Tea Party SuppliesWhile drinking tea has been done worldwide for quite some time the concept of tea parties did not cone around until later. Tea parties were a a way combining the concept of British high tea with the activities in public gardens. Later in both England and America tea rooms, courts, and dances evolved during the Victorian period. These social gathering including tea went from public gatherings to private homes. All of these tea parties were social functions which were elegant and sophisticated. The tea party often coupled fine teas with some culinary delights consisting of finger sandwiches, scones, cookies, and small pasties. The romantic idea of tea parties has kept the tradition alive to this day. Whether it be children pretending with tea sets to adults holding formal tea parties, they still exist today.
If you are looking to hold your own tea party there are many ideas and tea party supplies you can use to make it a success. All you need to do is to figure what type of tea party you are going to host and you will be ready to start making your list of party supplies. Start with deciding how formal or casual your tea party will be. Knowing this and whether your tea party is focused on children or adults will guide you towards the supplies you are in need of for your tea party. If your tea party is for a group of little girls then there are several very cute ideas you can use. Tea parties for little girls are not only cute social gatherings they give you a chance to teach the children in attendance about etiquette, entertaining, and socialization in a fun environment. When beginning to make your party supply list you will need to decide if you will be using a more traditional ceramic tea service or if you will serving tea in paper cups and using paper plates. If the children you are inviting are too young to use breakable ceramic there are many paper cups and plates available made just for children's tea parties. You can find them on-line or at specialty paper and card shops. These cups have been designed so you can have a child's tea party and have peace of mind that cups will not be shattered. If you are looking to use the ceramic pots and cups with saucers there are a couple of ways you can go. The first is to buy pots for all of the different teas you be severing, or one for each table at your party. You can even buy smaller tea pots for each person in attendance at the party. Once you have decided on the amount of tea pots and cups with saucers you are in need of you can purchase them at most finer department stores or at stores which carry specialty dishware and foods. You may even purchase them from English specialty food shops. If you are not looking to buy the amount of tea pots and cups needed for your party then you may want to look into having your event catered or renting the supplies from your local party supply rental store. Napkins are a big deal at tea parties since their use is key in the etiquette used at these parties. You may choose to use linen napkins if you are using the more traditional ceramic tea services at your party. Although it is perfectly acceptable to use paper napkins not matter what material your cups and plates are made of. Tea party themed paper napkins are tea party supplies which can be found at some party supply stores or at upscale stationary stores carrying party supplies. You will want to decide on your the teas you will be serving to your guest. Teas you may want to use at a tea party can be found at specialty food stores and tea shops. If you go to the specialty food store you will be able to choose from both tea in bags to loose leaf teas. At tea specialty shop you will usually only be able to purchase loose leaf teas. Loose leaf is the more traditional way used to steep tea at tea parties. Remember, if you are going to use loose leaf teas instead of tea bags you will need to have tea infusers to steep your tea without the tea leaves getting into the water. These can also be purchased at specialty food stores and tea shops. When decorating your tables for your tea part you may want to go with simple yet elegant floral arrangements on each table. There is also the option using paper tea party themed centerpiece to make your table look fun and festive. These paper centerpieces can be found at stores carrying other tea party supplies. You may also want to add place card holders to decorate your tables. Place card holders are an elegant touch to any tea party. There are place card holders which are elegant and understated to those which have whimsical tea party themed designs on them such as tea pots and cups. The idea is matching them with the overall feel you are looking to have for the tea party. You will delight the guests at your tea party if you have party favors distributed to each guest. Party favors for adult tea parties come in a wide variety. You can have customized mint tins, tins of loose leaf teas, tea lights in holders with tea themed designs, or keepsake boxes filled with candy. Some people have even been known to have Victorian style handkerchiefs for their guest to take home. If you are entertaining a group of little girls then you may want to choose something fun. Paper favor boxes are big hit at childrens tea parties these may contain a pair of white gloves and a plastic pearl necklace. You may also add candy and stickers to these boxes. If you do not want use the favor boxes then favor bags filled with candy, stickers, and other small toys may suit your needs. Tea party themed boxes, bags, stickers and toys are usually found where other tea party supplies are sold. |
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