I have always enjoyed the anticipation that comes with waiting for Christmas. Decorating the tree, stringing holiday lights outside, hiding presents, baking, holiday parties, driving around the city looking at holiday light displays… I enjoy it all! I like to countdown to Christmas using Advent candles, a fabric wall hanging that counts down the 25 days of Christmas, and even a wooden countertop Christmas countdown calendar. Last year I created a craft using tea bags to countdown to Christmas. This year I am using tea again to help countdown to Christmas.
A Craft Project
Creating crafts is challenging for me. My inability to create a craft that looks exactly like a guide, model, or example is beyond my comprehension. I use the exact same supplies as listed in the directions, follow the directions explicitly, and am exacting in the execution of creating the craft. But… the project still ends up looking like I created it and not a professional crafter. Oh well, I have given up on “perfect” and am learning to enjoy the process of using the right side of my brain, using art supplies and creating something.
This year’s countdown to Christmas tea craft is dedicated to those who struggle like me, in creating perfect crafts. The craft this year is easy, fun and comes with very little instructions and a whole lot of open ended creativity. In teaching young children, preschool and early elementary teachers are trained to encourage and support process art. The focus of process art is experiencing the creative nature of art work, focusing on the creative process and not the end product. The antithesis would be product art, where the focus is on the end product and not the creative experience. Tea is a relaxing beverage and this year’s relaxing tea project can be created by one and all using supplies generally found around the home.
So grab a cup of tea, turn on some holiday music and have fun creating!
Craft Supplies
Below is a simple supply list:
- 1 - paper or foam plate, large size
- 1 - colored ribbon, enough to make a bow
- 1 - colored ribbon to make a loop
- 25 assorted tea bags, individually wrapped
- bottled glue OR double sided tape OR hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Scissors
Optional:
- A cup of tea in a holiday mug
- A gift tag
- Printable numbers 1-25
- Holiday wrapping paper to cover the back of the wreath
- Holiday music to listen to while creating a masterpiece
- Someone to give the tea wreath to (could be yourself)
Instructions
Before the craft time starts, I wanted to encourage fellow crafters that an assortment of non identical tea bags can be used. I like everything to match, and coordinate. I could have used all the same type of tea bag to make a uniform tea wreath but that is not real life for me. I have tea bags from literally around the world. Friends, family and fellow tea peers have generously shared their tea finds with me. In part, I am using a collection of assorted tea bags to 1) make a more colorful tea wreath, 2) to increase the fun for the recipient of the wreath by supplying tea from a variety of companies 3) to share what I have with someone else. So don’t be afraid to use various colored tea bags.
- Cut out a good sized circular hole in the middle of the plate. Make sure there is enough rim on the plate to glue/tape tea bags securely.
- Glue/tape a piece of wrapping paper onto the back of the wreath. Then cut the excess wrapping paper off the side of the plate so there is no excess wrapping paper showing over the edge of the plate. Next, cut out the center of the wrapping paper from the center of the plate. The back of the plate should now be covered with wrapping paper and the circular hole in the center of the plate should be exposed.
- Glue/tape the tea bags around the rim of the plate, making sure the top of the tea bags are facing outward on the wreath.
- Glue/tape the countdown numbers to the tea bags, making sure the numbers are facing upwards on the wreath.
- Glue/tape ribbon on the back of the wreath, in order to hang the wreath on a tree, or a friend’s front door, or in a kitchen by a tea kettle or tea pot.
- Glue/tape a bow onto the front of the #25 teabag. Be sure to trim the ends of the ribbon at an angle so that the ends don’t fray.
This blog is dedicated to my teacher friends and all other teachers who, throughout their careers, have helped children create holiday masterpieces while themselves being covered in glue, glitter, sequins, markers and tape. Bless you!
About The Author
Leslie Sundberg is a World Tea Academy Certified Tea Specialist, a World Tea Academy Apprentice Tea Sommelier, a Specialty Tea Institute Level IV trained Tea Specialist, and a Tea and Business Etiquette Specialist. On any given day, Leslie can be found teaching, speaking or sharing in the joys of a cup of tea. No matter what Leslie is doing or where she is, one thing remains constant: 4:00 in the afternoon is tea time!
