Planning a Tea Party?

We know you've been searching for a place to go for tea party tips and ideas, so we created The Tea Party Club. We will be adding new ideas and information daily to help you plan your next tea event.

Milk Counteracts The Benefits of Tea

A study published in the European Heart Journal found that the addition of milk to tea totally ruins any health benefits of tea to the cardiovascular system. This may explain the lack of health benefits to tea drinkers in the UK where milk is commonly added. So keep drinking your daily dose of tea, but just add lemon.

Best Way To Store Tea

The best way to store tea is to keep it in a glass jar with a metal lid. Be sure to store away from light such as a pantry or cupboard.

Popularity of Tea Continues to Climb

Tea popularity still continues to climb at a roaring pace. According to WebMD, studies show that white tea, green tea, and black tea are filled with antioxidants that rein in free radicals that can trigger heart disease, diabetes, and even alzheimers. Three cups a day are enough to make a difference in health, so drink a variety of teas for your health and enjoy.

Creative Uses For Teapot Favors

Teapot favors are very popular now for giving to guests at a tea party. They can be given as guests leave the party, or set on each plate to add color and charm to your table. But, another creative use of teapot favors is to set at each place setting and fill with cream for coffee or tea. Usually, you will see the dimensions at approximately 2 1/2" - 2 3/4"High x 4" - 4 1/2"Long x 1 3/4" - 2"Deep. Your guests will love having their own personal creamer at the table! And, they can take them home as a special remembrance of your party.

Are You Confused About Types of China?

Are you confused about the different types of tableware such as bone china, porcelain, earthenware, and fine china? This is probably the most often asked question that we receive from our website guests at The Teapot Shoppe. To better explain this we need to start at the beginning. Many cultures around the world started with kiln fired clay, more commonly referred to as pottery. The simplest form of pottery is earthenware, which includes anything that is kiln-fired at a low temperature. (600–1200 degrees). This type of pottery is commonly used for home use and the more refined pieces can be mistaken for china.
The ancient Chinese were responsible for the introduction of stoneware, a much sturdier form of pottery due to the fact that it was fired at a much higher temperature. (2500 degrees). Additional ingredients were added to the process such as kaolin and salt to make a more heat resistant product. Europeans began making stoneware in the 17th century and this technology is still used today for products needing durability.
After the Renaissance, when Italian craftsmen started using a higher quality of clay (kaolin or “china clay”), they began to experiment with different techniques for making pottery. This is when Porcelain was born as a result of purer ingredients matched with higher temperature techniques.
Of course, Bone China is considered the most expensive and refined pottery. Thanks to English craftsmen, who realized the benefit of adding calcium phosphate to porcelain, we now enjoy the fine white, translucent English Bone China that has been popular for the last two hundred years. English bone china is still produced today by highly skilled craftsmen who know that these popular, classic pieces are in high demand and last for many years.

A Fine Cup of English Tea

Irish breakfast tea leaves
Milk
Sugar Cubes
Lemon slices
Honey
Fill a kettle with cold water and set it to boil. As the water nears a boil, pour a little of it into a teapot to warm it, swirling the water around and then discarding it.
For each cup of tea desired, place a spoonful of loose tea leaves into the empty, warmed teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot and let the tea steep 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the type of tea leaves.
Gently stir the tea before pouring it through strainers into teacups. Serve with milk and sugar cubes, or lemon slices and honey.

How To Keep Tea Hot

I have found the best way to keep tea hot for an extended time is to use teapot warmers. These useful and decorative items are made by a variety of companies. I use the Royal Patrician Warmers that are available in both gold and silver. Simply add a tea light and set your teapot on the warmer. Your tea will stay hot for several hours, a perfect amount of time to serve guests at a Tea Party.

Tea Parties Take the Cake

Renewed interest in social graces and longing for a gentler time is spurring a huge demand for social tea drinking and all its accoutrements.
As tea sales increase in the U.S. as never before, the social aspect of tea drinking is flourishing in the form of tea parties and luncheons with endless themes.

Atlanta, Ga (PR Web) April 20, 2005-- Taking cues from a favored English past time, tea-party themes range from Victorian elegance to purely whimsical, appealing to a broad age range as well. Tea Rooms have appeared throughout the U.S. giving us a guide to the ways of cozy ambience, dress-up, quiet conversation, and etiquette. You don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to host a memorable tea party. Prepare small sandwiches with simple flavors like cream cheese and prosciutto, mozzarella and tomato, tuna salad, or ham and apple. Simply spread a thin coat of mayonnaise, butter, or cream cheese on the bread to keep it from getting soggy. Add your favorite filling and cut off the edges with a serrated knife. Then cut with cookie cutter, or cut into simple square shapes. Add a few pastries from your local bakery such as scones, muffins, and danishes in assorted flavors. Keep the party to around 2 hours. Any longer will require a light lunch.

