A Fashion Tea: How to Decorate the Table

 Fashion Themed Tea 
a five  part series

     Planning for a Tea June 5th 2013 

      Making Theme Related Plates June 8th 2013

    Making of Fashion Themed Cookies June 11th 2013

Marzipan Shoes June 13th 2013

Decorating the table June 16th 2013 

 What is fashion?  To me fashion is modern, it’s exciting, and it’s fun. When I think of fashion I think of clothes, shoes, jewelry, make up and models.

So that’s where I started.

I collected magazines and looked at what was in them: what colors were prominent and what ideas could I find that would relate to a tea party.

Out of this came my runner idea: I ripped the covers off of magazines like Vogue, Elle and many more. I tried to include magazine covers from around the world because I knew people from different countries would be there.

Then I thought center piece, what should that be?  The woman who had hired me had a beautiful bust of a women and I had one that was a copy of the bust she had in resin so I thought perfect I will use them. (Look around your environment you’ll be surprise what will work.)

Next I wanted flowers on the table but not to high so people could see over them. In my magazine research I saw that Marc Jacob’s, one of the leading Fashion designers of our time, designed coke cans with polka dots and a fashion model on them.  I was very lucky to find them.  They became my vases.  The dominant color of the magazine tops and the coke cans was red so I decided on red roses.

Now my table had lots of color but your eye didn’t travel up so I put necklaces and hats on the women busts. I wanted to stay in the theme of tea party so the hats were made from paper cup cake baking cups and gum paste flowers.

With the table covered in color and excitement, which I knew my brightly colored cookies would just add to, I had to calm it back down. So I chose all white dishes.  This also kept the table looking modern.

Now came the fun finishing touches. The dress shaped cookies and Marzipan shoes on each plate. Voila!…the table was done.

Dress Cookies

Earring Cookies

Pattern Piece Cookies

Marzipan Shoes

                                                                           

Marzipan Shoes

                                 Fashion Themed Tea 
                                      a five part series

 Planning for a Tea June 5th 2013 

    Making Theme Related Plates June 8th 2013

Making of Fashion Themed Cookies June 11th 2013

Marzipan Shoes June 13th 2013

Decorating the table June 16th 2013  

You can find Marzipan at your local grocery store. If you're are really lucky you can buy fresh Marzipan at a bakery near you.   That's where I get mine. I did find some online but I haven't tested it so if you buy it please let me know how it is. I included the ad link.  It was rated 5 stars.

 Step 1:There are two options for coloring the Marzipan.  1). Divide Marzipan in serving sizes where you will then use food coloring in tiny amounts for each shoe. Option 2).  Divide your Marzipan in the amount of colors you want then dye each ball into different colors with food coloring and make your shoes with that.

 Step 2: Look through a magazine for different shoe ideas. They look more real that way.

 Step 3: Just start molding. If the Marzipan is to soft let it sit out a bit so it will  harden this way your shoes will hold their shape.

  Step 4: When adding designs just make the shapes and stick them onto the shoe then press them in so that they look smooth.

 Step 5: I used royal icing to hold the shoes to the doilies.

Step 6: Then cut out a bright pink circle and placed it under the doily. 

Step 7: Wrap your shoe in cellophane wrap.

 Step 8: Tie it with a bow.

The Making of Theme Cookies

                                        Fashion Themed Tea
                                          a five part series

 Planning for a Tea June 5th 2013 

    Making Theme Related Plates June 8th 2013

Making of Fashion Themed Cookies June 11th 2013

Marzipan Shoes June 13th 2013

Decorating the table June 16th 2013  

Theme Cookies

 Deciding how many cookies is hard.  I think four for each person is enough if you have sandwiches. But it depends on how many your client wants and how many styles you make.  One of each style is important.

I start making my cookies two days ahead.

 For this fashion themed tea I wanted enough different kinds of cookies to make a really fun impact.

I made:

Sugar cookies shaped as dresses. For recipes:  http://www.joyofbaking.com/SugarCookies.html Use the Sugar cookie and royal icing Meringue powder recipe on this website.
You can find the dress cookie cutters at this website:
http://www.cheapcookiecutters.com/collections/clothing-cookie-cutters

Gingerbread shaped as pattern pieces. From The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

                                                                       Continued

                                To ice the gingerbread cookies use the royal icing from above website.

