Alice in Wonderland Tea Party

When your daughter gives tea parties on a weekly basis for her stuffed animals, an Alice in Wonderland tea party was a must have for her sixth birthday. I think she liked it, what about you? She wore her flower girl dress from my cousin's wedding that just happened to be perfect for the occasion! She felt very fancy.

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Alice in Wonderland Tea Party Decor

The décor set the stage for the party. I cleared the furniture from our Great Room. We placed the dining table long ways in the room and added both leaves for maximum surface area. I anticipated 16 children {which was already way too many} but ended up with a few extras who hadn’t RSVP’d. Luckily I had enough supplies for 25 {just in case} but the seating was really tight. It’s a good thing kids are little, we used benches on one side and pushed the chairs together on the other to mimic the continuous surface. It was very cozy but the sweet kiddos didn’t complain.

Tea Party Table

For the table I chose not to use a tablecloth and created a simple doily runner down the center. The focal point for the table was a Mad Hatter topsy turvy teapot stack. It was so much fun collecting the cups, saucers, and tea pot at secondhand stores. In an effort not to damage the dishes, I used foam tape to attach them and hid the mechanics {a fancy word for “the tape“} with draping artificial flowers I got at the dollar store. It worked like a charm.

The finishing touches included a “Cheshire Cat” and “White Rabbit” planter {also procured secondhand} displaying vibrant green wheat grass. *Never grown wheat grass before? It’s not as hard as it seems and has become my go-to springtime accent décor. It also tastes pretty good in a smoothie! Here's a post on How to Grow Wheatgrass to get you started.

The additional centerpieces were inspired from a Catch my Party feature. Since I already have a whole collection of apothecary vases, I just added these Alice in Wonderland figurines with a few accessories and voila! I had a host of darling options. I don’t normally indulge in licensed characters but I made an exception for these babies and the table would not have been the same without them. Sources listed here.

Alice in Wonderland Mantel Decor

There are a few focal points in my home. The fireplace is the largest architectural feature in the room so it's the first thing you see. After the tablescape it's the next place I design.

I found some great Alice graphics and DIY'd this Queen of Hearts art. I finished it off with a few teapots, a clock, and some fun garland that really set the stage. The card garlands are quite easy to make and my daughter made the heart garland {mostly} all by herself. Did you notice that the two card garlands almost look like the Cheshire Cat's huge disappearing smile? I thought I was so clever!

Tea Party Favor Table

This reclaimed barn wood hutch {I looove this thing!} beside the fireplace is the next place I focus my creative energy. I used this piece to display the party favor bags. Which are just dollar store brown paper gift bags with rectangles of scrapbook paper glued to the front and a cute tag tied with pink ribbon.

Alice's Tea Party Menu

For the menu we stayed simple:

• Cream cheese and strawberry jam sandwiches {Inspired by Olivia Plans a Tea Party}, cut into triangles {of course}
• Mandarin oranges
• Purple grapes, marshmallows {birthday girl request}, and strawberries
• White Rabbit snacks: snap peas, baby tomatoes, and baby carrots

For the adults I made chicken salad croissant sandwiches and served a cheese ball with crackers. “Grown up food” can be tricky because you can't be sure how many parents are going to stay. The younger the crowd, the more parents typically stay, but not always. Would you leave your 3 year old at a party? I was surprised how many people did. Once they hit 6 however, kids are typically on their own and parents will usually only stay if you ask for help.

We served lemonade “tea” and lemon cucumber water for the adults and a delicious chocolate hazelnut “dessert” herbal tea with the cake. If you aren't sure about the best herbal tea flavors for children, Plum Deluxe has the most amazing tea of the month club that allows you to try a new flavor each month. I added a tiny bit of sweetener, some milk, and the girls loved it!

We “painted the roses” pink for this birthday cake. A special request from the birthday girl, as were the super fancy {wink} heart shaped candles.

Alice in Wonderland Tea Party Activities

1. Mad Hatter Millinery

My daughter and I planned a few activities for the kiddos. The Mad Hatter Millinery Station was a hit and one the birthday girl was most excited for. We started with dollar store Easter hats for the ladies and {slightly more expensive} plastic bowlers for the gentlemen. I provided ribbon, feathers, artificial flowers, and decorative butterflies & birds to choose from. I thought through the hazards of a glue gun and decided on glue dots, which worked wonderfully with minimal supervision. Sources listed here

2. Old English Photo Booth

After they decorated their hats the party moved to the library where they each received a fan {also dollar store} and had the chance to sort through fun dress up props. We set up a backdrop {shower curtain} and my Aunt of Denise Knowles Photography came and took photos of each child.

The birthday girl loved it. {Note the full peacock feather sticking out of her hat!} So fancy.

Even the boys played along. Looking so dapper!

3. Cupcake Decorating

After the photoshoot each child was able to decorate their own cupcake. I portioned frosting in zippered bags, snipped the corners and allowed them to pile it on. Then they could add additional colors of frosting or sprinkles. They did a great job! We put each cupcake in a paper ice cream bowl to reduce the sprinkle mess. Everyone had a fabulous time. Because of the cupcakes we saved the birthday cake to eat with Grandma and Grandpa later that evening. I think the guests already had enough sugar because no one even missed the cake!

Alice in Wonderland Tea Party Favors

Finally, we sent guests home with their goodie bag and an Alice in Wonderland book on their way out the door.

I sure love a good tea party. I guess I know where she gets it. What do you think? Does an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party sound like the perfect theme for someone in your life? I've got all my sources listed here with a host of other great ideas I didn't end up using. Check it out. Then you'll be armed and ready to plan your next trip to Wonderland!

Until next time,