Rainbow Tea Decoration Ideas

Rainbow teas are most often hosted by Christian women as church fund-raisers. Each color of the rainbow represents a characteristic or promise of God. For example, the color red stands for the shedding of Christ's blood to atone for the sins of man. At a rainbow tea, each table is assigned a different color to be used for the decor, and sometimes the food as well.

Decorate the room in a rainbow hue of colors. Purchase streamers in every color of the rainbow, and string them from the ceiling to create a paper rainbow. Create bouquets of balloons that feature all of the colors of the rainbow, and tie them to the podium, piano or anchor them to the floor. A great way to fill up an empty wall is to write a poem about a rainbow on a large sheet of butcher paper. Use different color makers for each line. Alternately, write what each color of the rainbow represents about God.

Create a table that has layers of color. At a rainbow tea, one woman is assigned to be the "captain" of her table. She is given a color and is expected to decorate the table in a creative manner. Often, prizes are given to the best decorated tables. Begin by covering your table with either a white tablecloth or one in your assigned color. Place a runner in a different shade of that color down the center of the table for added depth. For a special touch, bring in personal china from home if you have it in the color you need. Use linen napkins and make napkin rings out of colored beads and wire. Sprinkle confetti down the table runner in different shades of your assigned color. Wow the judges and guests with an original centerpiece.

While flowers may seem like an obvious choice for a centerpiece, flower arrangements do not tend to win you any awards for originality. Instead, try something different. A crystal bowl filled with colored water and floating candles or fruits and vegetables in your assigned color. Take it one step further and fill a fish bowl with water. Place a live fish in the bowl, and add several fake plastic water plants in your assigned color. This works well if your color is orange (use a goldfish) or green (most fake aquatic plants are green).

Clothing is an important part of the rainbow tea decorations. Usually, the captains of each table are expected to dress in the same color as the table is decorated. Hats are often decorated to match the outfit and to complement the theme of the table. Visit your local thrift store to find an inexpensive hat that might work, then customize it with spray paint, ribbons and other craft items.

Food is the final element when decorating your rainbow tea table. Each table must feature a wide variety of foods--all in the color assigned. For example, a yellow table might feature lemonade, lemon-chicken skewers and lemon pie for dessert. A red table might offer cherries, a red soup, red meat and fruit punch. Green tables are easily decorated,and blue tables tend to focus on foods that center around the blueberry--one of the only blue foods available.