Bring a little Fifties glamour to a good old-fashioned tea party. Choose crockery in pastel colours, opt for retro glassware, and decorate the table with wild flowers. For the finishing touch, make cupcakes and serve with sweet biscuits.
Layer pretty glass cake-stands one on top of the other and pile high with cupcakes to make a sensational centrepiece. Vintage 19th & 20th century pressed glass cake stands, £18 (medium), £22 (large), both Re; Knitted floral egg, £2.85, Joanna Wood; The Orchard Vintage Tea Party milk jug in pink, £8, both NotOnTheHighStreet.com; Sweetheart tray, £29.95 for a set of two, dotcomgiftshop.com; pale pink paper napkins, £1.49 per pack, Sainsbury's.
Vanilla cupcakes topped with piped swirls of buttercream and pastel-coloured decorations tie in with the vintage look perfectly. The Orchard Vintage Tea Party dinner plate in blue, £12.75, and side plate in pink, £8, both NotOnTheHighStreet.com; knife from set of 16 pieces of Vintage Cutlery in ivory, £29.95, dotcomgiftshop.com.
Look out for china in soft pastel colours and old-fashioned designs. Mix and match different looks – an eclectic collection is what you’re after. The Orchard Vintage Tea Party sugar bowl in pink, £11.50, and teacup in cream, £8.50, both NotOnTheHighStreet.com; teaspoon from set of 16 pieces of Vintage Cutlery in ivory (as above). 100% linen white napkin, £4, Habitat; French glass milk bottle, £7.50 (small), Re; Spray Flowers Table Cloth, £25 (small), Cath Kidston.
Nice and cosy
There’s no need to scour charity shops for an old-fashioned teapot. This colourful tea cosy will give any teapot that vintage look. If you’re a dab hand with a pair of knitting needles, you could even try knitting one yourself. right Pom pom tea cosy, £25, Re.