Thanks to Pinterest, various bloggers, and a constant flow of inspiration from all over the web, DIY (do-it-yourself) projects seem to be the next big thing. Not only can you save money, but you get to be creative and show yourself through your projects.
I introduce to you a simple DIY project on how to make your own tea bags inspired by the blog A Beautiful Mess. Make them for friends as an inexpensive but thoughtful present for the holidays! Even your mom would love a little gift like this. No worries, you can always be selfish and keep them yourself for those wintry nights in Boone. Either way, you’ll want to do this project.
Without further adieu.
You will need scissors, embroidery floss, stapler, scrap paper, coffee filters, loose tea, glue, any art supply, and most importantly, a sewing machine.
Step One: Cut two coffee filters into a rectangle. (The coffee filter we have pictured above was already folded over so we technically only cut up one coffee filter, but it was two sheets.)
Step Two: Stitch the two filter sheets together on three sides. Be sure to leave one of the smaller sides open.
Step Three: Fill up your tea bag with your favorite loose-leaf tea! Don’t fill up the bag all the way, maybe 1-2 teaspoons will do.
Sidenote: The Soap Shop on King Street has a wide variety of loose-leaf tea at an affordable price and yummy flavors!
Step Four: Stitch the fourth side.
Step Five: Fold down the corners. Put embroidery floss underneath one flap, fold the tip of the tea bag down and staple.
Here’s the part where you can get creative.
Step Six: Find scraps of paper to create paper tags for your tea. I used leftover scrapbook paper, cut a rectangle, folded it over, and drew a teacup on one side with my favorite quote on the other. You can cut a variety of shapes, write whichever message you want, and even include the type of tea that is in the bag. Here you can personalize the paper tags with messages to your friends/family.
Step Seven: Glue the paper tag to the embroidery floss (or staple).
And voila! You got yourself your own handmade tea bags.
Don’t forget to take time out of studying for a little relaxing. Grab your favorite mug, let your tea bag steep in hot water, and …breathe. Guaranteed happiness.