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Host a Mad Hatter Party or Tea Party

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How to Throw a Mad Hatter Tea Party or Party

A Mad Hatter Party or a Mad Hatter's Tea Party is a fun party idea for children and adults alike. Along with Alice in Wonderland Tea Parties, the Mad Hatter Party and Tea Party have been becoming more trendy as a birthday party theme for children.

Alice in Wonderland and Mad Hatter Themes have become more popular in after the release of the 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland from Disney and Tim Burton.

We hosted a Mad Hatter's Tea Party for my daughter's in 2009 as an alternative to the original idea for Alice in Wonderland tea party. The Mad Hatter concept was a way to have a 'tea party' and still be able to invite boys.*

Alice in Wonderland's delightful Mad Hatter Tea Party may often be a popular theme for a birthday party. If your daughter is interested in a tea party, but has to invite all of the boys in the classroom, then a Mad Hatter theme party will work well for this situation.

*Word of Advice: I think if we do this again, we will call it a Mad Hatter Party rather than a Mad Hatter Tea Party. The subtle difference between a "Party" and a "Tea Party" is a big difference for boys.

Image Source: John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Image: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Available on Amazon.

Twinkle, Twinkle Hatter

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!
Up above the world you fly,
Like a teatray in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!

The Mad Hatter

How to Plan a Mad Hatter's Party or Tea Party

Planning and hosting a Mad Hatter's Party or a Mad Hatter's Tea Party doesn't have to be a daunting process if you follow some simple steps:
  1. Decide on the Guests.
    At least with a children's party deciding on the guests and whether it will be an all girl party or a co-ed party makes a lot of difference to the overall party in picking food and decorations.
  2. Decide the Theme - Tea Party or Party?
    The first decision is whether to call it a Tea Party or just a Party. (This might make a difference if you are going to have boys attend).
  3. Pick the Attire.
    With a Mad Hatter Party, you could invite people to wear Mad Hatter or crazy clothes. You could also have them bring their favorite crazy hat to the party.
  4. Make, Write and Send the Invitations.
    Design, make and print out invitations on the computer to send.
  5. Plan Your Menu.
    Decide on the types of food and 'tea' you will be serving. The ideas and recipies we used are included. The additional articles from other people linked on this page provide many other recipes and ideas for your tea party.
  6. Pick Your Dishes or Tea Set.
    Decide on the type of dishes and place ware you plan to use for the party. For a party you can get away with cups and plates. For a tea party you need tea cups and a teapot.
  7. Make Your Tea Party Gift Bags.
    Putting together a Tea Party or Party gift bag is easy. See the directions below.
  8. Decorate for the Tea Party.
    Decorations will vary depending on where you decide to hold the tea party. We used the Mad Hatter Pinata, balloons, streamers (white, red, light blue and black) and mini playing cards to decorate the area and the tables.
  9. Prepare Your Menu.
    By planning on several foods that required the children to fix their own (sandwiches and cupcakes), this cut down on the amount of time needed to preparing the food for the party and gave the children activities to keep them busy at the party.
  10. Enjoy your party.
    Perhaps a bit easier for the children to do than the parents, but remember to join in the festivities and take a lot of pictures.

Find What You Need for the Mad Hatter Party

Click on the link to jump on the section that you are interested in reading more about.
  1. Mad Hatter Invitations
  2. Mad Hatter Hats
  3. Mad Hatter Costumes
  4. Mad Hatter Food Ideas
  5. Mad Hatter Tea Sets and Party Items
  6. Mad Hatter Games
  7. Mad Hatter Party Favor Ideas

Many Mad Hatter Tea Parties

Use the imagery of different Mad Hatter Parties interpreted by different artists over the years to create a unique theme for your Mad Hatter Party.
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More on Hosting a Mad Hatter Party or Tea Party

