The Nutcracker is one of our favorite holiday traditions! We invite you to join us at the palace for a magical Nutcracker party based on The Nutcracker and The Four Realms. Get all the details, recipes, and inspiration to recreate this magical feast of sweets for your friends & family!
About the Nutcracker
The Nutcracker ballet was based on an E.T.A. Hoffman story and was orchestrated by P.I. Tchaikovsky. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is set in the 1870s and is inspired by dances from the ballet, which includes a waltz of the snowflakes, a waltz of the flowers, and a whole set of dances in the land of the sweets.
In the film, the Fourth Realm called the Land of Amusements has fallen into disrepair. The once joyful circus-like setting is occupied by mushrooms, mice, and a giant robotic Mother Ginger. In the film, the other three realms are originally united against Mother Ginger and entry into the fourth realm is forbidden.
the Tablescape & Decor
Sugar Plum inspired our color scheme. The whimsical color palette of pink, rose, and lavender plus a few added sparkles reflect her amazing cotton candy hair and sparkly candy-colored wardrobe. To create this look, we started out by layering a candy striped table runner over our favorite ivory hemstitch tablecloth. Our table runner is a DIY, but you can purchase a similar one here.
We used our favorite ivory china, vintage flatware, and crystal goblets to create an elegant look that reflects the beautiful Christmas party at Drosselmeyer’s palace. Each place setting was nestled on a pink snowflake charger. We found these at Target for just $2 each.
We added a lavender cloth napkin tied with a rose colored satin bow. A pretty twist lollipop was tucked into the bow as a favor for each guest to take home. Our napkins are DIY but you can purchase similar napkins here. The lollipops from the Dollar Tree were a steal at a 5-pack for just $1.
Our treats displayed on cake plates of varying sizes and colors served as our centerpiece. We are always on the lookout for beautiful cake plates and have found some of ours at Home Goods, Target, and Hobby Lobby. A pair of glittery pink bottle brush trees from Target flanked either side of our Sugar Plum cake.
The Menu
Our menu was inspired by the Four Realms from the film: the Land of Snowflakes, the Land of Sweets, the Land of Flowers, and the Land of Amusements. Link to all the recipes below.
From the Land of Snowflakes
These snowflake cookies and pink meringue trees have been dusted with a sprinkling of sweet snow!
We love gingerbread at Christmas time and recommend this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. We served the gingerbread alongside Sally’s Lemon Coconut Shortbread cookies which we rolled in confectioner’s sugar instead of sprinkling with coconut. A few dipped snowflake pretzels rounded out the platter of sweet snowflake treats.
Nothing says freshly fallen snow like meringue trees dusted in confectioner’s sugar! These meringue trees from Martha Stewart are tinted soft pink. We used granulated sugar instead of brown sugar for color. These take some time, but are surprisingly simple to make and beautiful on a dessert buffet. Get Martha’s recipe here.
From the Land of Sweets
The Land of Sweets is my favorite realm! All the beautiful swirly lollipops, gumdrops, candy canes, peppermints, and sweet treats remind me of childhood dreams. We tied all our favorite elements together in this Sugar Plum cake. The batter is light and flavorful with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond. We decorated the cake with candies and pink, sky blue, and purple buttercream. Get the cake recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction here. This cupcake recipe also works for a 3-layer 6-inch cake.
We love the color and light crisp texture of strawberry wafer cookies! These are dipped in pink candy melts and are dotted with candy snowflakes, white nonpareils, and pink sugar pearls. Get the recipe here.
From the Land of Flowers
Can you imagine a place where lush flowers in every shape, color, and fragrance are perpetually in bloom? Welcome to the Land of Flowers! To celebrate this beautiful and magical place we created flower cupcakes using lavender, violet, and white buttercream and various piping tips. Get our recipe here.
From the Land of Amusements
The Fourth Realm is the Land of Amusements. This abandoned circus-like setting is now home to a forest, mushrooms, and millions of mice. We had a great time creating chocolate cherry mice using purchased chocolate covered cherries, Hershey’s kisses, sliced almonds, and candy. These easy no-bake treats were delicious and fun to eat. Get our recipe here.
Nutcracker Resources
Nutcracker Performances
Several professional ballet companies are streaming Nutcracker performances. Check out this list of Nutcracker performances taking place this holiday season.
Music Study
Learn about the composer, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and The Nutcracker with Classics for Kids free podcasts and a printable activity sheet.
Nutcracker Books
Our family loves reading together and, though we know the story of The Nutcracker well, we never tire of this timeless tale. Our favorite is “The Nutcracker” by Susan Jeffers. If you’re interested in finding some fun Nutcracker read-alouds, Teaching with Children’s Books has a list of 20 Nutcracker books.
More Nutcracker Resources
Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies has put together a huge list of unit studies, crafts, and other resources for The Nutcracker.
For more inspiration check out our
Pinterest boards.
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