[Spookilicious mama]

Ok so heres the thing. I have officially decided that I will be the Queen of Hearts for this years party. Of course a darker more fabulous version but Queen of Hearts none the less Now I was thinking that every year I usually put up the same decorations plus what ever I bought that year which looks great but I thought maybe this year to tie into my costume I might do the dining room like a Mad Hatters Tea Party. THis is where you all come in Can anyone out there give me some ideas on what I can do to really get the mood of the tea party across???? I need Help!!!

 

[morriganna]

I did a Mad Hatter's themed Bridal Shower for my sister-in-law. It wasn't the darker version, but some of the things I did that I got compliments on:
1. I scrounged flea markets & yard sales for mismatched tea cups and saucers for each place setting. Spent very little money, and NOTHING matched. Very mad hattery. Everyone took their cups & saucers as their favor.
2. I had petit fours made by our local bakery. Slightly pricey, but really worth the effect, as well as finger sandwiches.
3. Hand made invitations using my color scheme (which was bright since it was summer - lime green, hot pink & purple). Used "You mustn't be late! You mustn't be late, for a very important date!" on the front and put details inside.

Just some suggestions you could tweak to your own use. Have fun with it!!

 

[Samhain.Voodoo]

This is what immediately came to mind:

If you haven't heard of American McGee's Alice, you're missing out! It's such a dark and wonderful game and hopefully will be an amazing movie as well.

If you're thinking about going in this route, then play the soundtrack (Which is composed by Chris Vrenna) as ambiance music. Some of the tea cups could be filled with flouressant liquid or blood. And you could build a center piece with the teapot on legs. Also hang some broken clocks on the wall and some clock parts on the table and such.

 

[Spookilicious mama]

WOW! Morriganna and Samhain.voodoo Those ideas are great and I think combined could make for a very cool scene. I think I will take a bit from both of you. I hope others can keep more ideas coming!!!

 

[DeepSix]

I too am an Alice in Wonderland fan. I agree with stocking up on mismatched tea cups and tea pots. I've seen various artistic interpretations of the tea party and paper lanterns are often depicted; if you can get your hands on plain white ones you could paint them up (checkerboard, stripes, whatever pleases you). I would also add little things like fake bugs and spiders all over the tea cups and whatnot, also we can't forget the dormouse...so if you want it darker you could switch it up and use a big fake rat. Not having seen your dining room I'm limited for ideas. Depending on space you could do that Martha Stewart thing where you take small branches, spray paint them black, anchor them in floral foam in a bucket and attach owls, crows, and other "menacing" creatures to them. Also I'd suggest hitting up antique shops and maybe specialty thrift stores for a variety of vintage hats (if it's reasonable price wise, sometimes you can find good deals). That's all I've got for now...
Cheers!

 

[Frankie's Girl]

A large stopped clock (at teatime roughly 4pm) the Mad Hatter was being punished for "killing time" so that is why it was always teatime.

A large tiered cake/sweets server with decaying sweets. Bugs, cobwebs etc...

Mismatched chairs and serving wear.

Dormouse, check. If you could find a large teapot to have him inside, that would be funny as well.

The March hare was also present.

Poetry scattered about on aged paper. (they quoted many different ones - "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat" would be appropriate if you make them where you can read them.

Playing cards - scattered across the surface of the table.

Large pots and jars containing "treacle" and jam and butter and such.

 

[Rikki]

My friends got married a few weeks ago and as soon as I saw their cake I thought "Mad Hatter!" You could even do this with boxes if you didn't do a cake. I know it's not much but all the odd angles and the different/mismatched prints might inspire you!

 

[BadTableManor]

Love the tilted cake idea, and if you're fairly handy, not too hard to do. It's all about building up layers of frosting on only 1 half of the top of each cake. Don't forget to shove a dowel into it, or the whole thing'll slide off the table!
Fab idea, Spooky, be sure to keep us posted!

 

[Junit]

Wow! Great ideas guys! I love the idea of a teapot with creepy legs. If you were interested in using tea for the tea party there are all sorts of weird blends. One kind has a flowering (Jasmine) bud that will actually open and bloom when you soak it in the water for a few minutes.

 

[Spookilicious mama]

These are all great ideas guys, thank you so so much. I am definately going to use some of these as is or a take on them. I would love the ideas to keep coming. Rikki that cake looks great. I happen to be QUITE the baker So I can definately see doing that. I love the darker version idea and will definately be doing the lanterns. Teapot with legs might be a challenge but I am up for it Any ideas on how to accomplish that??