More ideas from other people on hosting a Mad Hatter Tea Party.
Alice in Wonderland party ideas - A Mad Hatter Tea Party
Having a Mad Hatter Tea Party? Celebrating your Unbirthday? Tips on decorations, games, food, music, and more for your own Alice in Wonderland party!
How to Plan a Mad Hatter Tea Party | eHow.com
How to Plan a Mad Hatter Tea Party. When the Mad Hatter throws a tea party in "Alice in Wonderland," it is not the sedate and dignified affair we usually associate with a tea party. It is a let-loose, crazy, fun time.
Mad Hatter Party
Free and easy party ideas for hosting a Mad Hatter Tea Party and giving your child the best birthday party ever.
A Mad Hatter Tea Party | Celebrations.com
Alice in Wonderland's delightful Mad Hatter Tea Party may often be a popular theme for a birthday party. If your daughter is interested in a tea party, but has to invite all of the boys in the classroom, then a Mad Hatter theme party will work well for this situation.
5 Years Anniversary Party Themes - Mad Hatters Tea Party
Mad Hatters Tea Party - Free 5 Years Anniversary Party Themes and Ideas from PartyPOP.com
How to Make Mad Hatter Tea Party Invitations | eHow.com
How to Make Mad Hatter Tea Party Invitations. Taking a chapter from the great classic "Alice in Wonderland," you can create Mad Hatter-themed tea party invitations.
How to Plan a Menu for a Mad Hatter Tea Party | eHow.com
How to Plan a Menu for a Mad Hatter Tea Party. Kids of all ages, as well as those who love classic literature, can enjoy a Mad Hatter tea party straight out of the Alice in Wonderland story.
Simple Mad Hatter Tea Party Ideas
Suggestions and answers for how to host a simple Mad Hatter Tea Party using centerpieces, decoration, food, hats and cups from Yahoo! Answers.
My Desert Cottage: It's Time for the Mad Hatter Tea Party!!!
Oh I'm so glad you could make it. I've been so excited about this day! I thought it would never get here! Did you have any trouble finding the place? No? Good.
Well , you're right on time!!!

The Many Faces of the Mad Hatter

The current Disney Mad Hatter has become much more colorful than the original Tenniel's black and white drawings.

Images: First two available on Amazon. Third from Disney.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland - 2010

Tim Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland puts a very different twist on creating an Alice in Wonderland Party.
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Different Mad Hatters on Amazon

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The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Image: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Available on Amazon.

You are Invited...

Image Adapted from John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

Mad Hatter Invitations

If you want to do a Mad Hatter Party using the traditional (Tenniel's) illustrations, these are available online in many of the places listed below.

After you figure out your guest list, printing up invitations can be simple.

Use the phrase above "You are invited to a most important date!" or the poem:

    Don't be late!
    Don't be late!
    For this very important date!
Combine with your favorite Mad Hatter Graphics and print out on cardstock.

Image Source: John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

Sources for John Tenniel's Illustrations of Alice in Wonderland

John Tenniels's illustrations of Alice in Wonderland, including those for the Mad Hatter and the Mad Hatter's Tea Party are in public domain, so can be used to make invitations and illustrations for the Tea Party.
John Tenniel - Wikimedia Commons
Illustrations by John Tenniel from Wikimedia Commons. Includes many of the illustrations from Alice in Wonderland.
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Tenniel Illustrations for Alice in Wonderland
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
Web Edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Illustrated by Sir John Tenniel. This web edition published by eBooks@Adelaide.
'Alice in Wonderland' - a study in translation
Posts from Vitreosity: June 2007 Archives that include information on the Alice in Wonderland Window in the All Saints Church in Daresbury, England. Also includes the Tenniel images.

Mad Hatter Hats

What is a Mad Hatter Party without a Mad Hatter Hat?

We'd been at Disneyland earlier in the year, so I made sure we got a Mad Hatter Hat. If we hadn't gotten the Mad Hatter Hat at Disneyland, I might have ordered one of the ones available now on Amazon, or made one.

Another option for the Mad Hatter Party is to have part of the point of the party to have everyone wear a crazy hat (good option for co-ed party) or another option is to wear a tea party hat (better with just girls).

Image Source: John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

Mad Hatter Hats Available on Amazon

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Mad Hatter Hats on eBay

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Mad Hatter Costumes

Having someone dress up as the Mad Hatter is something else to consider doing. This might be a good role for a dad or a willing brother, if there isn't someone involved with the party who wants to dress like the Mad Hatter.

Putting together your own costume is pretty easy. The main item needed is the hat. After that you can put on a colorful long jacket, vest and pants and you've got the Mad Hatter.

While it isn't covered with this version of the Mad Hatter Party, there are some PG-rated costumes for women for those who might want to have a Mad Hatter Party of a more adult nature.

Image Source: John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

Mad Hatter Costumes on Amazon

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Mad Hatter Costume Lenses

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The Mad Hatter Tea Party

Image of The Mad Hatter Tea Party. Available on Amazon.

Mad Hatter Food Ideas

Deciding on the food for your Mad Hatter Party or Mad Hatter Tea Party can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. The ideas for serving food are only limited by your imagination.

One of my priorities was to also have party food that was healthy and nutritious as well as foods that the children could help prepare themselves.

