The creative side of me...: Vintage Tea Party

OK, so my daughter wanted a playdate with friends. She was always asking for her girlfriends from dance class to come over for a playdate. Well we made a agreement that if she completed potty training this summer then when dance started in the fall we would invite the girls over for a playdate. Well she did it! So I wanted to do something fun for the playdate! I had to remember that the little girls attending would be 2-4 in age! So I decided... what little girl does not like dress up and tea parties. So I started racking my brain for ideas and a theme. Well it all fell together a Vintage Tea Party in light pink, hot pink and cream.
The goal: I just recently checked out a party blog where the challenge was to create a over the top party for less/ cheap. So I set the budget...over the top, for 12 girls and their Mother's cute and all (food, decor, supplies) for $150.00 or less. I decide this would become a year tea party for Kaitlyn with her girlfriends so well made to use over and over is the second goal.
As with any project I do a deal is a steal so I had tons and tons of yardage of cream/ ivory muslin and that was the base for it all. Then next was to make a game plan... meaning a layout. Layout: 12 ft table to fit 12 little girls, 12ft. table cover and skirt, 12 place mats, 12 cloth napkins, 12 napkin rings, 12 chairs, 12 slip covers, 12 sundae cups, 12 tea cups, 1 center piece, 2- tea pots, 12 invites, Over the top chandelier, 6ft food table and decor, 4ft. sundae serving table, Lemonade stand to serve beverage and photo area w/ dress up items and etc.
Then I started sewing, crafting, creating and shopping for deals three months before the party. I used that free muslin to make a table cover for a 12 ft table, 6ft table and a 4 ft table and skirts to match. Then everything else was bought at a garage sale or with a discount coupon from the local craft stores (Hobby Lobby or Jo-Ann's) 3 things I did not get on sale was the food, tea cups and 2- new beverage dispensing containers but they will be used regularly around here since we always have parties.
So the plan is to have this party outside and since we have a large backyard under a big white tent (we have a 10 x 20 tent with sides) but I think I waited to long and October 1st, 2011 in NE Ohio was pushing it! In the end I had to due the party indoors this year due to weather but I think I'll have another tea party for Kaitlyn and friends in the spring! Next time it will only cost... my time for set up and food. Remember when having a party for kids keep food simple like I served the kids Sundae's. They loved it!! Chocolate and vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, whip cream, then the goodies: mini M&M's, choc. sprinkles, colored sprinkles, cherries, nuts, gummy worms and choc. chips they got to create their sundae pick every item they wanted on it! Also the extra touch choc. covered spoons (homemade). Then a small dessert table for the adults and the kids but mostly the adults. Then since the girls we're so young (no one would get burned) I served strawberry kool-aid for tea in their tea cups out of a cute tea pot and the girls loved it! I loved when they asked for more tea please! I bought these really nice plastic beverage dispensers at Wal- Mart for punch and of course pink lemonade. I wanted to set it up on the lemonade cart I made earlier this summer for the kids but not a opinion this time since we had to move indoors with limited space. Next time!!
I also made a cute photo area for the girls and parent's for picture's which I still used but we had to set it up under my gazebo on the back deck but it worked. This is the other new thing u see at parties and it is a nice idea a photo area for guest to use.

JoAnne took this picture of Kaitlyn. I took a vintage frame with mirror and removed the mirror to use the frame as one of my props in the photo area.

I highly recommend this to anyone having a party and would like to capture the event for memories or to scrapbook later to hire or ask a friend to take picture's for you. You are so busy hosting that it is imposable to get great picture's. Well I have a dear friend JoAnne who does professional pictures and she came and took pictures for me!! Thanks, JoAnne you made my life a little easier and I owe you one! I can not wait to see those pic's.

I had to add to my decor last minute and adjust it since I had to move the party indoors like I made a cover and skirt for my dining room table and my little cousin wanted to join so I made him his own table with a pirate theme since I don't think his Dad would like him have tea in pink! LOL

I had original invited 15 girls but in the end I had five including my daughter attend at first I wish more could have come but now after the weather throw back it worked out perfect.

