A Spring Tea Birthday Party!
I made a little spring display on a silver tray with this cute rabbit, straw nest, and aged metal urn filled with dried green hydrangeas. A large botanical print was used as the background.
This month I had the opportunity to host a spring tea for my friends from college. Two of our friend's were having their birthdays. I decided to create a table setting with a botanical, garden theme in honor of spring time. I used a collection of tea cups that I had on hand. Some passed down from my grandmother, and others given as gifts from friends or family over the years.
Here are the first few layers of the table setting. The glass candle holders and candles I purchased from world market.
I started with a basic gathered layered linen table skirt which drops to the floor. I went out looking for a table cloth, but couldn't find the color I was looking for. As a result, I ended up creating my own table topper with a fabric scrap of blue/green linen that already had two nice salvaged edges. I clipped the other edges and frayed them to make the sides consistent and layered it over the table skirt.
Close-up of the layered place settings.
Next, I topped that fabric remnant with another table runner also in a neutral linen colored fabric. After the runner was in place, I pulled out some silver trays that I had in my cupboard. After polishing them, I placed them down as chargers for my place setting. Next, I placed a cream dinner plate followed by a floral chintz salad plate to create a layered look. To bring the garden feeling in I topped the salad plates with little birds nests filled with blue speckled caramel eggs and placed cheese dome lids over the top of them.
Bird nests with caramel speckled eggs.
In front of my place settings, some recycled glass candles (purchased from World Market), because I loved the color. These candles went well with my table linens and china. With some vintage lace trim, I wrapped each candle with a bow and a tea stained stamped tag with each guests name. I also added vintage etched champagne glasses filled with mini Bundt cakes.
The candles tied with vintage lace and tea stained stamped name tags.
In the center of my table for height, I used an old wooden cheese board where I placed my teapot, and creamer. I purchased two more larger recycled glass candle holders which I used to hold two floral arrangements that I created from store purchased flower bouquets. The colors matched the china perfectly and added to the feeling of spring. I also clipped my newly budding plum tree of some of its branches and filled them in a large glass vintage pickle jar that I had in my cupboard. I set the jar inside an opening in my French armoire for added drama.
Here are the floral arrangements from above. I loved the colors, and they were a perfect match to the chintz china.
Flowering plum tree bouquet in recycled glass pickle jar.
Finally, I purchased little brown bags from the dollar tree. I used pieces of the same linen fabric and the same vintage lace and tied it in knots around the bag handles. I used the lace to attach seed packets also from the dollar store to the bags. The goody bags were used for guests to take home their candles and extra treats.
The goody bags with forget me not seed packets.
View of the table set and ready for guests.
Table from up above.
One last pic of everyone enjoying the table.