Tea for Two

To create this whimsical Tea Party for our favorite PowerPuffs™ fan, we chose the gift wrap first, matched the swirl and heart designs from the background pattern of the gift wrap and here it is! This is a simple project that can be completed within a few hours, depending on the drying time for the paints.

Supplies:
1 Tea For Two
1 roll gift wrap
various acrylic paints that match gift wrap
foam decorative stamps that match gift wrap
5 yards of pompoms or other decorative trim for table and seat tops
10 yards of 5/8" grosgrain ribbon for remaining edges of table and seats
Aleene's™ designer tacky glue
scissors
craft knife
1" sponge brush
2 cans acrylic spray sealer (gloss, satin or matte)

1. Apply gift wrap directly to surfaces of table top and seat tops. Use either spray adhesive (spray onto cardboard and apply paper) or spread a THIN layer of craft glue to cardboard and apply paper, or iron on the paper with fusible webbing (iron onto cardboard, then iron on paper).

2. To trim paper, place the top face down on hard surface and trim paper with craft knife (if you glue on the paper, make sure it's completely dry, otherwise the paper will pull and tear).

3. Base coat your table base and let it dry. Stamp random patterns to match gift wrap.

4. To create the "plate" base for the tea cup seats, draw a straight line from the curved indent of the tea cup base as your guide. Base coat each color as desired and let them dry. To create the stripes, use the 1" sponge brush. TIP: IF YOU WANT TO USE WHITE PAINT IN YOUR STRIPES, USE WHITE AS THE BASECOAT, NOT THE STRIPE COAT. WHITE STRIPES TEND TO FADE TO A LIGHTER VERSION OF THE BASE COAT WHEN YOU ADD THE ACRYLIC SEALER.

5. Tea Pot is painted with colors to match the gift wrap, but we do not continue the pattern onto the Tea Pot so that it stands out on the table.

6. Once all paint is dry, spray each side of each piece with at least one coat of acrylic sealer, we recommend 2-3 coats to give an even finish.

7. To apply pompoms or other decorative trim, cut the hole of your glue slightly larger than recommended. Apply glue directly to the cardboard edge, smooth it along with your fingers or a spreader of some kind. Press trim onto glue. Continue along edging until completely covered.

8. Use the same gluing process to apply grosgrain ribbon around remaining edges. To trim Tea Pot, use your scissors or craft knife to push the ribbon into the tight curves. Apply a bit of glue to the end of the ribbons to prevent fraying.

NOTE: The pieces will be difficult to fit together with the additional layers of paint and sealer. Use sandpaper or an iron file to widen the slots prior to assembly. You can also take the capped end of a ball point pen (keep it closed) and press along the entire line where the pieces fit together and "flatten" the path a little. This is particularly helpful on the table.

To secure the seat tops after painting, we recommend you glue the seat tops onto the bases.