Mad Hatter's Party Ideas
I'm not sure if it's safe to assume that everybody loves the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, but I know I do. Apart from his fun and quirky character, he also knows how to throw a perfectly organised chaotic tea party.
Many have tried to duplicate this type of event because it is actually very easy to put together. Anything goes! The more random, mismatched, and colourful, the better.
Try adding these few things to make it unmistakably Mad Hatter-ish:
Invitations:
In the gallery above are two samples of invitations. You can also download them here and edit them. Just highlight and replace the text with your own info where you see <TEXT> like this.
Potion bottles with "Drink Me" labels:
Buy some small glass bottles with cork stoppers.
1. For the potion, use edible glitter and NON-FIZZY liquid such as Energade or Powerade (note: use the same colour glitter as that of the liquid you use to avoid discolouration).
2. Pour the glitter and then the liquid into the bottles BEFORE you decorate them. You are probably going to spill and it is much easier to clean before they're decorated.
3. Print the labels (download here) on sticker paper and cover the whole page with sticky plastic. (You should be able to find these items at any craft store.)
4. Cut out each label roughly about a millimeter from the printed edges. Bend each label softly so that it takes the curving of the bottle.
5. Peel off the back paper and stick it to the bottle. You can decorate the bottles with glitter nail polish or other sticker tape like I did.
6. Take some Hessian string and tie it around the neck of the bottle. I tied "Thank You" notes to the other end of the string, giving it to the guests as gifts.
"Eat Me" cookies:
Buy some plain cookies from a bakery (or bake some yourself if you feel productive), some icing sugar, a few different colours of food colouring (remember that you can also mix colours; see how) and a food colouring pen.
1. Mix the icing sugar with tiny little bits of water until it is spreadable.
2. Place one drop of food colouring in the mixture until you get the right shade.
3. Carefully spread the icing on the cookies using the back of a spoon.
4. Give it a day or so to dry before you write "Eat Me" on them. Be careful not to press too hard with the pen, only the outer layer of icing will be dry and it will smudge if you break the surface.
Mismatched tea cups:
Borrow cups from your mom, your aunt, your grandma, or anybody (everybody) else that owns a set and place them randomly on the tables upside down in their saucers. Guests will know which ones are unused and pick one to drink from. Use them for any and all drinks - tea, wine, juice, cocktails - you name it! They also double as decor. Clever, hey :)
Hats:
Have some extra hats for the naughty guests that didn't bring theirs along. Everybody needs a hat!
As for the rest of the decor, go mad with colour! Pink, blue, and green seemed to work well. Consider serving finger food, but keep in mind that the type of event (birthday party, kitchen tea, etc.) will determine the food you serve and the activities you plan to do with your guests.
Mad Hatter: Would you like a little more tea? Alice: Well, I haven't had any yet, so I can't very well take more. March Hare: Ah, you mean you can't very well take less. Mad Hatter: Yes. You can always take more than nothing.
