"It's In the Cup"

                              Tea Cup Decorations

    There are many more charming and delightful ways to use a teacup besides drinking your favorite tea. Here are several ideas that you might enjoy creating for your very own.

    The perennial favorite is to use your teacup as a flower vase. Whether silk or real, your flowers will look lovely displayed in a teacup and saucer. 
    You can also plant a flowering plant as well. Just remember to put some small pebbles in the bottom of the cup for drainage.

    Then there is the serving plate. Simply invert your teacup and place it under its saucer. You can serve a miniature cheesecake (like the one pictured here), or a scone, or several petit fours, as an example.

    Another traditional use for a teacup and saucer is to hold a votive candle. Just be sure that it does not burn down to the bottom of the teacup. The heat might crack delicate porcelain.

    A twist on this favorite is to secure a taller candle in the bottom of a teacup with sticky florist’s clay. Then you can dress up the candle with silk or real flowers. Again, be careful that the candle does not burn too close to the flowers.

    Here’s a novel idea. Turn your favorite teacup and saucer into a pin cushion. This would make a wonderful gift for any of your friends who love to sew. Simply fill the cup with cotton balls or cotton batting. Cut a circle of fabric that is about 2" in diameter larger than the diameter of the top of the teacup. Lay the fabric circle over the cotton batting and secure it to the rim of the teacup with a piece of ribbon hot glued together and the ends.

    Finally, for the little girls in your life, you can turn a teacup into a doll’s ball gown. Remove the legs from a small plastic doll and secure the doll’s body with a little hot glue to the bottom of an overturned teacup. 
    Cut strips of tulle and run a gathering stitch along the top edge. You may want to line the tulle with a strip of cotton fabric that has been gathered so the bottom of the doll’s body will not show. Wrap the "skirt" around the doll’s body at the waist and secure at the back. 
    We used miniature silk flowers to complete the doll’s "ball gown." You can hot glue the silk flowers (with the stems removed) to the doll’s waist and bust, and place one in her hair as well. Just use your imagination to create a lovely "tea doll" to join your little girls for Afternoon Tea.

    So bring out all of your teacup collectibles and give them a new life. Your family and friends will be amazed and "tea-lighted," and will admire you for your craftsmanship!

Photos:  Copyright 2007-2008  Lighthouse Literary, Inc.


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