Tea Party Ideas
Mother/Daughter Club
Start a Mother/Daughter Tea Club – Gather together once a month and use special teacups, teapots, and linens along with several types of tea and finger foods. Introduce a different theme each month that interests women of all ages: fashion, health, gardening, etc. It’s a beautiful time to enjoy each other.
Tea Break at Work
Surprise your co-workers with a tea break. Bring sandwiches, cookies, scones and a special teapot for a special break from the ordinary
Tea and Cookies
Have everyone bring their favorite batch of cookies and display them on fine china platters.

Preparation:
Start with innovative invitations. For a girls’ birthday tea party, cut out invitations shaped as teapots or send each guest a small teacup with an invitation attached or painted on the cup. Or use floral note cards or postcards.
Purchase or borrow the necessary items for your tea gatherings. You’ll need 1 or more china teapots for intimate gatherings. Cups and saucers may be matching, but create interest with a variety of patterns. For sugar, always use cubes in a sugar bowl with sugar tongs for serving. Serve milk, not cream. Have teaspoons, lemon slices in a dish with a small fork, serving utensils for cake, forks, and knives for jam.

Don’t forget the music: classical or vintage

Use candles to create ambience.

Serve a colorful variety of petit fours, scones, sugar cookies, and of course, chocolate.

Set out bouquets of pink and white flowers.

Take Polaroid snapshots of guests to add to the fun and chatter.

Ask guests to dress up complete with heels, hats, and gloves

Favors
Surprise your guests with tea party favors such as lace handkerchiefs, flavored tea, teapot cozies, , teacups, porcelain teabag holders, demitasse spoons with teapot handles, or your favorite recipes printed on floral stationary.

Tea Party Etiquette:
This is a great time to teach young ladies about etiquette. To stir your tea, swish the tea back and forth, never hitting the sides of the cup. Never leave the spoon in the cup, but gently rest the spoon on the saucer, behind the cup on the right side under the cup handle. Drink your tea by lifting the saucer and cup together, with the saucer in one hand, and cup in the other.

Tea Preparation
Fill a tea kettle with purified water and set on stove to boil. Warm up your china teapot by running hot water thru it from the faucet. This will keep your tea warmer for a bit longer. Add your teabags or tea-filled infuser to the teapot using 2-3 tea bags for 4 guests. Pour the boiling water carefully into your teapot and wait 5 minutes, then remove teabags. China Teapots are best at keeping tea warm. Surround teapot with a stylish tea cozy for extra insulation.
For a wide variety of teapots, tea party accessories by Royal Patrician, Kaldun & Bogle, Kensington, Roy Kirkham and more, visit The Teapot Shoppe on line at http://www.theteapotshoppe.com/

We need Tea Party Ideas

I once planned a fashion show / tea party for 100 women so we had to keep the food simple yet filling. Instead of trying to serve a lot of different items, we opted for serving plates already made up..Each plate had a scoop of chicken salad on a bed of lettuce, 2 cheese straws, a frozen fruit salad square, date nut bread with cream cheese filling and a small cup of mixed nuts. The ladies were delighted with this menu.
The frozen fruit salad is simply fruit cocktail mixed with cool whip and spread into a glass pan. Freeze overnight and cut into squares. Buy the canned date nut bread, cut into slices and add cream cheese (like little sandwiches) The beauty is this can be made ahead of time.
Hope this helps for your next party.

I know our readers are bursting with creative, original ideas. We need your ideas about invitations, decorations, teaware, linens, and more!

Tea Popularity

As the tea market in the U.S. approaches $6 billion, many Americans are trading coffee for tea. The #1 reason for their shift is due to health benefits. Studies have shown that tea contains powerful antioxidants, the same found in fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants boost the body's immune system to fight infections......Cheers!

Tea Party Ideas

Use this blog to post your favorite ideas for tea party themes and tea accessories. Tea parties have become popular again and we are constantly receiving questions about tea party themes, tea china patterns, tea recipes, care of bone china and porcelain teapots, and tea party etiquette. So, here is your chance to share your thoughts, ideas, memories, and experiences with others who love tea. We started this tea blog to share ideas about all things related to tea....Enjoy!

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