Here, I share all of the details and recipes for a vintage Alice in Wonderland Birthday Party with a Mad Hatter's Tea Party spin. Whether for a birthday or a baby shower, these ideas are sure to make the occasion special.
I have been hoping one of my daughters would choose an Alice in Wonderland birthday theme for years. One of my favorite movies as a child was the Alice in Wonderland TV Mini Series from 1985.
We had it taped on a VHS. As with many taped from TV films, the beginning was missing. What was not missing was some fabulous 80's commercials.
After meeting Alice in Epcot and buying an adorable Alice in Wonderland "it's always tea time" tea pot set, my middle daughter decided on this as her birthday theme.
As I do with all of my dessert tables, I pulled decor items from around my house, or borrowed items from family members, to bring my vision to life.
Because having kids' tea parties was such an important part of my girls' childhood, I leaned into the Mad Hatter's Tea Party aspect of the story but also pulled in other elements from Wonderland.
My brother-in-law said this was his favorite theme yet of all of the birthday parties! It was definitely a top contender for me.
Dessert Table Decorations
For the dessert table, I used this highly themed Alice in Wonderland tapestry backdrop. This backdrop brought in so many of the Alice in Wonderland elements, like a large keyhole, the Queen of Hearts castle, the White Rabbit, a pocket watch, playing cards, teacups, green foliage, and red toadstools.
I pulled inspiration from this backdrop for the other party decorations and color scheme of pastels mixed with red and black.
I made this "Ella in Wonderland" sign with a wooden frame from Michael's that I also used for the Snow White Birthday Party and this French Cafe Birthday Party.
First, I drew the lettering in pencil. I tried to mimic the font from an Alice in Wonderland plate for the "In Wonderland" phrase and used a cursive font as inspiration for "Ella."
Then, I outlined the lettering with an ultra fine point black Sharpie. At this point, I erase all of the pencil marks.
Next, I used a thicker fine point black Sharpie to fill in the center of the letters.
Last, I switched back to the ultra fine point black Sharpie to fill in the edges of the lettering, completely filling in each letter.
For this party, I relied heavily on this vintage-looking Alice in Wonderland scrapbook paper set. All of the small paper details, including the decorations for the sign, come from this set.
To cover the dessert table, I used a light pink tablecloth topped with a lace tablecloth, both of which were from my grandma.
We already had this antique clock, so I used it in the center of the table to pull together other elements. From the clock, I hung a pocket watch and a faux pearl necklace. I also included an antique bronze skeleton key, faux mini rose, and gold glitter cardstock butterfly.
I taped a "We are all mad here" cardstock cut out to the front of the clock.
This pocket watch represents the one carried by the White Rabbit.
Inside this small drawer in the clock, I displayed actual playing cards in King and Queen suits, with the Queen of Hearts in front. I also added a faux moss ball, some greenery, mini faux roses and costume jewelry.
This little metal spiral sign holder came with a Nothing Bundt Cakes gift, and I saved it, knowing I would eventually find a use. I placed a sign saying, "Oh dear! I shall be late!" in it.
This little door is from my daughters' fairy garden. It reminded me of the small door Alice encounters after falling down the rabbit hole.
My daughter had this brown leather bound journal that I used to display more cardstock playing cards and my grandma's crystal decanter.
I taped "Drink me" on the decanter.
When we were in the United Kingdom area of Epcot the previous spring, I bought this Alice in Wonderland plate, so I used a black wooden plate holder to display it. The lettering on this plate is what I attempted to replicate on the "Ella in Wonderland" sign.
This beautiful teacup and saucer comes in a set of 4. I borrowed them from my aunt. I filled this one with faux moss, a fairy garden toadstool, playing cards, faux flowers, and a brass key.
This framed sign says, "It's Always Tea time" and is displayed on a black wood plate holder.
This small pink teapot is from an FAO Schwartz Tea Party Set. I placed it on top of a china saucer with a sign that reads, "take some more tea."
This large cup came with the Alice in Wonderland teapot from Epcot. I placed these cardstock vintage cards inside.
This Dollar Tree hand fan was from a Girl Scout tea party event I threw several years ago.
