Tea Set

[jbailey313]

My dd is very, very "girly" and I find the natural, waldorf tea sets to be very neutral in color, which is fine!!... But I would like to find something very natural but very "girly" for her tea set. I just don't want something near her mouth that is toxic just to be "pretty". kwim so if I could find one that is both it would be GREAT!
TIA

[boatbaby]

The tea set we have is all thrifted mis-matching pieces of real china. Every time we hit the thrift store/ Good Will/ etc we pick out one piece (with a $1 budget)... there are so many lovely, decorated, homeless pieces to choose from and they love using the REAL thing. If they break, no biggie when they are $1 and less each.

It's not just for girly girls... I have one 6 year old boy who cherishes his tea set.


Have fun!

[mommabeehilly]

Originally Posted by boatbaby

The tea set we have is all thrifted mis-matching pieces of real china. Every time we hit the thrift store/ Good Will/ etc we pick out one piece (with a $1 budget)...

Love this idea. DD has been complaining about the fact that in her kitchen she has no plates. She has been getting plates out from our cabinet of Christmas china (which I am only moderately ok with, certainly not ok with if they get broken).

I also have been thinking of these plate/cup/saucer sets from Heartwood Arts. Does anyone have these? Thoughts...ugh, I am in indecision mode.

[boatbaby]

Here is a link to some pics of our set from about a year ago
http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2009/05/tea-for-two.html

it's grown and changed since then, but you get the idea.

[MammaG]

Originally Posted by boatbaby

The tea set we have is all thrifted mis-matching pieces of real china. Every time we hit the thrift store/ Good Will/ etc we pick out one piece (with a $1 budget)... there are so many lovely, decorated, homeless pieces to choose from and they love using the REAL thing. If they break, no biggie when they are $1 and less each.

It's not just for girly girls... I have one 6 year old boy who cherishes his tea set.


Have fun!

We do this, too. I started collecting a rose-themed set before I got married (part of the excitement for me was never spending more than $2!). I still use that set for tea when I have company and once a week when we have a more elaborate tea time, but the boys use it for playing with, too. I don't worry about breaking anything because I didn't invest a fortune. Now the boys like choosing new pieces as much as I do.

I also have the set that was my mother's when she was a child. It's child-sized and had mottoes like "East, West, Home's Best". Her nurse used to bring her her morning tea in bed with this set...I will do the same for my guys when they get just a little older. They are only allowed to use that set with supervision for now.

One caveat, we've had lead-issues in our family. You don't want that! Be sure you are getting china and not antique stonewear or anything pewter. When in doubt, either don't use it or buy a test kit and test near a crack or chip.

ETA, WHen something does get broken, the pieces are really fun to do mosaics with, BTW. Keep a box of the broken ones!

[ourdayourjourney]

Originally Posted by MammaG

When something does get broken, the pieces are really fun to do mosaics with, BTW. Keep a box of the broken ones!

mosaics sound so fun.

we used to have tea parties with a set that i had as a child. it is a reproduction of the "ballerina" depression glass pattern. the cups are so small, they hold 1/2 of an ounce. she loved pouring the tea and she learned very good control of the pitcher early on.

for play, she used wooden egg cups for everything and for the last few years (now age 6) she tends to bring in our regular mugs (and all my other kitchen dishes, spoons, bowls, etc)

for our tea parties, i am comfortable with using my great grandmother depression glass. my set was just sitting in our cabinet for 7 years now and i finally wondered what i was waiting for.

we do have a heartwood arts wee mug for my toddler to drink from. my little one loves teething on the handle. they are thicker so i have been able to sand them down. i believe they are made of pine.

you could even use a wood burning tool to great something more girly on the heartwood arts set. just a thought

[jbailey313]

Originally Posted by boatbaby

The tea set we have is all thrifted mis-matching pieces of real china. Every time we hit the thrift store/ Good Will/ etc we pick out one piece (with a $1 budget)... there are so many lovely, decorated, homeless pieces to choose from and they love using the REAL thing. If they break, no biggie when they are $1 and less each.

It's not just for girly girls... I have one 6 year old boy who cherishes his tea set.


Have fun!

That is a great idea! I know this sounds crazy but it is so tough for us to get out to the thrift store, since it is a lot farther than other stores around here. Ordering online is easier for us, even though I would like to be "green" reusing and recycling and I am all about it but just have to get there!!