The list below is what we served for our Mad Hatter Party. For even more ideas read some of the other articles in the "More on How to Host a Mad Hatter Party or Tea Party" section.

Image Source: John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

Ideas for Mad Hatter Party Food

Here are some of the Mad Hatter Party Foods that we served. My emphasis was on healthy foods.
  1. Red Finger Food Starters
    We set the tables with bowls of Red foods - fresh strawberries, cherry tomatoes and red grapes.
  2. Card Shaped Sandwiches
    Making sandwiches to eat was also an activity. We had the kids cut out card shapes (heart, spade, diamond and club) out of wheat or multi-grain bread. They had a choice of toppings that could also be cut with the cookie cutters - turkey and chicken lunch meat, Jack and cheddar cheese. We sliced cucumbers for them to eat and also had Fruit-Jam with butter as another option.
  3. Mad Hatter Tea
    To let the children have the experience of drinking real tea, we brewed a combination of herbal and fruit teas. We even got sugar cubes for the kids to add to their tea.
  4. Mad Hatter Fizz
    The Mad Hatter Fizz was a combination of apple juice and orange-flavored fizz Water. This was a way of diluting out the apple juice and adding a bit more flavor.
  5. Card Shaped Brownies
    I mixed a low-fat brownie mix with apple sauce and baked it. Once it was done we used the mini cookie cutters to cut out card deck shaped mini brownies.
    This modified recipe was a good way to let the kids have a little bit of chocolate, but with the apple sauce, it was healthier.
  6. Heart-shaped Oatmeal Cookies
    One of my mom's recipes is a sugar-oatmeal cookie with almond-flavored icing. We cut them out into Card Shapes and let the kids decorate them with a variety of sprinkles - sugar, mini chocolate chips and card-shaped sprinkles.
  7. Mad Hatter Cupcakes
    I modified the Hungry Girls Berry-Licious Cupcake recipe using strawberries, raspberries and a berry-flavored fizz water in place of the cherry cola and omitting the syrup. We baked two cupcakes sizes - one normal one mini and used tooth picks to have the kids put them together.
    Then they got to decorate the Mad Hatter Cupcakes with a Fat-free Cool Whip and Pudding combination (one vanilla, one white chocolate) variety of sprinkles listed above.

Playing Cards 4 Piece Cookie Cutter Set in the Amazon Spotlight

R & M Ace, Club, Diamond Heart Suit 4 Piece Cookie Cutter Set with Gift Box

R & M Ace, Club, Diamond Heart Suit 4 Piece Cookie Cutter Set with Gift Box

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now

Make your own playing card shaped sandwiches or cookies with these Ace, Club, Diamond and Heart shaped cookie cutters.

Large size 3 inches.

Mad Hatter's Party or Tea Party Food Ideas

Recipes: Mad Hatter's Tea Party
A collection of Tea Party recipes from Diabetic Lifestyle. Recipes include: Crab and Watercress Sandwiches, Smoked Salmon Sandwiches, Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Mustard Sandwiches, Orange Biscotti, Individual Cheesecakes and Fresh Berry Scones.
Throw a Mad Hatter's Tea Party - Cooking and recipe ideas
Cooking and recipe ideas from Waitrose supermarkets. Recipes include: Diamond and Heart-Shaped Sandwiches, Cheesy Chicken Dippers, All Hands-On Pizza, Fruit Bowl and Sticky Sausages.
How to Plan a Menu for a Mad Hatter Tea Party | eHow.com
How to Plan a Menu for a Mad Hatter Tea Party. Kids of all ages, as well as those who love classic literature, can enjoy a Mad Hatter tea party straight out of the Alice in Wonderland story.
Recipe Suggestions for a Mad Hatter Party
Free and easy party ideas with recipe suggestions for your next Mad Hatter Party.
Passionate Eater: In Pictures: Mad Hatter Tea Sandwiches
I made tea sandwiches for my party, but I added a uniquely Californian flair to the classic sandwiches. In doing so, I transformed a traditional, sophisticated tea sandwich into one worthy of the Mad Hatter. The images conjured up by my odd tea sandwich creation, were garish, gaudy, and clown-like, akin to the polka-dotted bow tie and purplish, elephantine top hat donned by Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter.
Mad Hatter Tea Party Recipes & More
Mad Hatter Tea Party Recipes - tasty recipes specifically selected for your next child tea party theme.
The Mad Hatter's Tea Party! Recipezaar
A collection of all our tea-time recipes; inspired by our thread in the Table Settings & Decorating Ideas Forum - hosted by Dreamgoddess.