 

[Samhain.Voodoo]

my boyfriend suggests going to a toy shop like Toys R Us and getting the Erector Set toys. Some of the parts are metal and some are plastic but you could always spray paint the finished product with silver then dab rust around the joints for a realistic look. Then you just hot glue a papermache tea pot or a real tea pot on top of it. The bf has also found a few sets online on the expensive side that are fully functional.....can actually walk but it's not really nessesary if you're just looking for a cool centerpiece. I thought I'd include some pics of Dormouse and March Hare from the game to show you more of how the Mad Hatter is....He's a Twisted scientist/Doctor that's supposed to be the representation of Alice's Doctor in the Insane Asylum she's kept in. The March Hare and Dormouse are some of his experiments....

Some videos from the game:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/29PtdaVhTi0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/29PtdaVhTi0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

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I just found the soundtrack online and now am enjoying it emmensly....I love the creepyness

 

[Spookilicious mama]

Thanks Samhain thats a great idea!

 

[MHooch]

When I made a teacup with mouse legs, head and tail for the Harry Potter Halloween 'Transfiguration Class', I took a plastic mouse and cut it up and attched the pieces with super glue...worked great.

 

[GDfreak]

I want a mad tea party so bad. You need this I got mine in disney world
Google Image Result for http://www.treasurekingdom.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/Tea323.jpg look around onlie you'll be able to find it. I have 2 lose leafe teas the green jsmaine and the mad tea party blend which is amazing. they also have a really cool set that has 12 diffrent teas.
Google Image Result for http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3622/3422182447_469f771b9f.jpg

 

[Spookilicious mama]

Hey GDfreak! Thanks for the post those look great. Mango tea must be fabulous Im definately going to look into getting some of those

 

[HeatherEve1234]

My alice plans

We're doing Wonderland this year as well (been dying to for YEARS), and I plan to have a few different "areas" mimicing scenes from the book.

The entrance will be "through the looking glass" with a giant mirror frame & hanging shredded silver fabric, so you have to pass through to enter wonderland.

Bloody/red painted roses & the queen's cards

the creepy jumbo flowers with faces who sing

Clocks & timepieces

Keys and doors of all sizes - easy to make with paper even!

Teaparty - I'm picking up teacups + saucers at the goodwill and spray painting them silver + black, my test worked out last week - though I'm not planning on eating out of them, just gluing stacks together and possibly hanging them from the ceiling.

Cheshire cat "pieces" everywhere - just creepy eyes poking out, or a tail here and there

Queen's croquet - hedgehogs + flamingos

I haven't finished "Through the Looking Glass" yet, but I think chess comes into play, so a giant chess board and figures would be awesome.

Psychadellic smoking area - for the caterpillar


Food Ideas:
Mini sandwiches (she keeps changing sizes - so you could do jumbo or tiny anything for this. Also planning to do mini spinach dip in thumbprint bread bowls)
Stolen Tarts (linzer-style heart cookies)
Stuffed Mushrooms or Mushroom Caps (for the magic mushroom she eats)
"drink me" signs in cute fonts on all the booze
"eat me" piped onto cupcakes & petite fors

 

[Rikki]

Heather, sounds like you've got some good ideas going there! I'll be excited to see yours and Spooki's party pictures!

 

[moonchildani]

Hi ~ Ani from Oregon ~ I too am doing a Malice In Wonderland theme in celebration of upcoming AIW film by Tim Burton (Johnny Depp to be the Mad Hatter) ~ Im doing mostly macabre ... Id like to do three sections in my house (need advise on best how to ....which I'll post another question elsewhere)
1) a tunnel at entrance representing "down the hole"
2) opens on the Mad Hatter tea party
3) and a checkered path that leads to a spiral going no where in the scary forest (aka livingroom)

The tunnel is whats stumping me . Anyhoo in answer to your Scary tea party question ... Im doing mine like a Tea Party that was left centurys ago ...inspiration Disneys Haunted Mansion ballroom table

I got a 1 1/2 foot rubber rat with scary teeth that Im putting a lil hat and bow tie on as the dorm mouse...and a dead guest..(skeleton with Mad tea party dressing on) and lots and lots of spiderwebs.

How to put dust on???? (of course before the food) is the question?

and one more lil secret ~ I have porcelin cream tiles in my diningroom and kitchen...not very macabre ~ so Im taping down plastic black n white checkered tablecloths ...like a checkered floor...and up one wall (inspiration ~ Tom Pettys video ...Dont come around here no more) YouTube - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Don't Come Around Here No More

Hope that inspires ya ~ since were doing the same theme ~ please feel free to converse ~ I just love this ~ fun fun fun!

 

[moonchildani]

Sorry YouTube wouldnt allow the embedding of video .... go to this link to see

www .youtube.com/watch?v=b5H0wUo37RY (bring the www and .you together in URL)

or go to YouTube and type in .... Don't Come Around Here No More

 

[jadewik]

Discovery Home has a show called "Party Girl"... Cathy Riva, the host of the show, threw a Mad Hatter Party that was pretty neat-o. She used wheat grass as a table runner... and had over-sized cupcakes.

There are a few clips from the show here:
Party Obsessed: Cathy Riva- Mad Hatter Tea Party