everything for your tea table or tea party!

It is often very difficult to have a conversation with our children when they are so used to giving one or two word answers. "How was school today?" "Fine". Often they take our interest in their lives as just trying to flex our parental muscles. To counteract this impression we need to create a special occasion.

When my daughter was a pre-teen, she would come home obviously depressed from something that had taken place that day in school. I would attempt to get her to talk about it but it never seemed to work. I started setting up "tea time", as we had enjoyed when she was little, and she soon felt free enough to tell me what was wrong. There were even times as a teenager that she would suggest tea time before I had sensed her need for one. In this setting they will feel more on an equal basis with you, rather than as a parent and child. Our tea times let me deeper into her life where I could then offer help and encouragement.

Start making "tea time" an occasional event with your child regardless of their age. Plan seperate tea times for each of your children. Have the supplies you need for "tea time" always on hand for quick setup when you feel your child needs a little extra support.

Create an invitation from an appropriate blank greeting card and mail it to them. Actually putting it in the mail to them will add formality to the invitation. The wording can be something like: "The honor of your presence is requested", followed by the date and time.

Select the tea according to your 'guest'. A young child may be better suited to tea made with apple juice instead of water. A teen might go for something with an unusual name (Earl Grey tea can become any name you need from their current lingo).

The following list of items you will need is a guideline for a formal tea time. You should feel free to make them less formal if you feel your child would be more comfortable, but remember that the intent is to make them feel special. Drinking from a china tea cup may be a new experience for them, but inside they will feel special and look forward to the next tea invitation, even if they won't admit it.

         tea cup and saucer
         dessert plate
         silverware
         napkin

         tea pot
         sugar bowl
         creamer
         bowl if using lemon wedges
         serving silverware
         tablecloth
         serving dishes for foods
         centerpiece or other table decoration

Make your 'tea time' a time for just the two of you to converse, easily and without pressure. (I would also suggest turning off the phone.) Give them your full attention when they talk and full eye contact. Begin a conversation with questions not directly related to them and slowly move into more personalized questions. Don't expect your first attempt to open the flood gates, though it just might. As you have more tea times, they will begin to feel more comfortable. It is about making them feel special, safe and secure. When we create a special moment for ourselves and someone we love it lasts well beyond the moments it took to create.

Patricia Roberts is the owner of Coffee Tea & Thee - Fine china, tea and tea accessories. Everything for your tea table or tea party!

Since the first celebration held in April 1996, the Academy of American Poets established National Poetry Month to:

Catherine along with her husband and two girls were having their customary evening tea and discussing school projects one night. Their daughter, Rebecca, had a creative writing assignment: “using your imagination, write a 300 word story describing how something came to be ... like an apple pie.”

Because they create special tea events for “The Pines of Millville” and tea-time adventures for Catherine’s character education presentation in public schools, tea and tea related topics are always on their minds. Rebecca had read the few facts of the 7^th Duchess of Bedford creating tea-time. With great literary license, she wrote this fun piece for her English class. The administrators loved it and asked Catherine to hold a tea party for the creative writing class to encourage their writing skills. Maybe tea rooms could piggy-back this event and invite a group of teenagers to come to tea, give them writing assignments, then return the following week for another tea to read their offerings. We will try it here at “The Pines.” So here it is -- Rebecca’s version of what caused the Duchess to begin the tea-time craze. Hope you enjoy it! Click here to read it on our Society Page. See Entry of March 20, 2007.

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Send mail to info [at] theteahousetimes.com with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2003-Present The Tea House Times™, LLC Last modified: 05/06/08

Send mail to info [at] theteahousetimes.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2003-Present The Tea House Times™, LLC Last modified: 05/06/08