Harvest Moon Tea Party

DECORATING

Need:

• Small (flattish) apples
• Tea lights
• Small galvanized wash tub or a bowl

Assembly:

• Embed apples with tea lights by placing a tea light on top and tracing it with a pencil.
• Carve out hole the same depth as the tea light. Place the tea light in the hole.
• Fill the tub or bowl with water 1/2 to 3/4's full and float the tealight-apples in the water.
• Sprinkle fall leaves around the tub and place small pumpkins here and there.

Need:

• Large clear glass bowl or a cylinder shaped vase
• Floating candles in shapes of leaves or autumn colors
• 1 package of fresh cranberries

Assembly:

• Place cranberries in the bottom of the bowl or vase. Fill with water ½ to ¾’s full. Float candles on top.
• Use one large display or 2 or 3 smaller versions down the center of the table. Sprinkle fall leaves and mini pumpkins around.

Give your pumpkins a Victorian flair!

• Small pumpkin
• Paper lace doily
• Small sponge brush
• Re-positionable adhesive, such as Krylon Easy-tack
• Black or gold craft paint

Instructions:

• Spray back side of doily lightly with adhesive.
• Lay paper doily on pumpkin and use it as a stencil, dabbing the paint on with a small sponge.
• Tip: After dipping the sponge into the paint, dab off excess so it will not go on too thick and run under your doily stencil.

MENU

• Turkey tea sandwiche
• Harvest veggie sandwiches
• Tomato and Brie open-faced sandwiches
• pork Mini Pies with Applesauce
• Autumn Trifle with Roasted Apples, Pears, and Pumpkin Caramel Sauce
• Cranberry-Orange Scones
• Mini Pumpkin Muffins
• Devonshire Cream
• Banana Nut Cream Cheese Muffins
• Ginger Cookies
• Spicy Pumpkin-Oat Cookies
• Mini Pecan Tarts
• Hot Spiced Tea
• Hot Sipping Cocoa with Whipped Cream
• Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle

FAVORS

Need:

• 1½ cups of orange breakfast drink (like Tang)
• ¾ cup iced tea mix
• 1½ cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

(Makes about 4 cups)

Jar Decoration:

• 1 quart (or 4 cup) glass jar
• Raffia or decorative autumn ribbon
• Autumn Patterned Fabric
• 3 or 4 short cinnamon sticks
• Printable Spiced Tea Mix label
• Paper punch

Instructions: 1. Stir all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Pour into the quart jar and close with canning jar lid, firmly screwed down. 2. Print the Spiced Tea Mix label.Use a paper punch to put a hole in the top right hand corner.

3. Cut a circle of autumn patterned fabric, same circumference of the lid plus 1” wider. Cut with decorative scissors or pinking sheers

4. Cover the lid with a circle of autumn patterned fabric, tied in place with the ribbon.

5. Place fabric on jar lid and hold down with rubber band. Tie with raffia or ribbon. 6. Tie the ribbon around the cinnamon sticks so that they appear at the front of the jar. Thread ribbon through the punched hole on the label and tie in place with a bow.

*Place 3 teaspoons of tea mix in a cup. Stir in boiling water. May garnish with a cinnamon stick or lemon or orange slice.

Autumn Candles

Tie a ribbon of autumn colors or raffia around a votive candle with a small tag with each guests name on it.

Need:

• Cloves
• Orange peels
• Dries apples, with scent
• Cranberries
• Cinnamon sticks

Instructions: Cut a square of decorative soft fabric and place a tablespoon or two of the potpourri in the center. Gather the fabric in a bunch and tie with a piece of ribbon or raffia.

GAMES

Children enjoy this old fashioned game. Remember, this one can get messy and wet!

POPCORN RELAY

Set out bowls full of popcorn at one end of the room and empty bowls at another end of the room. Teams must transport the popcorn from the full bowl to to the empty bowl, using a measuring cup or a tablespoon. This one can get messy! (Note: popcorn is a choking hazard for children under three).

RING AROUND THE PUMPKIN

Line up three large pumpkins with stems. Mark a throwing line on the floor. Take turns trying to ring a pumpkin stem using embroidery hoops

Smaller children can attempt to ring an entire large pumpkin with a hula hoop.

BLIND MAN'S BLUFF

The child that's 'IT' is blindfolded and spun around three times, then let go to go find another child to be 'IT". The other children stand around and try not to get taped by him/her.

ROLL THE GOURD

Use empty plastic pop bottles for bowling pins. Each child gets three chances to roll the gourd into the pins. This game is a challange to roll the gord straight! Lots of fun!

Have A Sing-Along!

"SHINE ON HARVEST MOON"

Music by: Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth, Lyrics by: Jack Norworth

OLD ROMANTIC VICTORIAN GAMES

These games were popular in the early 1900’s and were usually played on Halloween. They are truly romantic in nature! They attempt to predict who the participant will marry or who will have a blessed marriage. Ordinary items like apples, mirrors and candles were used frequently.

Bobbing For Apples:

Also called Apple-Bobbing. One Victorian version is, a dime is placed in one apple, a ring in another and a button in a third. These denote fortune, marriage and single blessedness for the person coming up with each apple. Note: If you choose to play it this way, tell the players ahead of time that there is a hidden object in some of the apples, and to take care not to swallow them!

