Homemade Tea Bags For Travel or Gifting

POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Buying loose tea in bulk saves money, but if you're not a fan of cleaning out a tea ball after each use, try making these easy tea bags that you can personalize with your favorite flavors. These cute satchels make wonderful homemade gifts for everyone ranging to coworkers to your grandma. All you need are a few basic materials to create these bundles of happiness that are also great to bring with you on your trips.

What You'll Need:

  • 1 cup loose tea
  • Small bowl
  • Cone coffee filters
  • Lemon or orange peels
  • Various seasonings or dried herbs
  • Scissors
  • Stapler
  • Cotton string
  • Paper and pen

Directions:

  1. Select the type of loose tea to use as the base for creating your tea bags. You can create a single flavor profile or individual combinations for unique tea bags by mixing blends of tea, such as black and green. If making to take on your travels, stick with your favorite so you have something to look forward to. Mix together in a small bowl.
  2. Now that you've got a base, have fun with extras for a unique brew. One teaspoon of finely grated orange or lemon peel pairs well with green and black teas. Crumbling a half teaspoon of fresh mint with loose-leaf green creates a bright morning cup of tea, while adding a sprinkling of ground cinnamon and clove makes a hearty combination of flavor. Just remember to write down your concoctions!
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
  1. Take a cone-style coffee filter and fold it in half. Cut the filter in half, and then trim the top inch from each side.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
  1. Spoon one teaspoon of the tea mix into one of the filter halves. Tap to the bottom corner and then place flat on your work surface. Fold the open side over, and then over again to close the open side of the bag.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
  1. Now fold over the top corners of the tea bag toward the center, cut a four-inch section of the string, and place over the folded corners. Fold the top over the string, and then secure with a stapler. Most store-purchased bags are sealed with a small staple, or you can also opt to create really eco-friendly satchels by sewing the bags closed with a few stitches.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
  1. Create cute finished tea bags by cutting a shape from plain or colorful construction paper, and then writing the name of your unique tea blend. Pop into a zip-top bag while traveling or arrange in a box and give as a hostess gift or to your favorite tea lover.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff