Upcycling silk teabags-1
August 17, 2009 by Noreen Crone-Findlay
Filed under Creativity, eco projects & green projects & recycling craft, tutorial
I am a dyed in the wool tea fanatic- I am never without a cuppa tea beside me or in hand.
photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
Recently, I found some delicious tea that comes in silk teabags.
Well… if that isn’t an invitation to upcycle, I don’t know what is!
After all, if I am going to pay for the silk
in those tea bags, I am certainly not
going to waste it!
It’s silk, for goodness sake!
and silk’s precious!
So, now, after I savour my cuppa tea,
I save the bag and turn it into all kinds of upcycled embellishments.
photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
I used to snip one edge of the teabag open,
but I realized that I can pull at the edges
and break the seal,
thereby saving some of the silk.
So, pull the teabag open,
and toss the used leaves in the compost.
Open all the seams, and you’ll have a small rectangle of silk.
photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
I began my adventures
in upcycling silk teabags
by making one of my most favorite motifs:
The yo yo circle:
You can make a very small yo yo circle
by using just one bag,
or a larger yo yo by stitching 2
silk rectangles (2 flattened, opened silk teabags)
together and cutting a circle from them.
They are so sheer that you can barely
see them in the photo.
Challenging to photograph!
photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
After you have cut the circle,
fold a tiny hem over
and stitch
around it
then
pull up
on it,
and stitch in place to anchor.
Voila! silk yo yo circles!
You can use them to embellish all manner of things. I have stitched them to a sampler that I am weaving with natural cotton:
photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
I stitched a bead into the center of each yo yo circle.
Tomorrow…. other neat ways in which I have upcycled silk teabags.
Green living can be fun, even if it means having used silk teabags hanging up to dry in the studio….. 
What is the name of the tea? I always love a good cup.
Oh! sorry, Wendy, I missed this one!
)
I love Higgins and Burke’s Rooibous tea that’s an orange/caramel blend. It’s an awesome dessert tea. The bags are probably nylon, not silk, but they do make great yarn! I can’t remember the name of the green tea in the silk bags… will get back to you on that…
and yo yo’s and tuttus!LOL
One of my favorite black teas is from Lee Valley: It’s a loose leaf tea and is just delicious:
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=46794&cat=2,40733,46838
I prefer loose leaf teas, and use a strainer. I love black, white, green and red teas, and am not as fond of herbal teas as I used to be….. and even tho’ I prefer loose teas, I do drink tea in bags, too.