I promised last week in my DIY Natural Beauty Basket post that I would continue posting homemade gift ideas. I am not one to break my promises so here is another one of my favourite DIY holiday (or anytime) gift ideas:

Homemade Personalized Tea Box:

Tea is one of my favourite things. There are so many wonderful free-trade and organic herbal blends out there to choose from. A few years ago I decided I would turn my love for tea into an awesome gift idea. I decided to make herbal tea box sets for my friends and family, customizing the herbs based on each of their lifestyles; the overworked friend got some calming, relaxing, stress relieving herbs while the tired friend got rejuvenating and energizing blends; you get the picture.

Things you’ll need for each box:

1 tea infuser  – I use a stainless steel tea ball and it costs me between 2 and 3 dollars for each one.

Loose leaf tea/herbs  – I choose several different types that suit the lifestyle of the person the gift is for. You can purchase tea/herbs at your   local farmer’s market, health food stores, tea shops and Asian markets. Just make sure to choose high quality sustainable herbs and to purchase and assemble this project fairly close to when you are going to give it, to ensure the tea remains at its freshest.

Decorative Boxes – You can purchase these at your local craft store or dollar store. I like to buy  different shapes and sizes and decorate them with ribbons and bows.

Tea holders  – This is one part of the project where you can get really creative. If you have a knack for sewing you can repurpose something you don’t use anymore such as decorative curtains or napkins by sewing the cloth into little pouches to hold each kind of loose leaf tea. What I do when I have less time is buy a pack of high quality coffee filters. I cut the tops with decorative scissors and use small ribbons to tie up the ends sealing the tea inside.

I then cut up old cards or gift tags into cute shapes and apply labels with the name of each herb and its properties (i.e relaxation, revitalization etc.).  The next step is to punch a hole in each shape and attach it to the ribbon on each little satchel of tea.

 

Put the completed tea holders (filled with tea, of course)in the decorative boxes with a nice handwritten note and the infuser and you have a wonderful personalized gift. Everyone I have given these tea boxes to has been receptive and appreciative. They love mixing and matching the herbs I chose for them to create their perfect combination. This is a nice high quality gift idea that is both easy to assemble and shows you care.

Mmm’ I think I am going have a cup of tea right now. Oh, and I’d love to hear about your favourite combinations!