An Invitations to Tea: Everybody loves getting personal invites to attend events. You might compose a little rhyme for your 'mad' tea party invitation.

Don't Be Late!
For a Very Important Date.

If you're feeling quite mad,
We'll make you right glad.

Costumes: When inviting guests to your 'mad' tea party, be sure the invitations says, "Please wear your 'maddest' hat." If someone forgets to bring one, make sure to have a few extras on hand. Guest might also come dressed as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, Alice, or the notorious Queen of Hearts. As host/hostess, dress as the Mad Hatter. Your invitation could read:

Come in foolish attire
For all to admire.

Decorations: Make large playing cards on poster board to set around the room. Make paper hearts, spades and diamonds. Tape these on walls and on the backs of chairs. Toss hats everywhere. Fill them with flowers. Line straw hats with napkins and use them as serving dishes. Use dolls hats for nut cups.

Menu and Table Setting: Make a hat cake. Bake a two-tier round cake. Ice and add sugar flowers and a bow made from licorice strings. Instead, serve individual cupcakes with the words EAT ME piped across the tops.

Serve your tea from wine glasses. Tie tags around the stems of the glasses that say DRINK ME. Examples of teas to use are: Earl Grey, Darjeeling, English Breakfast, Ceylon, Orange Pekoe and Jasmine. Use mismatched china and serveware. Use everyday dishes and line then with fancy paper doilies.

For Fun: Play a game of croquet. (Indoor sets are available at toy stores.) You can make your own by using golf balls and dowel rods with empty soup cans wired at one end. For goals, cut wire coat hangers, shape and tape them to the floor.

Play "Who is the Queen of Hearts?" Take a deck of cards and place them in a hat. Ask guests to draw one card at a time until someone draws the Queen of Hearts. Winner gets a red rose, of course.

Choose the "Maddest Hat." Ask all the guests to vote for who has the maddest hat of the tea party. The one who wins can be the honorary Mad Hatter. Make up categories - most creative, most beautiful, silliest, etc.