A Dress-Up Tea Party combines the fun most girls have dressing up in grownup clothes with a chance to practice their etiquette. I'd plan this party for girls' aged 6-8 and limit guests to 6. Too many guests will make party arrangement difficult since this party requires quite a bit of supervision and adult intervention. The age suggestion is just that, suggestion. Sometimes parties will work for younger as well as older guests. It depends on the kids themselves since individuals don't really fall into one-fits-all descriptions.

Send invitations that are hand made and shaped like a big Gone-With-The-Wind-type hat. Add real ribbon, pressed or artificial flowers to the hat. You may design these on your computer, by hand, or even select a ready made one and embellish it with your own touches. I would schedule this party for about 4 hours in the afternoon. The tea party could be staged inside.

There will be two distinct parts to the party, the dress -up part and the actual tea party. Let's start at the beginning. Dressing up should be expected to be a large part of the entertainment and could take up to half your time. Trying on everything, and ooohing and aaahing about every change is fun.

Set up a section of a bedroom or other room to recreate the feel of an old-fashioned dressing room/boudoir. Use curtains, decorative screens, or whatever to give privacy and to add glamour. A real vanity filled with soft lip-gloss, pale or clear nail polish, powder with a real powder puff, suitable-light-scented cologne, atomizers, and lots of clean combs, brushes and hand mirrors will add to the atmosphere. No vanity, dress up a small card table. Old sheer or lace curtains can be draped and tied with large bows and flowers to add a romantic look. A large old steamer trunk filled with the actual clothes would be wonderful, but once again, improvise if you must. A cardboard storage box can be made to look like a trunk with a few touches and some spray paint. Now, go on, don't tell me it won't look like a trunk, it will, with some imagination. Yes, you can do it. If all else fails, throw them onto a bed and let the little ladies just rummage through.

You need lots of "gowns," fancy dresses, made of fabulous fabrics. Silk, velvet, satin, sheer stuff, shininess, beads, sequins, flowers, ribbons are what dreams are made of for little girls. When I was a little, I played dress-ups at a friend's house whose grandmother was involved in the church bizarre thrift store. Constantly, she returned with treasure for us. Some would be quite valuable by today's standards. She found a 1920's flapper dress, which was heavily beaded. It weighed so much, we almost could not wear it, but we did. It became one my favorites. She would bring armloads of outrageous hats with huge flowers, feathers, or just unusual shapes. And costume jewelry from the '30s and '40s .It was great stuff. We wore oversized high heels and sported amazing handbags. We wore something with our fur stoles, and feather boas. This is what you want to try to find.

Start way in advance; ask for help from everyone you know. You will get offers to borrow items, but unless you can assure them nothing will happen to family heirlooms or has sentimental value, I'd stay clear of those. Check flea markets, thrift stores, The Salvation Army and Goodwill stores etc. Ask the moms of the guest to look also. Ask adult help to come in "costume." Don't let your guests arrive already dressed since then they will miss lots of the action. You can use dress up sets designed for kids, but adult size; real stuff is the most fun. If the action is lagging, tell girls stories about the era, which the clothes came from, sing songs, or play a guessing game.

The Tea Party can be staged outside in a garden or inside in the house. I would design little hand mirrors of cardboard with silver foil for the mirror part and put the name of each girl on the un-mirrored part. Adding short streamers of narrow, pastel ribbons or little craft flowers would make them prettier. These are your nametags and a favor to take home.

My tea parties are real fancy food on real china and lace cloth. If that is too much reality for you, use paper products. The same sources where you found bargains on old-fashioned clothing will net you finds of old dishes, and laces. If this is a birthday party, the cake should be decorated with lots of icing roses. My personal favorites are Petite Fours, but they take time and work. Nuts and pastel mints in little glass dishes are a lovely touch. Fresh fruit, especially a watermelon basket with melon balls, fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate or bunches of grapes frosted with sugar or plain will be a pretty addition. If this is over a mealtime, make little sandwiches by cutting regular one in four or using mini cookie cutters for shapes. What you put inside the sandwiches is a matter of taste. Kids likes should dictate. They just aren't ready for cucumber sandwiches at this age. Even chicken salad in croissants would add elegance. You can also buy bread in pastel colors in some areas. "Tea" can be lemonade, juice, cocoa, iced tea, or pop.

Games will be few since the dressing up and eating are the main events. If you wish to add games add traditional games, kids of the past played like musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey, or croquet in the garden. I'd suggest having a lot of film and camera at the ready, as this party will produce lots of "candid" moments.

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Credits: Jo Ann Wentzel