Almost any type of party can be themed in a Victorian fashion.

Bridal showers and Mother's teas, red hat parties or birthdays will be lovely with Victorian decorations and favors !

Many weddings have Victorian themes, tea partys, or steampunk (victorian sci-fi) occasions.

Fresh flowers, hearts, cherubs, white wrought iron, and ornate lace are all important parts of the overall theme.

VICTORIAN ENTERTAINING ETIQUETTE Eras of Elegance brings you table setting diagram, addressing invitations, and more

For favors, tussy mussys (a small, Victorian style, metal or glass, cone-shaped bouquet holder) are a perfect gift, they are available in lovely silver with engraving, or you can make your own! Traditionally, the flowers chosen for the bouqet carry special wishes and hidden messages from the giver.

How to Create a Victorian Tussy Mussy - eHow

VICTORIAN TUSSY MUSSY HOLDER
shopperschoice.com

Delicate Lace Fans were also popular in Victorian times. These can be decorated as a party activity, or simply adorned with a ribbon and a "thanks for coming" tag

As hostess, rent or buy a Victorian Dress

Victorian Tea Time party ideas at "Teas2Dine4"

Dover Ready-To-Use Victorian Women's Fashion Cuts is a treasury of
vintage copyright-free illustrations, ideal for adding a touch of Victorian charm to a wide range of art and craft projects.

These Home Made Victorian Recipe Book Favors are a fun party acitivy, and so pretty for guests to take home!

How To Host A Victorian Tea Party
Ideas & Recipes
By Luanne Oda

A Victorian Tea Party would be the most elegant of all. Everything in Victorian times was done lavishly. So break out your grandmothers china, silver, crystal & serving pieces. The fancier the better. Of course if you have a truly prized possession that would break your heart if it was damaged, please don’t use for the party. Accidents do happen! Before you get your house ready & prepare your food, you have to send out invitations.

INVITATION IDEAS

There are so many options here. With today’s computer programs you can make some beautiful ones at home. Tuck an actual tea bag in the invitation. Perhaps make some using paper doilies & scrapbooking supplies.

DECORATING & SERVING

You will want to make the house as pretty as possible. Fresh flowers are a must, use them everywhere. I had a birthday tea in early June & I put vases of peonies everywhere, they are beautiful. Use traditional vases, or teapots that no longer have lids. Sometimes you can find then for a bargain since they no longer have a lid! Use candles both tapers & scattered votives or tea lights. I use some of those fancy shaped Christmas light that are sold now in all kinds of shapes. I have some pretty heart ones & some flower ones & even some dragonfly lights ( those are for the fairy tea party - see my page on fairy tea parties) Play soft music in the background. There are even tea party music CD’s you can purchase. For tablecloths try lace or damask. Scatter silk rose petals on your table. Use real linen or fancy paper napkins. I found some monogrammed napkins at an antique store in California last year. They were inexpensive I guess because not too many people have an "O" monogram.

For Serving Pieces You Will Need At Least Some of the Following

Teapot Silver Or China

Sugar & Creamer

Salt & Pepper Shakers

Water Pitcher

Various Serving Trays

Tole Tray

China Serving Platters

Silver Serving Pieces

Crystal Serving Pieces

Crystal Plates

Crystal Bowls

Silverware

Pedestal Cake Plates

Porcelain or China Teacups

Pretty Plates(mix & match is OK)

Jam or Jelly Serving Jar

Demitasse or Fancy Spoons

You don’t need to spend a lot of money. You can find some great bargains at your local thrift stores, flea markets & antique malls. Mix & Match is Definitely OK for teacups & saucers. Even mismatched sets are OK. Some I have been given as gifts, but most are from estate sales or thrift stores. I have at least 24 mix & match cups & saucers.

I love the pedestal cake plates or the tiered serving pieces. I have several I purchased at the Salvation Army. I bought a vintage Hobnail cake plate for $1. It has a repair on the pedestal part , but I cover with appropriate fancy ribbon! Be sure you use lots of scented candles, be creative with your candle holders. Use paper or tatted doily under or on your serving pieces. Be sure you have a nice glass or crystal on hand for water. Maybe not all of your guests drink tea.

To use for serving sugar or with teacups, or as party favors, be sure to see some of the demitasse spoons I sell. Aren’t they sweet! Tie them up to a tea bag with a little satin ribbon & you have a darling tea party favor. If you can find some bargains, give each guest a fancy teacup to take home.

YUMMY FOOD TO SERVE

Offer your guests a variety of tea flavors. I leave them out in a lined basket. It is fun to use decorated sugar cubes & sugar tongs too!

