Events: Horror/Creepy Tea Parties for Charity



'Terrifying Tea Party!' by Michelle Souliere

Okay, first of all I need to point out that if you've somehow found your way to this entry looking for something to do with politics, you should leave now, as this is absolutely not what you're looking for. However, if you're here looking for a way to host a fantastic and horror-themed tea party, whilst raising money for a worthy cause, then this is the place for you!

That out of the way, I should probably preface this by telling you that in addition to loving all things scary and strange, I also adore animals. So for that reason, I'm posting this entry. Between April 2nd and May 2nd 2011, UK animal charity, The Blue Cross, are holding fundraising tea party events across the country and are encouraging people to sign up and hold tea parties of their own. So why not make yours have a horror/zombie/Halloween etc. theme, and have some fun whilst raising money? If you're not in the UK, or would prefer to support a different cause, then all you have to do is send/give the money you raise to a charity or organisation that you would like to help.

Blue Cross Tea Party info

Some theme ideas for your creepy tea party might include:

• Horror - have an event with movie screenings, horror music, creepy horror villain-inspired food etc. You can make the theme horror in general, or pick a specific movie/series/book etc. to base it on. You could even get your guests to dress up as their favourite characters!

Skeleton Cake made by me

• Halloween - use any Halloween decorations to make your venue look like it was October 31st all over again! Use cupcake holders with spooky designs,  creepy cake decorations, tableclothes with ghosts/bats/pumpkins printed on and eerie theme music to set the scene.
• Zombies - get your gory brain props and special effects make-up out and transform yourself, your family and your friends into undead ghouls! if your event is indoors, you could show zombie movies or if it's outdoors, you could even organise a mini-zombie lurch to go with it!

• 

  Nosferatu

  Vampires - this will vary depending on what kind of vampires you like; zombie-esque ones from traditional mythology, Nosferatu-esque vampires who aren't like zombies, but aren't quite like modern takes on them, gothic horror vampires like Bela Lugosi in Dracula or Christopher Lee in the early Hammer Dracula movies, "sexy" vampires etc. etc. You'll need to change your decor accordingly, but the essential thing about this is, BLOOD! (Or at least something that looks like it) All vampires want that ;)

'Future Mad Scientists of America' by
John "Jay" Glenn

• Victorian Curiosities / Mad Scientist's Lab - these have been put together because for curiosities and labs you will need specimens in jars, strange looking items, weird and wonderful medical paraphernalia and so on. Obviously for the curiosities theme, it's essential that your table and decor choices are in-keeping with the Victorian era, just as the lab has to have a vaguely inventor/medical experiment feel, but there are actually quite a few variations on each. For example, Victorian circus or Steampunk lab. 

• Creepy Cute - if you like your bloody, padded room-dwelling pyschos mixed with fluffy teddies, polka dots, stripes and large eyes, then creepy cute is a perfect for you! Examples of this style are the paintings/drawings of Junko Mizuno and Mark Ryden, the games 'Plants vs. Zombies', 'MediEvil' and 'Grim Fandango' and 'American McGee's Alice', the series/game 'Gregory Horror Show', Living Dead Dolls and most of Tim Burton's more popular movies. Think pretty pink cakes with gory eyeball decorations, teddy bears with disturbing smiles, bright candies and lollipops scattered in a graveyard, friendly monsters...anything of that kind.

There are, of course, many other theme ideas and there's no reason why you couldn't have a combination tea party, these were just for inspiration. With all of the themes, use a tea, such as pomegranite and raspberry, with a red tinge and serve in horror/skeleton themed cups to bring the whole event together.



'Tea Party with guest Mauley the Zombie Doll' by Shain Erin



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