Happy Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog famous for making mid-winter weather forecasts, saw his shadow today and has predicted six more weeks of winter weather. What better way to prepare for the chilliness ahead with a cozy and warming cup of tea?
Creating your own tea bags is surprisingly easy to do. Especially when you take into consideration that – more often than not – loose tea is fresher, tastier, and more cost effective than its pre-bagged counterpart.
As an added bonus, drinking tea is good for you! Studies have found that some teas may help combat cancer, heart disease, and diabetes; encourage weight loss, lower cholesterol, and bring about mental alertness. And for those of you worried about caffeine – try an herbal blend. Herbal teas, also known as tisanes, are made from herbs, fruits, seeds, and/or roots, and contain no tea leaves – thus no caffeine.
However you spin it, it’s a win-win sort of situation. So brew up a blend of chamomile, fennel, and ginger to help ease digestion and calm the nerves; or try a touch of rosehip and candied mango with your usual breakfast blend to spice up your morning.
Things You’ll Need
Coffee filters
Loose tea
Twine
Sewing machine (or the old-fashioned needle and thread)
Stapler
Glue
Scrap paper
1. Gather all materials.
2. Cut out a rectangle from the coffee filter – making sure that one of the shorter sides is placed on the fold (see diagram).
3. Stitch together the two longer sides of the rectangles so that it forms a small pouch. Fill the pouch with about 1-2 teaspoons of loose tea.
4. Fold over the down the corners of the pouch (as shown on the diagram), place a piece of twine in the center of the tea bag, and use a stapler to hold it shut. Use scraps of paper to create paper tags and glue them onto the end of the twine.
5. Enjoy!
P.S. These make great Valentine’s Day gifts