For the invites, we printed invitations on blank white card stock using our laser printer. For the outside, we added American Girl paper flower cutouts and American Girl Doll stickers, both sold at Michael's stores. We asked girls in an adorable poem to bring their dolls and to dress for a fancy tea party. I apologize, I cannot find the extra invites to put a photo up, but as soon as I locate them, I will add that. Lastly, I added a note that bears were also welcome, in case any girls did not have any dolls to bring.
For decor, I used pink curtains from my daughters bedroom as well as some pink ribbon and pink crystal ornaments from her Christmas tree to make our chandelier more elaborate and girly. Then, I used some table linens I had around the house and layered them. I found beautiful non-matching pillow cases from a thrift store, which I used as chair covers. I bought a pink antique water pot from the thrift store and filled it with silk flowers in pinks, whites and yellows. The gift bags were pink paper bags from Michael's store and I used American Girl letter stickers to put the names on each bag (purchased from Michael's).
For table settings, I used a beautiful china set that was donated by my mother-in-law, otherwise nice sets can be found at thrift stores for very little money. I also used my fancy champagne flutes for that special touch. I bought fancy paper napkins from my local TJ Maxx and used some napkin rings I had from a previous party. For the doll party attendees, I used toy tea sets at each place setting, so the dolls were part of the party as well (this was a Disney Princess set from Target).
For beverages, I served sparkling apple juice in the champagne flutes. Each teapot on the table contained different beverage options, including the pink V-8 Fusion Smoothie in Strawberry Banana, warm apple cider, and a caffeine-free peach tea. The doll teapots contained water, the girls just had fun pouring it.
At each place setting was a small bowl with 3 apple slices, a pink cream cheese fruit dip (cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and red food coloring), as well as a toothpick skewer of bananas and blueberries as a starter. I then offered the rest of the items plate-by-plate table side service, including all-pink candy dish, tiny heart shaped tea sandwiches using tortillas (which makes them easy to cut using metal cookie cutters), warmed butter croissants, mini wieners wrapped in croissants and cheese) and thumbprint sugar cookies with a Hershey's kiss melted in the middle (basic sugar cookie dough rolled in a ball, pressed with your thumb in the middle with a Hershey's kiss), and heart shaped sugar cookies.
The girls had a blast at the tea party, and they all behaved marvelously.
For additional fun, the girls made picture frames. We used pre-cut frames, that I pre-painted before the party so they were dry. The girls added jewels, stickers, drawings using glitter pens, and added their names in fancy foam letters to the frames as well as a ribbon loop for it to hang on a wall.
We took photos using our Polaroid camera of the girls with their dolls, and taped them into the frames, and it became a take-home keepsake. They also kept their gift bags filled with fancy lollipops, stickers, jewelery and other candies.
For dessert, I made wonderful cupcakes with a fresh whipped cream frosting tinted pink, of course. I put it into a ziploc bag, snipped the corner and made beautiful flowing swirls on the top of the cupcakes. So light and airy, you can eat 2 or 3. I found candles in letters and spelled out my daughters name with one letter per cupcake.
Overall, the party was an absolute success, the girls who attended still talk about our famous doll tea party.
Oh, and my daughters adorable pink with black polka dot dress is from Kmart, and came with a matching dress for her America Girl doll - they matched at the party! This dress isn't available anymore, but they do offer others at great prices.
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