Looking for things to do with the left over tea ingredients after they’ve been steeped? Why not make paper! With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I figured tea paper would make the most perfect homemade Valentine’s Day cards. Ugh, my heart! So cute!
To start, I collected old junk mail and paper scraps along with the spent tea. Then I cut up the scraps and added the pieces to a medium sized storage bin. Don’t forget to add the tea, too! Pour fresh water overtop the scraps of tea and paper, be sure that everything is fully submerged. Let them soak overnight.
I’ve made paper a few times and each time they come out this dreary and drab grey color. I wanted a lighter color so my colored pieces could really pop. This time I didn’t include any newspapers or magazines and it produced the lighter color I was looking for.
After soaking, pour the scraps and water into a blender. I recommend to use a different blender than the one you use for food. I’ve had success finding cheap ones at Goodwill and other thrift stores. Walmart and Amazon also have very affordable ones.
I used a lot more water than I thought I would to get the perfect batch. I would say I used equal parts pulp and water in the blender and blended them all up. Then I poured it back into the storage bin and added a bit more water to get a runnier consistency.
Using a deckle, I scooped up some of the pulp out of the storage bin and lifted up while I let the water drain. Then I removed each sheet from the deckle onto an absorbent towel to get as much moisture out of them as possible. Once they were dry and sturdy enough to remove from the towel without peeling or crumbling (about an hour or so) I transferred each sheet onto my countertop until they were completely bone dry. Then I flatted with a heavy cutting board or between books for sheets with less wrinkles and less of a wave.
HOW TO MAKE PAPER OUT OF TEA
Materials
- Scrap paper and junk mail
- Spent tea leaves and ingredients
- Deckle
- Storage bin
- A blender
- A towel
Directions
- Cut up paper scraps and combine them with tea into a medium storage bin. Submerge them entirely under water. Let them soak overnight.
- Pour the soaked scraps into a blender and pour over equal parts water.
- Blend until everything is a pulpy liquidy blend.
- Pour it back into the storage bin and use the deckle to scopp up the pulp while the water drains.
- Flip the deckle over and use an absorbent towel to remove excess water while removing each sheet from the deckle.
- Let the sheets air dry onto a towel for about an hour, or until the paper sheets are stable enough to transfer them to a countertop.
- Let each sheet dry completely on a counter or flat non-porous surface.
- Once dry, place the sheets under a heavy cutting board or between heavy books to keep them straight and wrinkle-free.
- Enjoy!