How to Sew Tea Party Clothes for Little Girls

Girl looking into teapot with brewing tea.

Tea parties are a favorite activity of many little girls. Though tea parties can be as simple as some make-believe tea in tea cups poured by a plastic singing teapot or some real caffeine-free herbal tea shared with your favorite little girl and her stuffed animals, simple enhancements like fancy napkins, a decorative sugar and creamer set, a simple table centerpiece, and tea party clothes can make a memorable tea party that will never be forgotten. You can create tea party clothes using adorable material with teapot prints or patterns, create tea party-themed appliques, or you can even craft clothes for the tea party to match a specific historic period of time or culture for those who have time to research and develop a customized design.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Seamstress scissors
• Material
• Pins
• Paper
• Pattern
• Sewing threads
• Sewing needles
• Sewing machine

Instructions

Sew a Simple Tea Party Cape

1. Measure the little girl from shoulder to shoulder. Add 6 inches to the measurement for the width of the simple tea party cape.

2. Measure the little girl from the nape (back) of the neck to the desired length of the cape. Add 2 inches to the length measurement for seam allowances.

   You can create the cape to fall at the mid-back, which works well for a lace cape, or down to the waist, the thighs or even the floor.

3. Cut the fabric to the length and width of your measurements to create the simple cape. If desired, you can create a pattern by tracing the fabric outline on pattern paper. If you want a lining, cut the lining material by the same length and width of your measurements and sew the wrong sides together, leaving a small opening to pull the material to the right sides, then stitch up the opening.

   Pin and sew a 1/4- to 1/2-inch seam around the entire perimeter of the cape. It may be helpful to press the seam in place with an iron before sewing the seam.

4. Place the rectangular cape over the little girl's shoulders and overlap one corner over the other in the front of the cape under the little girl's neck. Mark a place for two or three pretty buttons and button holes.

   It is possible to use a piece of self-adhesive Velcro or sew on Velcro instead of using buttons.

5. Create button holes using a sewing machine or cut the button hole and stitch around the hole by hand. Check the button hole location previously marked against where the created button holes fall. Make adjustments if needed. Sew buttons on the little girl's tea party cape.

6. For further embellishments, all of which are optional:
   Add a sew-on or iron-on label to the cape in the back.
   Add one or two pockets to the front of the cape.
   Add one or two pockets to the inside of the cape.
   Embroider a border or design to the cape by hand or using an embroidery machine.

Tips & Warnings

• Line the cape with a solid material if desired. Lining will be the same length and width as the cape. Use a faux fur material for an extra-elegant cape, and line it with fabric. You can also make the cape double-sided by substituting nice material for lining and snaps or Velcro for buttons and button holes. Add felt or material appliques by cutting out patterns like tea pots, flowers, dogs, cats or letters from material, adding applique backing with an iron and sewing the appliques to the cape. Experiment with fabric paints to paint designs on the cape. Add ribbon, lace trim or embellishments to make the cape extra special. You can customize the cape to your little girl's size and shape by adjusting the width or adding a tapering effect by having the shoulder width at the top of cape more narrow than the bottom width.

Resources

• Superhero Cape Tutorial - Step by Step Velcro Cape Instructions
• Free Poncho Pattern Listing - Measurements for Alternative Cape Designs