If you are a little bit like me and have a ‘joie de vivre’ you will find yourself planning a summer party every year! You don’t need an occasion, but you definitely need a theme. Believe me! It is trendy and moreover you will have a lot of fun! Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s story ‘Alice in Wonderland’, I’m going to share some imaginative ideas with you. I hope that it will take you straight into Alice’s magical world!

‘Who’s been painting my roses red?’ said the Queen of Hearts — Lewis Carroll.

Here is my first little project from the theme! Instead of painting the fake white roses red with a brush, I spray-painted them to give a more dramatic effect! The paintbrush looks like it has been dipped in paint, but in reality, I sprayed that too!!

Next up, some essential Alice in Wonderland accessories! Start by collecting bottles with cute shapes, olds clocks and chess pieces. Charity shops are quite good! I found an old teapot, originally bright blue, which I spray-painted black. I already wanted to create a red and black palette for the Queen of Hearts table, and more subtle colours such as light pink and lavender for the Alice table.

‘The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, All on a summer day: The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts, and took them quite away!’ — Lewis Carroll

I could not resist baking for the tea party! And guess what I found at the Hobbycraft Store?! A tea party cutter-set for biscuits with shapes to make; a teapot, a teacup and a cupcake!

Get some flour, butter, sugar and eggs and the dough is ready! Here’s the full recipe; get all the ingredients ready and follow each step…

Alice Tea Party Biscuits — Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 170 g sugar
• 125 g butter, softened
• 500 g self-raising flour
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
• Preheat the oven 160-170 C fan/ gas 4

Method

• Mix the sugar and butter together in the stand mixer for 5-10 minutes.
• Break the egg in a little bowl and mix together with a fork and then add it in the mixer and mix.
• Add the flour little by little and mix thoroughly.
• Grate the zest and mix again, at this point you might need a wooden spoon.
• While the oven is heating up, you can dust the surface with flour and roll out the dough. Roll until it is approx. 8mm.
• Cut the shapes using the cutter shapes (see photo).
• Lift up each biscuit and gently position them on a tray.
• Bake in the oven for approx. for 12/ 15 minutes until the biscuits are lightly golden all over.
• Take the tray out of the oven and remove the biscuits on to a wire rack. Once they are cool, you can fill them with jam and stick them together.

Just before serving you can dust them with icing sugar.

I wanted everything to be red, black and white. To coordinate the whole theme, I discovered these fun red and black striped paper plates and cups with matching napkins from Hobbycraft— just perfect! I also had some charming red heart confetti and black plastic cutlery.

The Mad Hatter: ‘Have I gone mad?’ Alice: ‘I’m afraid so, but let me tell you something, the best people are.’ — Lewis Carroll.

Who said, “you can not make a costume out of playing cards?” In Wonderland, anything is possible! Now! Follow the rabbit down the hole….

Queen of Hearts costume — collar piece, shoulder pieces both made out of big playing cards with additional red felt decorations.

Mad Hatter costume — bow tie created from the playing cards printed fabric from the Queen of Hearts leggings. Vintage top hat.

‘A party without a cake is just a meeting’, said Julia Child (My Life in France, 2006).

I could not agree more. My Wonderland cake was designed and made by the wonderful baker @annaharricakes A buttery Madeira cake, flavoured with Nielsen Massey vanilla extract, filled with strawberry jam and lightly salted buttercream. Then covered in mint-green fondant icing. The miniature edible tea party set was created using florist paste and silicone moulds. I can assure you that the cake tasted as good as it looked!!! What a masterpiece that my friend Anna created! Every little detail!!! Believe it or not, I couldn’t bring myself to cut into it, so I let her do it instead! The Hobbycraft Flamingo candles were a great additional adornment!

The cupcakes were also made by @annaharricakes A classic Victoria sponge — very light and summery, flouvered with Nielsen Massey vanilla extract, topped with a little spoonful of Bonne Maman strawberry jam and piped with lightly salted buttercream. As a finishing touch, they are decorated with edible ‘Eat Me’ signs and playing cards.

I hope that you have enjoyed ‘How to Plan an Alice in Wonderland Party’ and moreover that you got inspired to make your Summer parties more fun! Keep Calm! We are all Mad here!!!