Spring has sprung and it’s time to clean out your wardrobe for the Summer season ahead and gather your fellow fashionistas for an afternoon tea with a difference!  Ask your friends to bring along their unwanted clothes and accessories for a clothes swapping party.  You’ll enjoy a fun afternoon with friends, and you may even find some fabulous new fashion statements!  Here’s our guide to a practical (you get to swap clothes with your fashionable mates) and fun (what better way to spend an afternoon than with champagne and your friends trying on clothes) celebration for no particular reason at all, or in place of a traditional baby shower, kitchen tea, hen’s party or even a Pink Ribbon fundraising party:

Invitations

Your friends will love receiving handmade invitations through the mail.  Try making your own invitations by adorning a plain piece of coloured cardboard with a little origami dress folded from beautiful paper.  Inside, inspire your guests with some cute words, such as:

Spring has sprung!  The grass is green!
The sun does shine!  It’s time to clean!
Fling wide your wardrobe, take a peak
It’s time to find that space you seek.
Those jeans too big, that skirt too small,
That dress that’s never fit at all;
That impulse buy you’ve never worn;
Those shoes (unscuffed), that shirt (untorn).
Let’s toast the darling buds of spring -
A clothes swap’s the thing – not shopping!
Wash and repair them, and join me
For tea, with sweet treats so tasty -
And a glass of bubbly!

Setting the scene

On arrival, ask your guests to unpack their clothes and accessories and place them in categories such ‘dresses’, ‘skirts’ and ‘handbags’.  You may like to print little category cards featuring coat hanger images and secure them to the walls around your lounge room with miniature clothes pegs and a bit of blutack.  Then hand your guests a glass of champagne and usher them into the afternoon tea room.

Decorating and styling

Set the table for a decadent afternoon tea treat.  For a whimsical table, start with crisp white linen as your backdrop and then layer vintage plates, cups, jugs and teapots with napkins in a riot of floral patterns.  Visit an antiques fair, your local flea market or (with permission!) raid your grandma’s cupboards to pick up plenty of vases and teapots to add personality to your table.  Or, if you don’t fancy scouring the local garage sales, choose a selection of sweet party themed plates, cups and napkins from Pink Frosting. 

Pick bunches of flowers right from your garden and fill a collection of vintage vases and teapots to bursting for a charming centrepiece.  If you want the afternoon tea to be a formal affair, add that extra touch of elegance with miniature Eiffel Tower place card holders, which can also serve as a charming memento of the fashion capital of the world for your friends to take home.

Entertainment

The clothes swap is the main feature of the party.  After your guests have enjoyed a glass of champagne and a few sweet treats, ask them to start browsing through the items.  You may like to set a limit to start with (say, each person can choose three items to start with so that no one goes home empty handed, and then another three, etc).  Ensure you have a number of breakout rooms for your guests to try on clothes.

Menus, catering and cocktails

Serve pink petit fours, watercress sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, mini pastries, fruit skewers, an assortment of muffins, quiches and cupcakes all washed down with tea and pink champagne!  If it’s a hot summer occasion, Pimms and Lemonade is the perfect tea party treat. 

Favours and gifts

Each guest will go home with some fabulous finds for her wardrobe, but show your appreciation with a miniature Eiffel Tower place card holders, which can also serve as a charming memento of the fashion capital of the world for your friends to take home.

The team at Pink Frosting have put together a category dedicated to helping you create the perfect clothes swapping party at their online party products shop!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Here are some of my favourites for serving sweet treats and hosting delectable dinner parties:

1950’s “Bernetti Original” New-York Early Designer-Couture Label in Steel-Blue Soutache-Swirl Embroidery Fortuny-Pleated Silk-Taffeta.

1950’s Pink-Roses Watercolor Floral-Print Taffeta & Sheer-Chiffon Overlay in Cocktail-Length Princess Sculpted-Pleats Bombshell Full Swing-Skirt.