I saw one like this on etsy but I did not know if it was non toxic http://www.etsy.com/listing/48473355...e-to-order-any or http://www.etsy.com/listing/39596965...childs-tea-set I just didn't know if the paint was toxic or the cups themselves have lead??? I feel like everyone today says stuff is nontoxic... For example I bought a croaking frog at the Woodstock fair and they said it was non toxic when I got it home, I smelled it and realized they stained it with motor oil! ugg...... I do trust certain companies and shops to be non toxic but it is tough to know when you do not know someones reputation and when it is your child and they will be putting their mouth on the cups to drink on them then I get a little more concerned

Lastly, my son and daughter love the little wooden cups we got from Palumba and they treat it like a tea set but they are extremely small. http://www.palumba.com/product/97/ They want something more "tea like" and bigger since we drink tea everyday I am an herbalist and LOVE tea

[jbailey313]

Originally Posted by boatbaby

It's not just for girly girls... I have one 6 year old boy who cherishes his tea set.

Teasets are not for girly girls, they are for everyone! I was asking about colors that a lot of ppl in this world would consider girly being lavender and pink.
I hope this was not implied b/c my comment was for an outreach of support and help, not to cause strife

It is just that my daughter and son both want something in their favorite colors. My son loves orange and my daughter loves lavender. I asked about "girly" sets b/c I wanted to see if I could find one that was in pinks and purples like my daughter would like..... I really, really didn't know how else to describe it and didn't want to offend someone in the way I asked.... It seems like most that are sold that are wood or non toxic and in the shops that I trust are in wood tones, blues and greens (which I would consider a more neutral color as opposed to orange or lavender).

My son likes pink but not as much as orange; he has a pink covered lunch box, a doll and loves the kitchen set him and my daughter both play with, so I am not implying that boys cannot play with teasets but in a description sometime using words to help describes something would help someone to help when your looking for something kwim


I am new here on Mothering forums and would love to be involved in the outreach of support and in helping eachother throughout motherhood I really don't want to be walking on egg shells on this forum b/c I only speak out of LOVE, and lots of LOVE that is just what I am all about So I hope I explained everything thoroughly enough to be understood that I do not ask out of trying to offend anyone!! I am sorry if I did and I will be more sensitive on the wording next time

[jbailey313]

Originally Posted by boatbaby

Here is a link to some pics of our set from about a year ago
http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2009/05/tea-for-two.html

it's grown and changed since then, but you get the idea.

This is beautiful and I really like your blog

[jbailey313]

Originally Posted by MammaG

We do this, too. I started collecting a rose-themed set before I got married (part of the excitement for me was never spending more than $2!). I still use that set for tea when I have company and once a week when we have a more elaborate tea time, but the boys use it for playing with, too. I don't worry about breaking anything because I didn't invest a fortune. Now the boys like choosing new pieces as much as I do.

I also have the set that was my mother's when she was a child. It's child-sized and had mottoes like "East, West, Home's Best". Her nurse used to bring her her morning tea in bed with this set...I will do the same for my guys when they get just a little older. They are only allowed to use that set with supervision for now.

One caveat, we've had lead-issues in our family. You don't want that! Be sure you are getting china and not antique stonewear or anything pewter. When in doubt, either don't use it or buy a test kit and test near a crack or chip.

ETA, WHen something does get broken, the pieces are really fun to do mosaics with, BTW. Keep a box of the broken ones!

Oh, that is so special to have a set your mother had as a child!! I am sure you children will adore that wonderful gift!! That has so much amazing sentimental value!!!


Mosaics are a great idea, I know my children would love that!!! Very creative, mama! I would love to see some pics of your great creations!!!

[mommabeehilly]

Originally Posted by MammaG

One caveat, we've had lead-issues in our family. You don't want that! Be sure you are getting china and not antique stonewear or anything pewter. When in doubt, either don't use it or buy a test kit and test near a crack or chip.

is my concern too. Ick. I have the test kits and use them on big important things. I don't want to test every little thing that comes in though. It's a balance, I suppose.

[filiadeluna]

Even if I could find a non-toxic set of real china for play, I KNOW it would end up broken since we have tile in our kitchen. Does anyone know where to get a STAINLESS STEEL or similar metal type tea set??? That would be awesome. The felt and crochet sets are cute too, but I prefer something that makes noise personally.

[accountclosed2]

DD has a teapot, a bowl with a lid (sugar bowl, but she thinks its a saucepan), and a mini frying pan with a wooden handle, all in stainless steel. I got them at thrift shops, but the pot and bowl is the type cafes and restaurants use to serve tea or coffee for one (or 2), and I know they sell several different ones down at More Wilson's, the big whole-salers downtown, from where businesses (and others, like us ) can buy them!

[boatbaby]

Originally Posted by filiadeluna

Even if I could find a non-toxic set of real china for play, I KNOW it would end up broken since we have tile in our kitchen. Does anyone know where to get a STAINLESS STEEL or similar metal type tea set??? That would be awesome. The felt and crochet sets are cute too, but I prefer something that makes noise personally.

When I was at Ikea recently they had a lovely little set of saucers and cups for espresso that my son was begging for as a "fairy tea set" -- all in stainless steel.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50149664