Sunday Afternoon Art – When the Queen Comes for Tea

Sunday Afternoon Art is our monthly art drop-in session which is usually held at the Gallery for families to take part in on the first Sunday of every month. Whilst the Gallery is closed, we are hosting a new Sunday Afternoon Art activity online every week so you can continue to get creative with us whilst at home.

Today’s activity has been designed by Charlotte Cranidge.

Today we are taking inspiration from the history of Orleans House Gallery.

Did you know our Octagon Room (see the activity last week for more information) was built to host a banquet for Queen Caroline?  This extraordinary woman even has her portrait made out of plaster over one of the doors.

Both Mr and Mrs Johnston the owners of Orleans House at the time were very excited to have the Queen over for tea! They spent lots of time getting the room ready, planning the perfect meal and setting out were everyone would sit. However, the Queen was very particular and ended up bringing her own chocolate maker, chef and even her own gold plate!

In this activity we are going to get ready for our own banquet. We are going to get dressed up in our crowns – as if we were ready to greet Queen Caroline herself. We’re also going to create the tastiest plate of food that would even tempt the picky Queen Caroline.

You can download a PDF walkthrough of the activity here or read through what to do on this page.

Materials: Coloured paper, cardboard, pencil, scissors, glue and tape

Extra: Tissue paper and glitter

1. Cut a piece of coloured paper in half length-ways. If you have a little head, you’ll need two strips to create a crown. If your head is slightly bigger, you’ll need three strips.

2. Tape all three of the strips together then hold it up to you head to measure where you need to trim off the excess. Leave just a little extra to help you tape it in place.

3. Now it’s time to decorate your crown! You can trim off bits of the paper to make it a different shape. We’ve added different types of paper, a sprinkle of glitter and included our own drawings to make our crown. What are you going to add to make your crown sparkle?

4. Add a last little bit of tape to secure your crown together. Now it’s ready to wear!

5. Now it’s time to create your banquet. Look at this menu from Caroline’s banquet before you start.  What did they eat?

6. Cover a piece of cardboard in coloured paper and trim it down to plate size you can even draw round a plate to help you get the perfect circle. Thicker cardboard can be a bit tricky to cut, so ask an adult if you need help.

7. Once you’ve cut your plate out its time to add your feast. Using coloured paper and pens you can create any meal you want and even decorate the plate.

Don’t forget to share your creations with us by using the #OrleansHouseGallery