Lila’s little kitchen is pretty well stocked, but we’ve been lacking a tea pot for some time now. So for Valentine’s Day this year she’s getting her first tea set.
And I thought play tea bags would be fun, too.
The idea to make tea bags came from here, but once I got started, I went a little nutty with the details. Not that Lila will notice (or care) how closely they ended up resembling bona fide tea bags, but I get pretty excited about creating tiny versions of real things, so I went for it.
It was easy enough to do – I just deconstructed a real tea bag and made a mini version out of muslin and felt. A tea bag, as it turns out, is just a long tube with a seam down the center, pinched at the bottom, and folded in and over at the top. I had some silver thread on hand (purchased for a Christmas craft that never materialized), so I used that to mimic the metal staples that close the bag and attach the string to the tag. And since they’re for Valentine’s Day and all, I embroidered little heart tags in Valentine-y colors.
I hadn’t planned to fill the bags, but since I’d already destroyed two real tea bags in the process, I figured all that tea shouldn’t go to waste. Lila’s past the age where she puts things in her mouth, so it seemed safe enough. And it gives the bags a nice weight and smell. I sewed the bags up very securely by machine before adding the silver “staples” – that tea isn’t going anywhere.
At the last minute I decided to make some little felt sleeves for the tea bags (with the exact same labels as my Valentine envelopes) – no details on these, just two rectangles sewn together.
I think that about covers this installment of tiny. Here’s everything packaged up. I covered the top of one of those $1 Joann’s craft boxes with washi tape. Always looking for an excuse to use my washi tape.
Happy almost Valentine’s Day!
P.S. I’m going to sew some clothes soon, I promise.
Oh!! So cute! My kids would go crazy over this. My almost three year old is getting a little tea set for her upcoming birthday and this project might go perfect with it. We have been doing tea time quite often lately while her little sister naps, and she loves to pretend in her little play kitchen based on what I do. Her little sis DOES love chewing on everything though…
thanks tara! something like quinoa or rice might be a good filler if you have a little chewer in your midst 🙂
Omg!! You are so clever and creative!! I just loved reading this blog. And all your others too 🙂 Such a cute way to dress up a tea party. I hope Lila enjoys them!
Love! You are one good mama!
WAY cuter than the haba ones (we have)
Adorable!
you are just way too good at the playthings in mini. these are simply the cutest. serious etsy material if you ever want to go in that direction! 🙂
Oh gosh too cute.
Everything you make is so incredibly awesome! It’s always a treat to see a new probably actually post in my google reader. Lila’s going to love these tea bags, what a lucky girl!
Oh my, I soooo love what you do! Those teabags are adorable and all the little details are so perfect!
Such an adorable tea set – I love that each bag fits in its own envelope.
Oh, so cute!!!!!. Since I discovered your blog my to-do list is soooooooo long!!!!!!, thank you for the ideas!!!!
These are just too cute! Your daughter is one lucky girl! 🙂
Oh my cuteness!! Your earlier post a few weeks ago about the play kitchen food inspired me to make some food of my own for my Lilah’s birthday, and now I’m elbow deep in felt bread, lettuce and tomatoes! Mind is racing ahead to wonder if I have enough time to also make some tea bags . . . which would then require a tea pot . . . but oh – the cuteness of it!!
Impeccable detailing as usual! What a lucky girl Lila is!
gail!!! these are so so adorable. you added the most perfect details. That tea set is just adorable too.
thanks soooo much everybody, these were such fun to make!
i love it. i bet lila will too.
oh, the adorableness!!! i agree with kristin- you could make some bank on etsy with these!
O.M.G. I am dying of the cuteness! My baby girl is just starting to be interested in the play kitchen, so I’m going to start copying all these tiny things very soon.
You rock. Your tea set looks so realistic, I want to go make myself some tea! Thanks for sharing all of your creativity! LAP
That is so cute ! I love all the details, they are just great !
You must hear this ALL the time, but the things you have make are, by far, the most accomplished of so many craft-bloggers online. I love your attention to the littlest details. Well done!
You are killing me with all the cuteness! I can’t believe all the details that you incorporated into these adorable little teabags. I am so impressed!
Can’t see a way to message you so am using the comment box. How do you make the custom labels you sew into your items?? I am a knitter and would like to be able to put tiny labels inside the things I made our family saying “Mimi Made It” — I am Mimi to my grands.
I’m going to post on this topic very soon, stay tuned!
Do you like the tea set? I was thinking about getting my daughter the green toys plastic one but this set is so much cuter!
i do, it’s great! it’s on the small side though – i like the size of the green toys set (we have the cups/plates/bowls and those cups are a little bigger than the ones in this tin set). both are good choices i’d say!
this would make a cute lavendar sachet.
Hi,
I love your teabags! My daughter has several Birthday party’s coming up and I thought these would be perfect homemade gifts. I’ve been having a go a reproducing yours, the front side I’m very happy with; though on the back I’m having a bit of trouble. I’m following your fold in and over instruction, and while it works, I’m finding it very fiddly and time consuming and it only looks moderately ok, I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong. Do you have a picture of the back of yours? I’m very new to sewing both by hand and machine and would love to hear any feedback. Kind regards, Sarah.
I made some of these last year but they have all been lost now!! yours are sooo sweet!!