1950’s “Sandra Sage Creation” Early American-Designer Label with an Elegant Sculpted Shelf-Bust Middle-Stripe Design Short-Sleeve Bodice

1950’s “Ann Kauffman” Early American Designer-Couture Label in Elegant Periwinkle-Blue & Mocha Watercolor Rose-Garden Taffeta with a Seductive Nipped-Waist Peplum Over-Sized Cuffs Collared Jacket

These stunning hostess dresses make me want to entertain IMMEDIATELY!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

We love tea parties at Pink Frosting!  Whether you’re hosting a baby shower, kitchen tea, a child’s birthday party or a Sweet Sixteen, a tea party is a pretty theme and suits just about any age group. Here are our top tips for hosting the perfect tea party:

• Host your tea party in the mid-afternoon when your guests have finished their chores for the day and have many hours to linger over a pot of exquisite tea and your decadent home-baked favourites.
• If possible, host your tea party outdoors in the prettiest garden setting possible. Make sure you have dappled shade, plenty of cushions on your furniture and blossoms blooming against plenty of green grass. Even if you can’t hold your tea party outdoors, a beautiful indoor space with plenty of natural light is the perfect complement to taking tea.  Set the scene with some pretty hanging lanterns, bunting and other delicate party decorations.
• Serve light savoury sandwiches along with beautiful homemade biscuits, scones and petit fours. Minted cucumber sandwiches on delicate slices of white bread (crust off of course), madeleines, clotted cream with scones and homemade jam (if you can spare the time) and an assortment of mini cakes from your local bakery are just the ticket. Bake up and buy up big, but don’t serve everything at once. This is a delicate celebration and you should serve your beautiful things in small quantities, prettily presented and replenish often.
• Serve your tea the old-fashioned way. Buy qualities leaves, brew your tea according to directions and serve your tea as if you are dining with the Queen of England. Learn the perfect etiquette for taking tea over at Pink Frosting’s party planning pages.
• Decorate with the prettiest crockery you can find. Nothing plastic. Nothing chunky. Nothing contemporary. Taking tea is all about vintage crockery (mismatched is fine), antique silver teaspoons, linen napery and pastel cake stands. Raid Great Aunt Ethel’s cupboards if you must!
• Have a small guest list. Tea parties are intimate. Not for 50 of your closest friends. No more than 10 people works best, in our experience.
• Give pretty party favours to your guests. Pink Frosting has some gorgeous little afternoon tea guest gifts to complete the party.

Inspiring tea party images by Sara Moon Photography.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Not only is this pretty table gorgeous for a kids birthday party, it is also gorgeous for a Pink Ribbon tea, a bridal shower or kitchen tea, or a baby shower celebrating a little girl. 

Other pretty Spring party favourites include:

• Bird Bath Place Card Holders are a whimsical way to seat guests at your party tables – perfect in a garden;
• Blue Butterfly Cookie Cutters make a sweet addition to any kitchen as well as a lovely favour for your guests;
• Flowers, Birds & Butterflies Double Sided Cupcake Wrappers make simple cupcakes a real treat;
• Pink Party Streamers help you make your party setting a little prettier and sweeter;
• Meant to Be Honey Bee Hive Candle makes a beautiful table decoration and take home favour for guests;
• Paper Daisy Hanging Decorations complete the picture as these swing in the breeze

Shop Pink Frosting’s range of Spring and Garden themed party decorations and supplies now >>

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Your table decorations and centrepieces are the most important decorative element you need to decide on when organising your wedding, party or other celebration. Whether your party is a full-scale formal affair, a children’s party or an intimate candlelit dinner, the centrepiece table decorations will add drama, personality and scale to your event.

The Pink Frosting team are expert table decoration and centrepiece stylists, and the Pink Frosting online wedding and party shop is brimming with gorgeous and inexpensive table decorations, wedding centrepieces and more to help you create a stylish table setting.  Take inspiration from some of the newest ideas in table centrepieces from the Pink Frosting team.