So originally I new I needed a long table to set up for 12 girls to sit at and this is the number of guest I decided to set up for and I wanted it to be at their height made to fit the girls. I used to small folding tables of my daughters and borrowed one for the center then I place 2 light weight 6ft tables on top to make 12 ft. table ( I only used one 6 ft table for the party to save on room and since their was only 5 girls). So I made a 12ft. table cover and skirt out of cream muslin and it looked great the fabric gave it a real nice delicate touch. So I needed chairs and I had 4 small chairs from my daughters little folding tables and then my neighbor had a garage sale and had a bunch of small wooden kids folding chairs for a $1.00 a piece so I bought up 8 to make my goal of a12 kid set up. Well the chairs just looked blah next to the table so I made 12 slip covers out of the cream fabric muslin. Now the hot pink and light pink fabric I bought at Jo-Ann's on sale $1.99 a yard broad clothe 6 yards each this was enough with some extra to complete the entire project. Now the chairs needed dressed up so I made 12 sashes in light pink fabric, tulle over the top in hot pink (FYI tulle is cheap and goes far) then a light pink bow and tulle flower for the center then I glued a pin on the bow/ flower to attach it to the chair/ sash and to make it moveable for storage. (Tulle bought @ Hobby Lobby on sale from 4.99 to 2.50 bought 2) I used the same light pink fabric to make a table runner for the center of the table. Then I needed...Place mats so I made 12 place mats out of the hot pink fabric with a light pink fabric flower ironed on with iron on adhesive then sewed to add detail. Napkins are next on the list 12 out of the light pink fabric. Now I needed a napkin rings so I used 12 old silverware spoons my Hubby bent the handles back to make them oval and to hold the napkin it was cute and unique. Now I used the same muslin fabric to make a cover & skirt for the 6ft food table same for the 4ft. sundae building table and 2 more light pink fabric runners for those tables to add color. Remember last minute I made another cover & skirt for my dining room table and small child's table for my little cousin the only boy.
I used my basement to set everything up as I put it together to give me the full over all look on how everything was coming together. I used a small mirror trimmed in a gold frame ($2.00 garage sale find) to add decor to the center of the 12ft. table and I also found a unfinished topiary (garage sale .25 cents) put it in a papier-mache pot I had and decorated it with the rolled fabric flower I made with some of the scrap fabric, old buttons and ribbon I had. I also made to more smaller ones for the food table but used them on my dining room table this time. 2 small topiaries 2- small dowel rods. 2- small round styro balls, 2- clay pots and more rolled fabric flowers out of scraps, buttons and ribbon. Now I want something cheap, big and cute but to give that dramatic effect. I call it my chandelier I took 2- 3 ft. scrap 2x2 boards screwed them together to make a cross then I wrapped them with riped muslin fabric drilled holes at the end of each board used muslin fabric stripes tied at each end of the boards then I tied the fabric together in the middle to use to hang this cross. Then I used leftover tissue paper in hot pink and light pink and made varies sized tissue paper pom poms or flowers. Also scrap tulle, fabric and pearls hung down from the center of the chandelier. Bought some light pink paper lantern 3 in a pack 3 different sizes at Hobby Lobby w/ 40% off coupons 2 packs total $5.00 so total cost of this awesome chandelier center piece to hang above the table dramatic effect achieved. I spent less then $5.00 dollars on 12 invites by doing them myself and using what I had.
Photo area's are big these days at parties so I had an idea to give the girls a picture taken spot with vintage hats, jewelry and feather Boas to wear. (I had the feather Boas, 4 vintage hats my sister found at a garage sale $4.00 for all and I had someone give me some vintage jewelry) I used 4 old cream colored curtains I put on a 5 ft. piece of 2x2 wood left over form another project and drilled holes at the ends of the wood to hang from the side of the tent 10 x 20 tent which I used the same way the day of the party but under my small gazebo I have on my back deck. I found an ornate mirror and removed the mirror center to also hang for the girls to pose in. (It was too cute!!) I bought a unique metal chair (garage sale $2.00) recovered the cushions in a soft fluffy pink chenille fabric to use for photo's. Then one day I noticed a small child's wicker rocker laying in a ditch down the street and after 2 days I stopped and picked it up to my surprise their was nothing wrong with it but covered in dirt. I brought it home cleaned it up a little cream paint and like new. Made a cushions out of the same pink chenille fabric and then at another garage I found a .25 cent crochet 3ft x 3ft. doilies in the same colors used for the party. I used the doilies to lay on the back of the rocker. The big thing these days is banners so I used my scrap fabric to cut triangles out of light pink and hot pink fabric and sewed them to cream muslin fabric I folded to make a long bias. I used the banners to decorate with. I hung them around tables & photo area.
I bought 6 small glass sundae cups at a garage sale for a $1.00 then my sister called to say she found more at Dollar Tree for $1.00 so 6 more to make the needed amount 12. I looked at garage sales and thrift shops but could not find a decent price for tea cups everyone must think their antique collectibles. I just went to Pat Catan's (craft store) and purchased 12 new tea cups for 2.97 a piece. Now I had some napkins, plates and silverware left over in light pink from Kaitlyn's last year Birthday Party. Picked up some styro bowls and cups $3.50. Then 2 new beverage containers from Wal- Mart $30.00 for 2 but I will use them for up coming parties as well... besides I want them anyways.
The dessert table... my sister made dirt cake in a large tea cup. (Too cute!!) My Mom brought mini cupcakes and I did a cake and chocolate covered pretzels and marshmallows. I also made 3 candy holders and filled them with sweets. I had a friend give me 3 plastic fish bowls never used for fish just used for props. I painted 3 papier-mache flower pots in cream then turned them over and glued the fish container to the bottoms of the pots and add lids I made and fabric bow. I made the lids out of 3 wooden finals, 3 metal bowls and 3 terra-cotta pot bottoms glued together. Then just filled them with candy!
Then I used that same muslin to make 12 little purses and gave each little girl a set of markers and let them decorate their purses. I also made 12 vintage headpieces one for each girl.
So the total cost for my party about $130.00 to 140.00 bucks which surprised me that I made and bought all this for a Vintage Tea Party to work for 12 girls and 12 parents. I spend more for a family gathering. So to plan out a party months in advance, buy as much on sale as possible, use items u have, use garage sales for items and use items u get for free form others u can have a elegant one of a kind party that people will envy!! LOL The 2-4 year girls that came to Kaitlyn's Vintage Tea Party appeared to really enjoy themselves and I hope the Mom's did too!! This will become a year party for us because it was so much fun!! I have a few new ideas I want to add but I have time for that! Just hope next year we are outdoors with nice weather so the kids can run and play. We can do the cute party games I had originally planned to do as well. I love to entertain and I Love my daughter so I can only say their will be many more fabulous parties in our future for her and friends and family!!! I hope that something here gives you inspiration or an idea for your upcoming party!!