CandyLand Holiday Tea

 for a Holiday decorating seminar presentation one year, i pulled together this colorful and fun theme...

'CaNdY LaNd HoLiDaY TeA'

it began with the traditional colors of red and green - with a twist: bright, happy LIME green!

the theme builds on the idea of a Holiday tea party with LOTS of 'sweet as candy' great ideas:

*in the photo above, you can see that a candy-striped vintage apron is used as a seat cover

[a charming way to protect OR camouflage your dining room chairs!]

*my wire mannequin was dressed as the hostess 

in her charming 'dress' of draped gingham curtain panel and another vintage Christmas apron

a 'pom pom' fringe was added to her dress by using resin ornaments from the dollar store

and her 'scarf' is a piece of garland adorned with more resin ornaments and 'candy' floral picks.

she would be perfect greeting guests at the door!

*vintage tablecloths in red and white, red and white ribbon and candy canes on the tree,

and a Santa hat tree topper add color and pattern to the setting.

*red and white ornaments and plain red plastic beaded garlands 

are displayed like hard candies in glass bowls, candy dishes, and champagne saucers

 [some of those ornaments actually look JUST like peppermint candies!

i separated a long glass garland so that i could use them this way]

* making these cute 'bon bon' ornaments is simple
AND everything you need can be found at the dollar store!

*start with resin ornaments. 

*hot glue a pom pom to the front of the hanger on top.

*pop them into prettily-layered cupcake/candy papers, 

and display on a cupcake tree or pedestal!

[of course, you can also hang them on a tree]

* i was inspired to make this sweet take-home treat by creative artist & designer Betz White

Miss Betz created some swirly felted cupcakes a few years ago (they are famous now!) 

and i made my own version for this display... NOT to sell.

*my cup cakes are made from fat green 'caterpillar' yarn, 

*wind in a spiral and glue to a styrofoam ball.

*pop that into a paper liner inside a teacup with a wired ribbon around it.

[making them actual CUP cakes, if you get my drift]

*on top, a wired ribbon flower with a fat red pom pom 'cherry' finishes it off. 

*a pretty tag shows each guest where to sit at your tea party!

PS: my Christmas China pattern is 'Happy Holidays' by Nikko

* i shared this tip in another post recently, 

but since it originated in this setup, i'll just pop the photo in here...

mini stockings make a terrific holder for flatware & napkin on the table or at a buffet!

*these candles and ribbon with 'candy cane' patterns add so much to the theme...

the candles shown are manufactured, but it's very easy to make them!

*start with plain white pillar candles 

[IKEA is a great resource for these - inexpensive and they burn beautifully & long, with no smoke]

*use red craft paint and a foam brush to paint on stripes
(use masking tape in various widths to mask it off if you'd like)

*once dry, cover surface with elmer's white glue and then roll in SUGAR!

the sugar adds a soft sparkle, which looks more like candy than glitter does...

had this decor been in my own home rather than at a resort for a seminar,

i would have added one more thing to top it all off:

ornament-draped chandeliers!

 easy to do with plastic or glass beaded garlands and ornaments

and big round light bulbs, just for fun!