Eclectic tables

Create a ‘one of a kind’ feel for your event, by dressing each table differently. Use different flowers, different candles, different elements from the one theme to create a real sense of personality. For example, this design works wonderfully with a vintage theme; combine mismatched crockery, jugs and candles with plenty of vintage-style blossoms to fill tables. Visit an antiques fair, your local flea market or (with permission!) your grandma’s cupboards to pick up plenty of vases and trinkets to add personality to your tables.

Monochromatic tables

The classic, crisp design of the monochromatic look is still the most modern tablepiece theme you can choose.  If the mod look appeals to you, choose a black and white backdrop and add splashes of colour for contrast, such as buttercup yellow or flashy pink.  Think about height, drama, the whitest of white blooms and plenty of black crockery on crisp white linen.  This look is never out of style.

Centrepieces from your own backyard

Take inspiration from your own backyard!  Do you have twigs, greens, flowers and bark that could be used in a creative centrepiece? Take come gorgeous gumnuts and wattle and lay them on the tables in a very natural display with a few ivory and chocolate candles.

Casting a glow

The warm glow of candlelight has always added romance to a room.  Floral artists take this a step further by incorporating candles into centrepiece decorations themselves.  Think tall, full arrangements of cherry blossom branches, hung with votives on ribbon or wire-like hangers. Or imagine tall cylinders filled with coloured water to match the party colour palette, and small floating candles flickering in each. 

Christmas decorations all year round

Forgetting Santa, his reindeer, sleds and sleighbells, many gorgeous Christmas decorations are very appropriate out of season for parties. Christmas baubles, wreaths and sprays make fabulous table and room decorations.  And the traditional Christmas colours of red, green and gold needn’t limit you.  Contemporary Christmas colours of teal, peacock, pearl and diamonds are instant winners out of the Christmas season. And you can pick them up cheaply at the after-Christmas sales!

Paper lanterns – budget with big impact

The simple rice paper lantern packs an enormous decorating punch.  Whether you’re decorating a dinner table or a dance floor, the rice paper lantern will dazzle and delight your guests. Rice paper lanterns come in so many sizes, colours and styles, and all are great value for money.  Big ball lanterns start from as low as $6 a piece, so they won’t break the bank, even if you purchase them in bulk.  And the best part?  Paper lanterns can be packed down, stored and re-used for your next big shindig.

Eco-chic tables

If you’re really serious about going green, choose beautiful little wheatgrass pots (which can also be used as placecard holders), packets of seeds, or spring-time bulbs to decorate your table.  You’ll be offering your guests a living and breathing reminder of the party without hurting the planet.

Back to your childhood

Lolly buffets aren’t just for children’s parties!  The oh-so-divine lolly table is becoming a huge hit for the young-at-heart too.  Guests can fill up their own container with a selection of themed sweets, little gumball machines for each guest, or grandma’s favourite recipe cookies.

Balloons – the new chic

The hippest party planners from around the world are taking the humble balloon and making it the chicest decorating accessory of the moment.  Take giant bulbous balloons (at least 60cm) filled with helium and use them to decorate your room and each table.  Secure with your floral centrepiece or in a vase of lollies for a truly whimsical look.  Cheap, beautiful and fun!

See more beautiful table centrepiece and wedding decoration ideas at Australia’s number one online wedding and party shop, Pink Frosting.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Wedgewood Jasperware is one of those classic looks that just about every entertainer in the world adores.  I just had to share these gorgeous Jasperware inspired decorated cookie favours by Sweetambs on Etsy. 

Sweetambs cookies are made from a basic sugar cookie recipe, which is then flavoured with fresh orange zest, vanilla beans, and a hint of cardamom. The royal icing has a dash of vanilla extract to bring together the wonderful flavors of the cookie.   If you’re a reader from the US you will be able to order from SweetAmbs for your wedding or special occasion favors.   If you’re not from the US, then get out your sugar decorating kit and start practising!  I am determined to learn how to decorate at least half as well as this!

And these stunning little cameo inspired cookies!  Who could possibly eat them?

