How to lay the table for afternoon tea?

Table layout to tea is a preparation of a table for tea drinking.

Actuality of afternoon tea process

Tea drinking is one of the most pleasant things of our everyday life. In the morning we have tea for cheerfulness. In the evening we drink tea for relaxation and calm. Tea drinking is much more pleasant at beautiful served table than having fast snack at work or at home.

Serving the table for afternoon tea will look good with a beautiful tea service and unusually curtailed napkins. Sweets which are beautifully laid out on plates and aroma of freshly brewed tea bring us cosines and tranquility. Tea drinking with beautifully served table is an excellent opportunity for a meeting with a family, friends or fellow workers. The atmosphere at a table depends more on table layout. All nuances of table layout for drinking afternoon tea is taking into account. For example which is a number of people and invitation purposes. It is worth remembering that it is necessary to lay the table before arrival of guests, but to make tea, when guests practically have come.

Tablecloth choice for afternoon tea

The important element of table layout for afternoon tea drinking is a choice of afternoon tablecloth. First of all a tablecloth creates a table “background”. So to white tea set with a silvery or golden fringing it is recommended to choose lacy white or gentle shades of a tablecloth. To bright and painted tea set it is recommended to choose a white starched cloth. If tea drinking takes place with a samovar is better to stop choice on a beautiful and bright tablecloth with patterns.

A tablecloth is recommended to be chosen from natural fabrics such as flax or cotton but not synthetic materials. Napkins are also necessary to be fabric. It is better if they are in one style with a tablecloth. You shouldn’t forget that to a certain form of a table is necessary the corresponding cloth. So for a round table needs a round cloth and for a square table needs a square cloth.

It is also necessary to pay attention to cloth length. The cloth shouldn’t be short. It will spoil the main view of a table. Optimum option of a length of a cloth is 30 centimeters down the edges of the table. If the cloth is too long it will look not nice. But in this case it is possible to pin up edges.

 Choice of napkins for afternoon tea

The napkin is an obligatory element of table layout to tea drinking. You shouldn’t use one-time tissues but it’s possible if they are very beautiful. It is best of all to lay the table decorating it with napkins from natural fabrics. You shouldn’t forget about the main rule: napkins have to be ideally pure and always fresh. Usually napkins are put under tableware of each member of a tea party. However very often napkins spread on snack plates.

For giving of a highlight to the table for tea drinking it is recommended to put beautifully napkins. Now there is a large number of master classes in turning of napkins. Also there are special rings for napkins by means of which it is possible to decorate quickly and beautifully a table for tea drinking.

Correct table layout for tea drinking

At table layout to tea it is possible to show creativity and to arrange all elements of laying as you consider it necessary. However there are certain rules of laying of a tea table. First, it is necessary to choose a cloth considering all factors and to put it on a table. The cloth, certainly, has to be ideally pure and ironed. In case tea drinking party it is possible to decorate a tablecloth at the edges with tapes. And on the middle of a table put a beautiful vase with flowers. Flowers are selected seasonally and depending on an event. For example, if tea drinking takes place in summer so chamomiles can be put. If tea drinking takes place in spring it is possible to choose narcissuses or tulips.

Then it is necessary to place dessert plates at distance of 1-2 cm from the table edge. On the right side of a plate put a knife, a fork and a spoon. Behind a plate it is necessary to place cutlers for fruit if they are present on a table during tea drinking. On the right from a snack plate it is necessary to put a saucer and to put on it a tea cup. The handle has to be deployed to the right. The teaspoon needs to be put on edge of a saucer.

If there is a jam on a table so it is necessary to put the socket for jam to the left of a plate and nearby a saucer for bones where to put one more teaspoon. On perimeter of a table to put plates with pastries, plate with sweets and plates with fruit. Also on a table it is necessary to put small plates with thin slices of lemon. If a table is big so it is recommended to put two plates with a lemon every one on each party of a table.

In the center of a table put a small decanter with milk or cream. A sugar bowl with a spoon is also placed in the middle of a table. If sugar lumpy so instead of a spoon is given tweezers. Jam, jams, honey are placed in vases on a table edge. it is impossible to put a teapot with boiled water. It has to be put on a separate table on the left side from the hostess. Napkins serve in last turn.