Guest Post by Kelsey A. Smith
There has always been a teapot in the house.
I remember coming off the bus after school as a young child, and there was a table ready with a pot of tea and a snack. The teapot may have first been filled with hot chocolate, but eventually it was replaced with tea.
So it was no surprise to me when my mother showed me the designs for a tea cozy for the next book. She had already made a very simple one for me once, as I like to keep my tea nice and hot. I was excited to see the final product, and am hoping to carve out some time to make one for myself.
Along with a love of tea, I have learned much from my mother about hospitality. Being an artistic family, we cannot help making a party look beautiful. It was never about impressing the guests, but the fun of making things for the people we love. We decided to create a tea party based on the House for Tea project from Seasons of Wool Appliqué Folk Art.
The wintry side of the tea cozy features blues and browns, so we went for a blue tablecloth with brown and white accents. A few pine cones and sprigs of greenery add a nice wintry feel to a simple table. Most of the color actually came from the food: sparkling red jam, shiny fruits, golden gingerbread cookies, and white scones. You can dress up the table for Christmas by adding a few reds or golds to your accents. Come spring, you can use the other side of the cozy to make a springtime tea table!
We hope you are inspired by our simple tea set-up. To help you plan your next Christmas or winter tea, we are putting up a free download for the place cards to go with your own House For Tea cozy. Having place cards is always fun, because they are something your guest can take home to remember a splendid afternoon with friends or family.
We firmly believe in this family that useful things can be beautiful, too. That’s why the tea cozy is such a fun project. We hope it can be something you use for a long time to keep your tea warm and table festive.
Want to make your own House for Tea? Head over to our website to purchase a kit and a copy of Seasons of Wool Appliqué Folk Art. Check out the other kits from the book that are available as well!
www.rebekahlsmith.com/shop