The Lucky Apple:

Another custom encourages the apple bobber to take the fruit home and hide it beneath their pillow! "Beneath your pillow white, and then you'll see your sweetheart in your dreams that mystic night." This comes from a poem titled "The Power of the Lucky Apple" published in 1937.

Apple Paring:

Apple paring is another popular game of the early 1900's. Both women and girls can be found participating in the apple paring in postcard illustrations. During this party game, all participants peel their apples trying their best not to break the strip. The fun part comes in tossing the peel over the left shoulder and examining the shape in which it lands. The letter the peel assumes should reveal the beginning of their true love's name.

Apple Seeds to Predict Mate’s Vocation. This game was played with the apple seeds left after eating their apple party treats. Apple seeds were used to predict a mate’s vocation by counting the seeds and saying this well known poem.

*Girls would chant: "Rich man, poor man, beggar-man, thief; doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief."

*Boys would chant: "Rich girl, poor girl, pretty girl, brunette; sweet girl, neat girl, lazy girl, coquette." The last seed would decide the person’s fate!

MIRROR GAMES

Mirror, Mirror Tell Me Do:

This custom usually predicted to whom the gazer would be married.

Many vintage postcards show women and girls gazing into mirrors on All Hallows Eve at the stroke of midnight.

I think this game is a bit on the scary side if you ask me! Because if I ever looked in a mirror and there was someone else looking back at me-besides my self--I would throw the mirror and run!!!

CANDLE GAMES:

When Will I Marry?:

Wondering when you’ll marry? Playing this game will give you an idea! Blindfold the participant. Now try to blow out the flame of a candle. Then use this guide:

“If with one puff you blow out the light, 'tis a sign you'll marry this year. If with two, or three your chance is slight, and if more, give up for the night.”

Blow Out The Candle

One old post card shows a boy trying to blow out a candle near an apple his best girl has just bitten as they spin in front of them. This card reads, “If you blow out the light ere the apple is bit by the girl that you love best, her heart’s yours forever, she’ll think it clever, and your marriage will be blessed.

Note: If you decide to play this, use caution!

CRAFTS

Need:

Small straw hat (about 3 or 4 inches wide) Small silk flowers and berries Raffia Hot glue gun Pin back

How to make it:

Tie a piece of raffia around the rim of the hat.

Place with a dab of hot glue so that it doesn’t slide off while you are tying a knot or bow.

Tie into a knot and trim the ends or make a pretty bow.

Decorate the rim of the hat with small silk autumn flowers and/or berries.

Hot glue a pin back to the back of the hat.

Next time you're shucking corn for dinner, dry the husks in the sun for 1 to 3 days.

Need:

Dried corn husks or tamale wrappers (available in grocery stores) Twine or string Scissors pipe cleaners

1. Soak the dried corn husks (approximately 20 per doll) in warm water for about 10 minutes to soften them, then blot them dry. Next, gather twenty 10-inch lengths of twine and tie an overhand knot at one end.

2. Trim the husks so that they are each about 8 inches long. Then sandwich the knotted twine between 4 or more husks and tightly tie another piece of twine around the bundle just above the overhand knot.

3. Make the doll's arms by rolling up a pipe cleaner in a husk (this will make the arms possible). Roll up 2 more husks (without pipe cleaners). Then braid the 3 together and tie an overhand knot at the end.

4. Take the bundle from Step 2 and peel down the husks (like peeling a banana) to create a head and expose the hair. Tightly tie the bundle where the neck should be, then insert the arms.

5. Braid together 3 rolled husks (without a pipe cleaner) for each leg. Then use 2 of the inner husk ends to tie the tops of the legs to the dolls. Trim the remaining husk ends an inch below where the legs are attached.

7. Time to dress the doll!

* For a boy: Create leggings by wrapping a single husk around each leg and tightly tying twine around the very top. Then fringe the leggings by making a series of short snips along the outer sides.

* For a girl: For a skirt, sandwich the doll's body from the hips up with a few husks and secure them to the waist with twine. Then peel down the husks. Leave the skirt long.

8-Finally, drape husks over the shoulders. Crisscross the ends in front and in back of the doll and sash them around the waist with twine.

Need: Fresh, moist tree leaves or other plant leaves A hammer Pieces of cotton muslin

Lay one muslin down on a piece of paper, taping the edges down with masking tape. Lay the leaf down on top of the piece of muslin Place a thin piece of paper over top of it (scrap will do) Pound the leaf with the hammer evenly over the entire leaf. This will transfer the leaf shape and color to the piece of muslin. Afterwards, you can glue the muslin to a piece of cardboard-framing it with a colorful mat if you wish.

CRAFTS FOR KIDS:

FUNNY FACED GOURD

Use acrylic paints to make a face on a gourd. The gourds naturally have characteristics that create a funny face.

LEAF PLACEMATS

Begin with a walk through the fallen leaves. Children love to explore the many textures an colors the cold weather creates. After you have collected the leaves place them in between clear contact paper to make autumn placemats.

CELEBRATE HARVEST EVE!

Start a family tradition by celebrating Harvest Eve on October 31st. It’s a time for children to learn more about their heritage and the cultures of others. It removes the negative images of Halloween and replaces them with new, positive traditions. Children dress like characters from history, fantasy, and faith and go door to door to gather candy, saying “Happy Harvest Eve”!! To learn more about this special holiday go to: www.harvest-eve.com