By the time graduation rolled around, I had been down the rabbit hole a few times, so an Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party seemed an obvious choice for my graduation party theme. It was a deviation from the typical school color theme, but I did incorporate light blue as a nod to my alma mater. My fascination with Alice in Wonderland began years ago. As a nonconformist who loves a tea party, I relate to the twists and turns of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. My mom and I began having afternoon tea when I was in elementary school, where we would discuss a wide variety of topics over “tea” and cake after a day spent navigating the world of public school and the characters who inhabit it. While in middle school, I wrote a song called “Alice,” one of my favorites from my first album, “Just a Dreamy Idea,” released at age 13. As I grew curiouser and curiouser, my love of Alice continued. After a trip to London and the Cotswolds in the summer of 2022, I knew I would have a Mad Hatter tea party to celebrate my graduation the following spring, and the planning began.

We're all a little mad here

~

We're all a little mad here ~

Consider this Alice in Wonderland playlist to add ambiance to your party:

If you love Alice and Wonderland and Mad Hatter tea parties as much as I do, here are a few tips for putting your party together.

Start by looking around your house to see what you already have. I explored both my house and my grandparent’s house searching for found objects. Some things you might look for are teapots, tea cups and china, candle sticks, trays and bowls, rabbits (check your Easter decorations), clocks, playing cards, ribbons, lace tablecloths, and any other odd or interesting items you may have lurking around. Thrift stores are another place to look for these items.

Layer your table. I started with this blue tulle table skirt from Amazon. Then I added several tablecloths angled in different directions. A moss table runner gives your table a woodland feel. After that, have fun placing your gathered items on the table. Including tiered stands can help add some dimension. Think about what food you will serve, and lay out the number of trays and bowls needed.

For food, we went with sweets, nuts, and fruit. The Bundtinis from Nothing Bundt Cakes were popular, as well as my favorite cookies ever- chocolate cup cookies from McLain’s bakery, a classic Kansas City tradition. You can also order custom sugar cookies from Price Chopper with your own design. I uploaded my monogram designed by my sister, Alexandra Violet. Tea sandwiches would be a scrumptious addition to this party theme as well.

Some purchases we made for the table were these paper goods and these keys scattered around. We placed the plates and napkins at various spots around the table so people could start filling plates in different areas. The cake toppers are from Etsy, and the signs around the room can be found here, and let’s par-tea banner here. Don’t forget to decorate your ceiling with a combination of streamers, flags, garlands, and butterflies.

A drink station was set up in the kitchen. The printables for “This one makes you Smaller," "This and this one makes you Taller," and "Drink Me" are from Etsy. We used these plastic bottles and these straws with blue Gatorade for the "Drink Me" drinks. Paper tea cups work nicely for a crowd.

To help capture memories, we set up a photo backdrop in the yard and used this balloon kit.
If you want to dress like Alice, Aderlina has just the thing in light blue.