Baby me loved tea parties. So, we had a tea party.
Here’s a look at some of the activities and displays we did at my baby shower!
The Invite.
My tone setting weapon of choice!
We letterpressed a vintage frame on handmade paper infused with wildflower seeds from Porridge Papers in Lincoln, Nebraska. You could actually plant this paper and watch it sprout! This was so fun.
For RSVPs, we re-enacted a vintage postcard, with a free piece of vintage artwork from Frederic Soulacroix. To make them feel old and used I died them with… black chai tea of course.
Watch my behind-the-scenes reel of creating this here.
The Food.
I feel like this is a masterclass on the power of presentation. We gathered simple treats like cookie crackers, macarons, madeleines, biscotti, croissants, palmiers, and more from Costco and Trader Joes. Hello minimal preparation, goodbye stressing over hot and ready food. We collected all the cake plates, tiered trays and vintage plates we could find. Layers and layers of yummy little treats!
The Tea.
The main event! It’s so nice to sit down for a meal together and chat. It’s even better when it’s this easy. At each table we set a piece of my grandma’s china with a golden spoon, cloth napkin, and plastic plate.
Hot water for 40 people at the same time was tricky so we prepared 2 of these hot water dispensers and paired it with a tray of these variety tea bags from Harney and Sons.
At each place, we put a mini scroll place card. I know assigned seating might seem like a chore on both sides, but I think there’s something so special about being saved a special seat. I used this paper and tore it with a ruler to make thin strips. I made mini scrolls by wrapping it tight around a thin paintbrush stick. So easy and sweet!
Encouragements.
I am admittedly very nervous about labor, so I thought it would be special to collect affirmations, prayers, jokes, and words from all the women in my circle for the moment. I hope labor is such a fast blur I don’t even have time to locate the box (ha!) but I know it very well might be hours and hours and if so, I will have this box of love with me to dip into throughout the time.
We set out paper and pens with this gold box. The rest is magic!
Predictions.
One thing I find women to be obsessed with (will one day understand I’m sure) is all the baby statistics! We made cards to fill out and predict baby’s arrival date, name, length, weight, gender, hair color, eye color, and a little prediction on what baby will inherit from mom and dad.
These are fun to read so we strung jute across the wall and offered a bowl of these clothespins.
Favors.
We sent everyone home with… tea of course!
I’m from Wichita, Kansas where there is a majestic little store called The Spice Merchant. We collected a variety of loose leaf tea from here but you could find it at very similar places or World Market. We used these glass jars from Amazon - so teeny and cute!
Additionally - and this is a trick that works with any theme - we prepared these to-go boxes with a little sticker on top for all guests to make a little tea-to-go. And most importantly, not leave the host with allll the leftover food.
Photos by Kinsley Noble Photography
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