My daughter received a set of interlocking metal brain teaser puzzles in this little wooden box for Christmas from my sister's family. I filled it with faux moss and cardstock playing cards and butterflies.
I also included a small dish of personalized pastel M&M's.
Table Decor
For the chandelier over the kids' table, I hung heart garland that I use for Valentine's Day. Then. I hung keys with lace ribbon.
I spaced three keys equally around the center ring of the chandelier.
To decorate the table, I used an "It's Always Tea Time" disposable tablecloth. This came in a set of 3, so I used one on the kids' table, one on the adults' table, and one on the serving buffet.
For the centerpiece, I used these small faux plants from IKEA.
I placed glitter heart picks from Dollar Tree and scrapbook playing cards in the foliage.
In the center of the table, I placed a glass bowl filled with cherry chocolate candies on top of a pink doily.
I also used Dollar Tree glitter heart table scatter down the center of the table and small cups of M&M's.
This set of Alice themed plates, napkins, cups and cutlery is so cute and fit the color scheme of pastels mixed with red and black. I set the table for the 6 kids.
To display the cutlery, I folded up a white paper doily, secured with a Valentine's Day sticker, to form a pocket for a plastic spoon, fork, and knife.
For the adult's table, I did a more elaborate, some might call gaudy, centerpiece, filling an entire table runner with decor. This was purposeful to mimic the chaos of the Mat Hatter's Tea Party.
First, I used a disposable tablecloth then layered a floral table runner on top. I already had this Target runner with my spring decor.
As the main inspiration for the party theme and color scheme, this teapot was proudly displayed on top of some neutral colored books that I wrapped in thick natural burlap ribbon with thin lace ribbon on top.
I also stacked tiny teacups, saucers and creamer from a fairy tea set on top of the books.
The glass cylinder candle holders are filled with heart shaped vase filler.
I used faux moss and moss balls from my spring decor collection to create a fairy garden inspired scene under a glass cake dome and on a glass cake platter. The toadstools are from my daughters' fairy garden. I also placed some scrapbook paper playing cards and standard playing cards inside.
To decorate the handle on the dome, I tied on a key with lace ribbon.
This small hexagonal shaped glass box was given to me when I was a small child. It has a mirrored bottom.
This decorative glass candy jar was my grandma's. Like the cake dome, I filled it with faux moss and tiny cardstock playing cards.
I placed the cups from the FAO Schwartz set on the table runner, alongside a Noritake Crestwood Gold china teapot.
I used another hand fan, opened to reveal the pretty design.
This blue and cream colored teapot is Devon Cottage by Johnson Brothers from Replacements Ltd. I got it many years ago when it was not as rare, i.e. expensive, to match my great grandma's Noritake Ramona china set.
I stacked up my great grandma's Noritake Ramona china teacup and saucer with a mis-matched cup and saucer of my mom's.
This tiny table and chairs come from a Calico Critters tea set. I thought it would be funny to incorporate the theme of disproportion given the growing and shrinking Alices does in the story.
I stacked two more teacups from this set on top of each other for added height and whimsy.
This glass perfume bottle was from my great aunt. I normally have it displayed on my makeup vanity in my room, but it reminded me of the small bottle from which Alice drinks.
I scattered groupings of playing cards on the table runner, and stacked up the teacups from the FAO Schwartz set, placing a small faux rose inside.
For the serving buffet, I included some framed art. I love to use framed printables at parties to convey famous lines or phrases from the specific theme.
Here, I framed, "We're all mad here" that I printed in black on dark pink cardstock.
I also framed, "Down the Rabbit hole," which is printed on tan cardstock with black ink.
One that I printed on white cardstock reads, "Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures." This was very fitting for a birthday party for a young girl, in my opinion!
I placed a veggie and dip tray near the frames pertaining to rabbits.
We had a fruit platter with Easy Fruit Dip.
Because this party was after Valentine's Day, I had this vase of roses from my husband. I decided to add a label with a quote from the book.
The Queen of Hearts says, "Who's been painting my roses red?"
This bowl is filled with pastel M&M's with a wooden scoop for serving. I used a heart pick with a cardstock cut out reading, "Eat me" taped to it.
