Tuesday 3 May 2011

Recycling gone mad!

Sometimes, the only thing that gets me through the day at work, is the "aromatherapy" provided by my lovely cup of fruit tea. I brew this on my desk in its cup for maximum flavour, and fish the bag out, leaving them (very slovenly) in a little pile in my desk tidy. The colours on the bag are lovely on the bilberry and strawberry ones, so the other day, I decided to take them home, dry them out, and use them in my card making. I stitched an oddment of lace on, a bow, an odd button and a few beads.

I also enhanced a few even further by using some of this magical ingredient - from Hobby Craft, called "Angelina". You place strands of it between paper, and iron it

The effect is iridescent strands that were attached to the square of teabag paper before the other bits were sewn on. If you double click the picture, you can see the effect a bit better.



I think it is a more imaginative use for a tea bag than just composting them!

19 comments:

Dianne said...

Colourful re-cycling - unfortunately my used tea bags are not a pretty site - just brown and dank and utterly depressing.

**Anne** said...

Beautiful!
Anne xx

Mary Ann Tate said...

Funny. I was just reading about someone using their herbal tea bags instead of regular tea to dye fabric. It was an experiment. She got a lovely pale shade of pink.

Vintage Tea Time said...

Wow - now that really is recycling at its' best! Lovely results! Well done. Abby x

Elderberry-Rob said...

how unusual and pretty - you certainly do love your tea!

diane b said...

You are so imaginative. Well done!

Elizabethd said...

Very pretty, but only with coloured Teabags!

Lucy in the Clouds said...

Oh these are LOVELY! I'm totally inspired by the idea of gift tags and random bits of haberdashery in general!

Jo said...

Who'd have thought that something so lovely could be made from an old tea bag? Definitely better that chucking them in the compost.

Lynne said...

How inventive. I wish I enjoyed fruit tea, but I can't seem to appreciate it, and it always smells so nice. I do use it to make a fruit loaf however.

Mandy said...

So pretty! Clever old you!

Poppy said...

I'm inspired, well done... very pretty!

Lou xxx

Me and Tilly Too said...

My kind of recycling and so pretty too. Lesley x

Diane said...

I find that tea bags do not break down in the compost anyway so this is a much better use of them and they look so pretty. Diane

Rosie said...

That is recycling and a half! You are so inventive and creative, Diane:)

Ellouise88 said...

Oh how wonderful. I think I'm going to have to give this a try!

jennyfreckles said...

Is there no end to your inventiveness? This looks so pretty, you'd never believe it started as a teabag!

Lyn said...

You could do a whole exhibition based on your old tea bags! you are being very productive!
love
lyn
xxx

lazylol said...

love it :)