TEA SANDWICHES

There are many varieties of tea sandwiches you can serve. Try to find a firmer style bread, cut the crust off & cut sandwiches either diagonally so you have 2 triangle sandwiches or in 4’s for a bit smaller sandwiches. Cucumber sandwiches have long been a tea party tradition. This is an easy one that everyone likes. Just spread softened cream cheese on bread & top with thinly sliced cucumbers. Simple. For a fall or Christmas time tea try turkey & cranberry sauce sandwiches. Use your favorite egg salad or chicken salad recipe. try adding sliced almonds to your chicken salad recipe, yum! For other fillings you can use, watercress, tomatoes, cheese, deli meats, smoked salmon or ham salad. For Children spread softened cream cheese on bread & top with jelly, cut with cookie cutter. On top of the sandwich spread just a bit of softened cream cheese & dust with sprinkles.

SCONES BISCUITS COOKIES & CAKES

You cannot have a Victorian Tea Party without scones. You can find a variety of scone recipes on the internet. I have used scone mixes before as well. If you have a Panera Bread Store in your area, they have wonderful orange scones. You might like to have traditional devonshire cream, lemon curd or jelly or jams for your scones & biscuits.

Lemon Curd Recipe:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 cup sugar

Traditional Tea Cakes Recipe:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• milk
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Caraway seeds

TEA PARTY THEMES

Do you need an excuse to have a Victorian Tea Party?? Next time you host a baby or bridal shower, make it a tea party, a birthday party for a friend, a Christmas tea is always beautiful. Host one for your ladies group at church or ladies Bible study. Celebrate an anniversary, invite over your grandma, or granddaughters, let your little girl invite her friends for a fancy dress up day! Combine a tea party with an etiquette class, have a garden tea party in the summer, and of course there is always Valentine’s Day, my favorite. Be sure to visit my website for tea accouterments and tea party favors!

Luanne R Oda aka NANALULU
http://nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luanne_Oda
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Host-A-Victorian-Tea-Party-Ideas-Recipes&id=516076

Victorian Decorating For The Modern Home
By Lee Dobbins

The Victorian decorating style is one that combines antique accessories with modern methods and can really make your house stand out. Whether you have an old Victorian mansion or a new home, you can decorating with a Victorian style by changing small things, for instance painting and hanging vintage accessories to bring some of the Victorian age to your home.

A major component in victorian decorating is what you put on the walls. For this style the room colors make a big difference - you should contemplate putting reds and dark colors and anything with vintage appeal and depending on the particular style many colors either in your wall color or your accessories. Try using an antique style wallpaper and border sets on the walls, or if you want something different go with paint and stenciling. You don't have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money and if you are afraid of a bit of color, merely paint the walls a neutral shade and let the accents in the room do the decorating.

The floor covering can make or break your decor, but if you can not buy new flooring then just use area rugs with a Victorian design. Oriental rugs are perfect for this type of decor and you can buy genuine antique rugs, or reproductions if you are on a budget.

Accessories are key to pulling your Victorian decor together. You'll be surprised at the impact a few alterations can make! Concentrate on buying old photos, artwork and mantle clocks that match your Victorian decor. Be sure to add in plenty of antiques as well as Victorian era curios. Additional touches like vintage fabrics and vases filled with flowers can add that special touch that gives your home a professional look.

You might want to consider light fixtures in terms of both style and type to go with your Victorian decorating style,. Given that you are trying to get a Victorian look, you might want to take a look at using old fashioned ceiling lights with lamps with silk fringe shades but remember to pass up anything which is primitive or country looking. Don’t forget to include table lamps as well as wall sconces.

Furniture should be Victorian in style but you don’t have to use genuine antiques. For the sofa especially, you should consider a reproduction. This is because vintage Victorian sofas are very uncomfortable! Wooden pieces like side tables and curio cabinets would look best if you can buy real antiques - the new stuff is just not as beautiful as the old pieces with a rich patina. Always make sure you buy pieces that are in tip top condition.

How you dress your windows are important to your victorian decorating design theme. For a fantastic design in your parlor go with working with layered drapery or velvet curtains or heavy draped curtains with different fabrics. There are a lot of window treatments that can be paired with this design theme, particularly if you match fabrics to your window treatments, but you should avoid contemporary style window coverings.

One decorating area that is frequently overlooked when decorating is the wall space. Even the ugliest walls can be made to look good with great wall decor. Try adding vintage paintings and old photos to create an interesting look to your parlor walls to really bring out the charm of your Victorian Interior Design.

Putting together a perfect Victorian look in your home can be as basic as just buying new decorative accessories or as involved as replacing everything. Either way, working on the details and making sure to coordinate your furniture and decorative accessories will help you achieve a great new Victorian decorating look that you will be proud to claim you accomplished all by yourself!

Lee Dobbins writes for decoratinghowto.com where you can learn more about decorating your home in a variety of decorating styles. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins - http://EzineArticles.com/?Victorian-Decorating-For-The-Modern-Home&id=197618

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