Craft ParTea

Half the fun in having a party is in the planning of it.

As I ring in this new year of my life, I decide to have a different sort of soirée – a ‘crafty’ tea with my family and friends. Splashes of colourful paints and a cacophony of loud and cheerful ideas made this a really fun day!

Having a get-together with a DIY craft theme is not a new idea, but I personally don’t know of anyone who has organized one such. It is a more popular children’s theme, so I was apprehensive when I contemplated this for an adult group, but then I thought, why-not?

Invite

And just as soon as I zeroed in on this ‘craft’ theme and the guest list, then the invites, menu, decor…all the spokes in the wheels set into motion. Living in a small city, it is a challenge to get supplies- whether they are items needed for making the DIY or key ingredients for food. Whether it’s sourcing something as simple as a cake stand or my favourite cream cheese or even veggies like mushroom or bell peppers- the day I need them they’ll be out of stock! 😦 Hence, my planning needed to account for courier time and last minute tweaks to my menu.

Spanning into days of ‘getting things together’ culminated into this day of fun togetherness on this balmy November afternoon. My group of 20-odd exclusive guests showed up suitably armed with brushes, pencils, rulers, et al. They excitedly opened up to the idea of making decorative home wall décor and for the next couple of hours, as glasses of lemon punch made way for cups of hot tea and coffee, and sandwiches and savoury food led to cake and dessert, the crafty high-tea afternoon turned into a big success.

Beverage Preference card

For the DIY

1. 2 wooden bases each
2. Acrylic Paints
3. Glue
4. Decorative Paper
5. Embellishments

DIY Supplies

I provided my guests with 2 wooden bases each so they could decorate it the way they liked. While I supplied the above, they got their own scissors, pencils, rulers, brushes and those who wished some laces and coloured beads.

After showing them some samples I had made before, I instructed them to first visualize which room in their houses they would like to display them in. And then, take a few minutes to choose an appropriate paper for their wall décor. Based on that, they selected a colour and then started on their project by applying the first coat of paint.

Menu for Afternoon-Tea

• Lemon Punch
• Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches
• Chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches
• Bite-Sized Caprese Appetizer (Tomato and cheese)
• Naan Pizza
• Walnut and Date cake
• Saffron and Pistachio Cheesecake
• Freshly brewed Tea and Coffee
• Chocolate with wafers (supplied by a friend)

Lemon Punch

Naan Pizza, chicken sandwiches, walnut and date cake, cucumber sandwiches, and tomato and cheese appetiser

Taking a break to let the paint dry, we had our spot of tea. Afternoon tea is typically a light meal and is enjoyed between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. I limited the menu to finger food so it wouldn’t get oily and messy and also so my friends could snack while working on their boxes.

After applying another coat of colour to their boxes, they glued the paper, added some bling and final touches with the material at hand.

Amid peals of laughter and some very interesting design planning, between passing paints and brushes to making first dibs on decorative papers and embellishments, and as the late afternoon sun set and the lights came on at first sight of dusk, the wall décor slowly but surely began to take shape.

Nitya’s Dream catcher

Sownjanya’s road trip

As they say, “in crafting there are no mistakes, just unique creations.” I feel over-joyed that my friends had a great time bonding over craft and afternoon tea. They took away gifts that they created themselves. The attractive wall art is sure to liven up their rooms as many of them told me.

I am truly blessed to have many supportive and loving people in my life. I truly missed having many of them here today. A big shout out to all the shining lights in my life and especially to my Ayun masi, dad, mummy, my sister Sabina and brother, Meher- it is your bright ideas that add sparkle to mine. 🙂

As the evening drew to a close and the last of my guests left, this is what I want my new year to be like- full of planning, parties and happiness. Happy Birthday to me!

-Tamanna S. Mehdi