For most of my kids' themed parties, I like to focus the drinks and dessert around the theme but let them choose the main dinner. They usually choose pizza, lasagna or Mom's Deli sub sandwiches.
Drinks
Like I did for the Starbucks party and Parisian Patisserie party, I made labels for disposable white coffee cups. I designed this sheet in PowerPoint with a black and white checkered pattern and white circles containing black "DRINK ME."
I printed them on full sheet adhesive labels and cut out the circles with a 2.25 inch circular cutter.
These little circles are essentially stickers that can be stuck anywhere as decoration, although on a cup may be the most logical.
I placed the stickers on the white cups and the optional cardboard sleeves. We like to serve decaffeinated coffee with dessert at parties, so I placed the carafe on a hammered silver tray with packets of sweetener and a bowl of sugar on top of a small heart shaped doily.
I used the "Drink Me" paper cups that came in the set with the plates for the kids' table since they were on the small side.
Pink Citrus Punch, also known as Christmas Punch around the holidays, is our all time favorite punch. My daughter specifically requested this punch, and the color went well with the color palette.
I labeled this, "Queen of Hearts Punch."
Desserts
The desserts are where I like to really bring in a theme. I displayed them all on the dessert table.
To begin, I made two designs of Vanilla Shortbread Cookies topped with Easy Royal Icing and decorated using FooDoodlers food coloring markers.
These Royal Icing Clock Cookies represent the pocket watch carried by the White Rabbit. I wanted to use Roman numerals, but you could use numbers and even write them haphazardly if you wanted.
The Royal Icing Playing Card Cookies can be made in any suit or number. Due to the large number of other desserts, I made a small batch of these and only made them with aces.
I made Nut Free Linzer Cookies using the heart insert of my Linzer cutter set and filled them with seedless raspberry jam. As Linzer Cookies are a derivative of Linzer Tarts, these were labeled, "Queen of Hearts Tarts."
To represent the small cake that Alice eats, I made these No Bake Petit Fours. Petit Fours can be made in so many ways, but I decided to keep it simple and "no bake" due to the other desserts I was making.
I displayed them in light pink cupcake wrappers to make them neater to serve.
My daughter saw pink sparkly cake pops at a local bakery around the holidays and asked if I would try to recreate them for this party.
I followed my Easy Cake Pops recipe and dipped them in light pink coating candy before covering them with iridescent luster dust. I tied thin lace ribbon in bows on the top of each stick and displayed them on a small cake stand with a light pink heart doily underneath.
What's a proper tea party without macarons?! I used my go to Nut Free French Macaron recipe to make make these Mini Rose Macarons.
I displayed the macarons on a 3-tiered server on the dessert table and also filled a teacup with them to use as a cake topper.
This Vintage Garden Tea Party Cake was the piece de resistance.
Years ago, one of my daughters asked me to decorate a cheesecake, and I've now done several, including the Nutcracker Birthday Cake, Wizard of Oz Cake, and Simple Parisian Birthday Cake.
For this cake, I used Vanilla Swiss Meringue buttercream on top of a Cheesecake Factory Copycat Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, with a single Royal Icing Clock Cookie on the front.
I will provide full details in a future post, but I used the same method outlined in Mini Rose French Macarons to make the small roses. The roses were placed on top of vines that I made using small petal and leaf piping tips.
Sources
Alice in Wonderland fabric backdrop - Amazon
Large wooden frame - Michael's
Clear acrylic and gold 3-tiered server - Amazon
Pink and gold 3-tiered server - Amazon
Pocket watch - Amazon
Antique Bronze Skeleton Keys - Amazon
Lace ribbon - Amazon
White and Heart Shaped Doilies, various sizes - Dollar Tree
Alice in Wonderland Scrapbook Paper - Amazon
Tea cups and saucers set - Amazon
FAO Schwartz Ceramic Tea Party Set - Target
It's Always Tea Time disposable tablecloths - Amazon
Alice in Wonderland plates, cups, napkins and cutlery - Amazon
Heart shaped vase filler - Hobby Lobby
Calico Critters tea set - Amazon
Disposable white coffee cups - Amazon
Full sheet adhesive labels - Amazon
2.25-inch Circle Crafting punch - Amazon
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