Mini Cookie Cutter Set in the Amazon Spotlight

R & M Mini Cookie Cutter Set, Tin

R & M Mini Cookie Cutter Set, Tin

Amazon Price: $14.39 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now

A collection of 12 mini cookie cutters that include the Ace, Club, Diamond and Heart shapes.

Mini size 1 inch or less.

Mad Hatter Teas on Amazon

A collection of tea created for children.
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The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Image: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Available on Amazon.

Mad Hatter Tea Sets and Party Items

Setting the table for your Mad Hatter Party or Mad Hatter Tea Party can be as elaborate, simple or as eco-friendly as you want.

For parents who want to have the party as simple as possible, getting plastic tea cups and paper plates is the easy way to go.

One of the best ways to be eco-friendly is to get a tea set that can be used over and over again for future tea parties.

Image Source: John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

Mad Hatter Large Tea Pot

Paul Cardew, Alice in Wonderland Large Teapot-48oz.

Paul Cardew, Alice in Wonderland Large Teapot-48oz.

Amazon Price: $55.00 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now

This ceramic Alice in Wonderland collectible teapot features the Mad Hatter Tea Party.

The Dishwasher safe Teapot makes up to 6 Cup(s) of Tea (48 ounces)

Size: 6 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches

Alice in Wonderland Tea Set on Amazon

The tea cups, sugar bowl and creamer complete the Alice in Wonderland set with the Mad Hatter Teapot above.
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A Lens on Green Toys and a Green Tea Set

Green Toys Inc makes a Tea Set and Dishes from recycled plastic milk containers. This Green Tea Set is a great way to host a green tea party.
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Mad Hatter Games

There are a lot of games that can be played at a Mad Hatter Party. What you want to play depend a lot on how much and which themes from Alice in Wonderland you want to include with your party.

Four Mad Hatter Games/Activities:

    1. Make Your Own Hatter Hat
    I found some paper accordion style hat the children could color and put stickers on. Once opened, the hats became a top hat, so the children all had their own Mad Hatter Hat.

    You could use whatever hats you can easily find and let the kids make their own crazy decorated party hats. Have a contest for the craziest hat.

    2. Hat, Hat, Hatter
    This is a variant on the Duck, Duck, Goose Game, but you use a Mad Hatter Hat. When the adult sized hat is left on the child's head, many times, it covers up his or her eyes

    3.Mad Hatter Pinata
    With a little effort, we turned a New Year's Top Hat into a Mad Hatter Pinata, filled it with non-candy items (like mini cards, mini pencils, note paper and heart stickers) and then let the children take turns swinging a bat to try and break the hat.

    To make it even a bit more challenging, we used the large Mad Hatter Hat as the 'blindfold.'

    4.Tea Cup Relay
    This is doing a relay race with tea cups. There are several ways of doing this. One would be to have the children run back and forth with a (plastic) tea cup filled with water to fill up a teapot.

    You could also have the children run back and forth with a tea spoon filled with water to fill up a tea cup.

    First team that fills their Teapot or Tea cup wins.
For even more ideas read some of the other articles in the "More on How to Host a Mad Hatter Party or Tea Party" section.

Image Source: John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

Alice at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Image: Alice at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Available on Amazon.

Mad Hatter Party Favor Ideas

Mad Hatter Party Favors are simple to create, especially if you start with basic white paper bags.

    Printed out images of the Mad Hatter and use a glue stick or tape to attach.

    Fill with an assortment of Mad Hatter items -- stickers, pencils, tiny hats, tiny tea cups and coloring books. You can even print out pages of the Tenniel drawings to use as Party Favors.

    To finish up your bag, you can punch holes in the top, if desired, and tie with a ribbon.

    Pass out to grateful party guests.
Image Source: Combination of Rainbow Bags below and John Tenniel's Mad Hatter. Public Domain.

Alice in Wonderland Playing Cards on Amazon

Alice In Wonderland Playing Cards - Red Back Deck

Alice In Wonderland Playing Cards - Red Back Deck

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now

Beautiful Alice In Wonderland Playing Cards with quotes and illustrations on all of the cards.

Red Back Deck

Alice in Wonderland Stickers and Bags

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Mad Hatter's Party Items on eBay

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Alice in Wonderland Coloring Books

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A World Where Everything is Nonsense

If I had a world of my own,
everything would be nonsense.
Nothing would be what it is,
because everything would be what it isn't.
And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be.
And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?

The Mad Hatter

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A Featured Lens to Thank My Daughters

This lens was created as part of the featured tribute to thank my daughters for all of the things that I would have missed out on, if I hadn't had them...like Mad Hatter Tea Parties.
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