                                            

If you want to make these cookies download these patterns, cut them out and then place on your cookie dough and cut around them.

To draw on the cookies use Wilton Food Writer Extra fine.

     Nut cookies shaped as earrings and lips.

To make these you have to use yellow food coloring. Then you will have to mold them with your hands. I used Sweetworks  Sixlets (Chocolate flavored candy) You will have to put them into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven (while they are still hot). If you cook the cookies with them inside they will melt. 

    For lips just add red food color and mold.

                                             

Craft: Making Theme Related Plates for Parties

                                            Fashion Themed Tea 
                                              a five part series

 Planning for a Tea June 5th 2013 

    Making Theme Related Plates June 8th 2013

Making of Fashion Themed Cookies June 11th 2013

Marzipan Shoes June 13th 2013

Decorating the table June 16th 2013  

Do you want to make some special fun accessories for your themed tea table? I did.  Here’s a fun quick and easy idea that can add a special twist to your table.

Supplies you’ll need:

Clear plates I found mine at Target for 1.99 a piece (Wash your plate before starting)

Magazine cut outs or photos to fit your theme

Weldbond or Mod-Podge Glue

Black or colored felt enough to cover the back of your plate.

1) Cut out magazine images or photos arrange them on a circle the size of your plate or under your plate so that you can see the design before you start to glue it on. Move your photos around until you get the look you like. Remember you are going to be gluing them on front to back.

2) Paint the glue on the front of your first image to be place on your plate covering it completely. 

2a) Now place it onto the back of your plate smoothing it out so there are no air pockets or large white glue patches showing.

back of plate

Front of plate

3) Repeat step two until all images are on your plate. Let your plate dry completely.

4) Place your plate face down on the felt draw around your plate. Lift your plate off of the felt and cut out the circle you just drew.

5) Now with your glue paint the entire back covering your dried images.  Make sure you cover the whole surface of the plate all the way to the edges. 

6) Place the felt over the glue covered back of the plate and smooth from the center to the edges. Let dry.

7) Now trim any excess felt off the edges of the plate.

Don’t submerge these plates just wipe them clean.

These plates can be fun party favors you can send them home with your guest after the tea.

 A hint: use an old catalog when painting glue on your images this way you can turn the pages when they get to sticky to use anymore.

Planning a Tea a Five Part Series

How to plan a great tea party? 

  Fashion Themed Tea a five part series

 Planning for a Tea June 5th 2013 

    Making Theme Related Plates June 8th 2013

Making of Fashion Themed Cookies June 11th 2013

Marzipan Shoes June 13th 2013

Decorating the table June 16th 2013  

When planning for a tea party I start with the occasion. Is it a birthday, a shower, or just for the fun of it? Then I pick a theme. I was recently hired to do a Fashion themed tea. So in the next four blogs we will explore how I went about putting it together.

So the theme was set “Fashion”.

Next what time of day is it going to be? I like 2:30 or 3:30

How many people will be coming? What age group are they? These are important questions to answer right away because these will determine how much food you’ll need and what the look will be and how big your table needs to be.

What kind of food will you want at the tea? Will it be all sweets? Will you have fruit and sandwiches? What kinds of tea: green, black, fruity tea or sweet tea?

                           I also at this point like to do a table setting mock up to show my client.

                                                                                 

A Father's Day Craft for a Super Dad

         

Do you want to make a funny one of a kind Father’s Day Card for your dad? Here’s an idea.

Make your dad a super hero by putting him into a comic book. Here’s how.    

  When I was making this I couldn't stop giggling thinking about my dad reading it.

Supplies you'll need:

A comic book that fits your dad’s personality.

Glue stick

A photo of your dad (you’ll be making copies of his head in different sizes)

A piece of white copy paper

A small point black felt pen

1) Find a page in the comic book page that you find interesting and you think you can write fun words to. Either color photo copy the page or use it. (I colored photo copied mine just in case I made a mistake.)

2) Take your white copy paper and trace over the word bubbles you plan to change, try to leave some words from the comic because it makes it more interesting.

3) Then figure out what you want to say and write it in the new word bubbles.

4) Copy the picture of your dad’s head in the sizes that fit the comic. Don’t worry if they fit perfectly because it’s funnier if they are a little bigger or smaller. Glue the heads in place.

5) Now write a little note on the bottom.