Dear community,
in this blog post you can find easy instructions on how to sew a reusable teabag.

Reusable Teabag – A Sustainable Gift Idea

Dear Community, I am delighted to introduce this year’s BERNINA advent calendar blog with the theme of sustainability. Our hobby offers so many opportunities to reduce the mountains of waste in our household. Even the smallest “single-use items” can easily be replaced by so-called “multi-use items”. My suggestion for the Christmas holidays: The reusable teabag. Use it at the holiday table for advent tea or give it as a gift with a suitable (self-filled) Christmas tea blend. 

List of Materials

The teabags can be sewn very quickly. This is also a great gift idea for children to give to godparents, grandparents, friends, neighbors…

You will need:

• (First) material triangles – preferably cotton, linen, or similar. If possible, the material should be organic (even better if already sustainable) and washed beforehand.
  • 11 x 15 cm – for individual portions (cups)
  • 17 x 23 cm – for multiple portions (pots)
• Tight thread or string (approx. 40 cm)
• 1 button per teabag
• Sewing machine, sewing thread, scissors, pins

Sewing the Bag

1. Iron 1.5 cm on one of the long edges of the cut fabric (the seam allowances are already included in the measurements).

2. Lay the string on the ironed edge and affix it.  

3. Sew down the edge with the sewing machine using a straight stitch.  

4. Now fold the fabric triangle right side to right side in the middle of the long edge. Then close the side and lower edges. Start at the top with the seam that was just sewn. This way the string will remain movable.  

5. Turn the bag, finish the triangles nicely (for example, with a blunt knitting needle) and briefly iron the material.   

6. Tightly knot the ends of the string with the button. Or perhaps you have a different idea for an original weighted end. – Voilà, that’s it!

Brewing Tea and Caring for the Teabag

You will need approx. 1 tablespoon of tea blend for the small bag and 3-2 tablespoons for the large one. Fill the teabag with the blend, close it, and place it in the cup or the pot. Let the button hang freely on the outside. Pour 200 ml (cup) or 750 ml (pot) of boiling water over the tea, cover it, and let it steep for approximately 10 minutes. Grab something to read and enjoy your tea in peace.

If the same blend of tea is being used, simply rinse out the teabag under running water and let it dry. If it becomes discolored over time, you can soak it in lemon juice for a few minutes and wash it out with a little soap.

Tea Blend

You can get ideas for Christmas tea blends at your local tea shop or try one of the many recipes available on the internet. Simply type tea blend and Christmas in a search engine and let yourself be inspired. 

I hope I was able to get you excited about the coming advent season and wish you much success.

Sincerely, Denise from Follow me Design  

PS: My advent calendar blog entry from last year on the subject of “A Festive Table” was also sustainable: Reusable Fortune Cookies”.