For my daughter's fifth birthday I gave her a tea party. At the thrift store I bought old granny hats, and jewelry about $10.00. I bought inexpensive compact powder case with puffs, nail polish, lipstick, tiny stuffed bears, tiny straw hats to fit bears heads at the dollar store. (One for each guest including the birthday girl) for about $30.00.
I bought sheer material with a pattern and some lace material at the fabric store for $6.00 and draped it across the entry to the dining room with thumbtacks. I set the table as fancy as I could. I hung the hats on the wall. If you have a trunk to put them in that would be ideal. I dressed the part. When the guest arrived they picked the hats, jewelry, gloves, boas they wanted to wear.
The menu: tea, cream cheese with cucumber sandwiches cut like hearts and tied with a ribbon, and of course strawberries. I had an assortment of teas for the guest to choose from.
By LAURIE STROMMEN from WEST COVINA, CA
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