Making Paper Out Of Tea Bags

I drink a lot of bagged tea, and I always feel bad tossing those soggy used bags in the trash. Now, I use the teabags to make unique paper!

Step 1:

Make yourself a cup of tea. Grab a bag of your favorite flavor, and take some time to sit and enjoy it. Alternatively, use the bags from a batch of sun tea, iced tea, or kombucha.

Step 2:

Once you’ve drunk your tea, take your teabag over to a sink and squeeze out as much excess moisture as you can. Be careful not to squish or wrinkle the bag too much. I usually place the bag on the heel of one palm, and press flat with the other palm. Then, lay your bag on a paper towel and leave it to dry for a few days.

Step 3:

This is the hardest step, because you have to be very gentle and careful not to rip your teabag.

Once the teabag is totally dry to the touch, carefully unfold it. Remove the staple and the string, and gently peel apart the paper.

Brush out all of the dried bits of tea on the inside, and lay your paper flat. You can press it under some heavy books to further flatten it if you want, but that’s not necessary. You now have teabag paper!

You can use this paper for many things. Some ideas include:

• A handbound journal
• Backing for pressed flowers
• Panes in a paper lantern
• In a collage
• Paper mache
• Translucent window decorations

It can also be fun to experiment with drinking different colored teas to get different colors, such as reds, purples, and even blues!