Queen of Hearts Tea Set

Introducing, my very FIRST Queen of Hearts (AKA the Red Queen) TeaSet! I enjoyed creating this one SO MUCH!

 It doesn't matter how many tea sets I paint….. they are ALWAYS unique and never boring!
 I did several things on this one that I haven't done on the others, so I can't wait to share it with you below!

As always, if you LOVE watching the process, see this transformation on this week's YouTube video here:

The traditional Queen of Hearts color palette is red, black, and white. I REALLY wanted to use the Alice in Wonderland transfers from Dixie Belle, but unfortunately, they are in pastels such as baby pink, baby blue, rose, and mint green. SHOCKER, that wouldn't go great with the red, black, and white aesthetic.

Yep! I used the same transfer and just painted it to match my design plan! It worked like a charm and opened up so many new ideas about transfers for me!!! YOU HAVE to try this!

I'm a little ahead of myself, so let me start with the pairing and painting of the tea set.

All five pieces: the tray, teapot, sugar, creamer, and spoon…..were stray silver pieces. None of these items belonged together. But that is the beauty of painting them! Once they are painted to be cohesive….no one really notices that they weren't a set to begin with!

Because of this, I started by priming all five pieces with Slick Stick (by Dixie Belle) This is an absolute necessity because it allows you to paint slick surfaces successfully with lasting durability!

I painted a single coat, let it dry overnight, and then followed with ANOTHER single coat, then let it dry for several hours. Afterward, I painted all the pieces in a single coat of Fluff white as the basecoat.

First up? The tray! I used the Harlequin Stencil as a pattern to draw out my design.

Then, I painted the harlequin in Honky Tonk Red and let it dry.

Next, I applied the transfer with the "We're All Mad Here" Alice in Wonderland quote from the Alice 2 transfer.

There's still more embellishment to add! So, I painted the outer edge with Caviar trim using the original checked pattern for my black and white check design.

Voila!

I used the water wash look that I do on both furniture and walls.

In fact….. the video of me doing this same technique on a wall went viral years ago and is still extremely popular! I just applied black paint (Caviar) over the already painted Fluff and used my spray bottle to manipulate the paint, allowing it to run and drip over the teapot's surface. This organically makes gray and charcoal colors over the Fluff….and gives it a very aged look.

After I finished applying this technique, I painted the handle red…. and striped the spout in Red and Fluff.

Once dry, I then applied the transfer of the Queen of Hearts. I rubbed it on, burnished it, and painted it in the colors I wanted!

I think she looks amazing in these colors and I know I'll do this many more times!!!!

Can we please take note of the blackbird on the top of the lid??? Isn't it cute?! I added the red hearts freehand!

The creamer and sugar bowl were fun to create as well. I just freely drew stripes and squares and didn't overthink it too much! I added a transfer crown (painting it to change the colors), hand-drew a heart, and even added red, black, and white to the spoon handle!

The final step is top coating these pieces. I chose Top Coat Satin and applied it in two thin layers.

These tea sets are meant for decor only but can handle light use. I would NOT wash or immerse in water. Just wipe down with a damp cloth to clean.

I hope you love this Queen of Hearts TeaSet as much as I do!

I can't wait to show my client!

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