What a divine wedding or christening bomboniere idea.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

I just love the way Annick uses flowers in all of her party presentations.  She is a master florist like no other.  This adorable pink cake buffet could be used at a wedding, christening, baby shower, bridal shower, kitchen tea or child’s party.  Simply divine.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

From basics such as invitations, place cards and signage, through to really special decorative treats such as hanging place cards, vellum lit lanterns and personalised graffiti, this contemporary chocolate theme allows you to host a celebration in the very best style without having to assemble all of the complementary decorative elements yourself.

We love this contemporary chocolate theme for weddings, showers (baby and bridal), Mother’s Day, Christmas, anniversaries and a fabulous dinner party.

Here is how we’ve put it together:

Basic stationery is taken to the next level with a folded personalised invitation wallet, RSVP postcards and personalised envelopes in the chocolate theme; you can either take the traditional route with a folding place card for each guest or as in the bottom right hand picture, you can hang guest names with our personalised guest name hanging tags.

Wonderful Wedding Graffiti makes the chocolate theme come alive!  These monogrammed signs, graffiti, directional signs and vellum candle covers are just superb!

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Little details make a party or wedding fabulous.  Here are some incredible ideas and products you can purchase to make your celebration truly special:  the team at PInk Frosting can personalise your cupcake favors for guests, coasters, wine bottles and party crackers.  What a sweet idea!

Put it all together with some coordinating ideas, such as the Chocogram bomboniere favors, Perfect Blend personalised tags, dramatic eyelette lanterns,  and one of the amazing laser-cut cupcake favor wrappers from Pink Frosting’s cupcake accessory store.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

With mother’s day only a week away, I wanted to feature a cake that would make the perfect celebration cake for a beloved mother.  Now while my Mum isn’t a knitter, both my grandmothers were and I just adored this cake the minute I laid eyes on it.  I wished that they were both still around so I could share this gorgeous creation with them.  What a stunning cake from our friends over at Pink Cake Box!

The cake is covered with weaved rolled fondant to create the basket.  The balls of yarn are rice krispy treats wrapped in fondant ‘yarn’ created with the clay gun.  Finishing details include sugar knitting needles, tortoise shell glasses, scissors, and a scarf in progress.  Who says cashmere is better than fondant?!

Inside the basket is red velvet with vanilla buttercream and chocolate cake with oreos and peanut butter filling. Yum!

Ok, so we might not be able to replicate this amazing cake for mum this mother’s day, but isn’t this a stunning inspiration for your next celebration?

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Renowned around Australia as one of Australia’s leading wedding planning companies, we opened the Pink Frosting online store a little over two years ago and it quickly became a hit, representing brands never before seen in Australia.  The online store features invitations, decorations, favors and accessories for weddings, parties, baby showers, kids celebrations, christenings and seasonal celebrations such as Easter and Christmas.

Our new showroom is filled with glamorous ideas and products to help inspire brides, entertainers and everyone who loves to celebrate create a truly magical event.

Pink Frosting’s shop opened with the intention of bringing the world’s best wedding and party decorations to Australia.  As event planners and stylists, we know how difficult it used to be to source unique and lovely wedding and party decorations and accessories, so we simply started importing them ourselves.

The store’s strength is that the buyers are experienced event and wedding planners and stylists so customers can feel secure that the products really work.  We not only bring these gorgeous things to Australia, we also demonstrate on our website how to use them through our beautiful galleries and event planning tools and ideas.

Now with a showroom open to the public, a little gem in the nation’s capital, anyone who wants to see the products in the flesh, can do this in a beautiful environment, with the assistance of one of Pink Frosting’s wedding and event stylists.

Online shopping is growing dramatically in Australia, but there will always be a group of customers who would prefer to touch and feel the products before they buy.  Our showroom allows customers to do this with the added assistance of a professional stylist to show them how the products work as well as help them theme and style their event.

Pink Frosting’s team of in-house wedding coordinators are available to see clients by appointment at 35 Whyalla Street, Fyshwick Canberra.  For an appointment, please call us on 1300 855 633 or email Pink Frosting at info@pinkfrosting.com.au.  Customers outside of Canberra can still get their Pink Frosting fix by visiting the online store at www.pinkfrosting.com.au .

We hope to see you soon!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn