Tea Party Favors: Tea Bag Sleeves

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of going to tea with my new friends from the Atlanta Tea Society (who BTW is open to new tea-loving members). Here’s what I brought for each place setting to thank them for welcoming me, and my photographer friend, who took professional shots of the venue, to be unveiled in a review later this week.

Shaped like oversized tea bags, these simple cardstock sleeves can hold a couple of fun surprises at your next afternoon tea event. Your message and image can go on the tag and also on the front and back of the sleeve, as you choose.

MATERIALS (per favor)
– 1 piece of cardstock (suggested 4″ wide x 6″ or more long)
– 1 printed tag on cardstock (1″x1″)
– 1 piece of embroidery floss or string, 5″ long
– adhesive tape
– paper creaser
– scissors
– ruler
– awl or small hole puncher
INSIDE
– 1-2 individually wrapped tea bags
– 1-2 wallet-sized paper-thin items (I included a business card and this tea-brewing chart from TeaHippie.com). Other ideas include photos, bridal/baby shower game sheets, name tags, coupons, plantable seed paper, bookmarks or recipe cards.

STEP ONE:  Prep Your Tags

Print your tags on cardstock and cut into squares, punching a tiny hole in each one using an awl or small hole puncher.

STEP TWO: Make Cardstock Sleeves

A. Allow a half-inch margin on the left and right side of whatever you plan to slip inside the finished sleeve. To fit an individually wrapped tea bag, I cut my sleeves to 4″ wide.

B. Use a paper creaser with ruler to fold up the bottom third of your paper.

C. Line the edges of what will be your pocket with adhesive tape, and press close.

D. Cut off top corners of your paper to mimic the shape of a tea bag and punch a hole in top middle.

STEP THREE: Assemble Sleeves

Thread your 5″ string or embroidery floss through the sleeve and tag, knotting on each end. Stuff your sleeves with your prepared tokens and you are ready to go! In the event that your adhesive tape doesn’t hold, you can staple the top sides of your pocket to hold closed.