Here’s a quick tutorial for making hand sewn heart shaped Valentines Day (or Any Occasion) Tea Bags.
While I made these for my Dad when he was having some issues with his heart health, you can make them for your own special little Sweet Hearts. For parties or special occasions, serve the tea with heart shaped sugar cookies or a simple cake for a special treat. Tuck them into a handmade card or handmade mug or as a favor or a gift for a baby shower, wedding shower, birthday or anniversary. They’re sure to be a hit. These little 2 1/2″ square bags are fun to make and will delight the recipient.
SUPPLIES NEEDED
Needle
Thread
Scissors
Iron or Other Heating Element (curling iron, straight iron)
Dried Organic Flower Petals Rose Petals/Hibiscus/Peony Blossoms/Violets/Pansies/Violas
Organic Tea Leaves from Green Herbs Dried Organic Spearmint, Peppermint, Nettles, Raspberry Leaf, Green Tea, Catnip, Lemon Verbena
Press and Brew Tea Bags–I get mine from Starwest but they’re sometimes available at Natural Food Stores.
I make these teas from my own farm raised organic dried rose petals and peppermint. The tea drinker gets a little of our Paradise magic in every cup. The tea is a holder of the memories and imprints of the place where it is grown as well as the lovely phytochemicals and minerals in the plants themselves. You can use other edible flowers and herbs but you’ll want to think about how the colors work together in your design and how the herbs and flowers taste together as tea.
DIRECTIONS
Lightly draw a heart in the middle of the tea bag with a graphite pencil. Make sure there is a least 1/4″ between the edge of the heart shape and the sealed edge of the tea bag.
Using a needle threaded with white thread and knotted at the end, begin at the top center of the heart shape.
Sew carefully all of the way around the shape until you get back within an inch of where you started.
Fill the inside of the heart shape with the flower petals. I use roses, peonies or hibiscus as they’re reds and pinks.
Finish Sewing the Heart shape and finish off the end by sewing a couple of back stitches.
Fill the area outside the heart with the green tea herbs. I used peppermint as it works well with the rose petals.
Iron the open end of the tea bag to heat seal the bag.
Now the tea bag can be steeped without losing the flowers and herbs. It’s pretty even after steeping.
Here’s another large 4 X5″ tea bag with a two heart motif filled with pink roses and red hibiscus flowers and surrounded by a field of green peppermint. This teabag makes a full teapot and can be refreshed with a second filling of hot water if you remove the bag after initial steeping and return for a second pot.
This design looks pretty floating in a clear glass teapot or other tea container with a wide opening. Alternatively, float the tea bag in a pretty bowl of sparkling punch. You can tuck it into a gift box or hand thrown/built teapot. It would be a delightful surprise for a tea party at a baby shower, wedding shower, birthday or anniversary. You’ll know the perfect occasion.
♥Some of the images are before steeping in hot water-some after.
Created from aromatic plants, hydrosols are gentle and fragrant botanical waters. True hydrosols are dissolved essential oil particles suspended in a water solution–no longer oil and water but a colloidal suspension of plant oils in water. They are used in cosmetic products like facial sprays and toners, as culinary ingredients, household sprays and cleaners, and for aromatherapy as well as many other uses. Sometimes known as hydrolates, distillates or flower waters (flowers are used and not other botanical parts,) hydrosols are made by steam distilling plants usually as a bi-product of essential oil production.
At our farm, we make our hydrosols in a copper alembic distiller. Handmade in Portugal, the distiller is a large pot that induces steam into fresh lavender or other botanicals. After infusing the plant material, the steam is channeled and then condensed back into a liquid combination of mainly hydrosol with essential oil floating on top. The oil and hydrosol are collected in a glass container and then hand separated for use in body care, aromatherapy and home care.
I’ve made hydrosols from a variety of organically grown plants from my farm including lavender, lemon verbena and roses. I also use wildcrafted materials like Western Red Cedar and, White Fir or Spruce from my treks into nearby forests. Each plant produces a unique hydrosol with specific uses and benefits.
Cosmetic and Body Care, The Lovely Rose
Essential oils or hydrosols made from roses are difficult to find as they are very expensive to make. It takes a large quantity of roses to make a small amount of oil. Rose essential oil is commonly sold mixed with a carrier oil (like jojoba) which makes it more affordable. Jojoba is a good choice because it’s very stable and oxidizes slowly. It’s difficult to find a good quality rose water as it is often cohobated, which means it is run through a distiller numerous times to obtain more oil. Cohobation of the flower water makes it less suitable for therapeutic uses because the hydrosol is heated repeatedly for higher oil production, not for a quality hydrosol. Rose flowers make a wonderful hydrosol when the purpose of the still run is only for rose hydrosol and not for oil.
In aromatherapy, rose oil can be used to uplift the spirit and promote a sense of well being. It’s been used clinically as an antidote to anxiety, PTSD , menstrual cramps, PMS, and as a comfort during menopause. Historically it was known as an antidepressant, strong antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, antibacterial, and antiviral. Recent clinical research in Japan has found that elements in rose oil may be used as a cell rejuvenator and powerful antiseptic. Rose essential oil soothes and heals skin conditions, including cuts and burns.
Rose provides a delicate treatment for any skin type from oily to dry or damaged skin. It is an astringent that will gently tighten skin temporarily while it is healing cell structure, minimizing the fine wrinkles of older skin. It can be used to make a toner that leaves your skin feeling dew-kissed and clean. Cleanse your skin before makeup application or incorporate the toner into your evening skincare regimen.
Here’s a simple recipe for you to try at home:
Rose Facial Toner
Add 4 ounces of organic rose hydrosol to 4 ounces of organic glycerin in a glass bottle and shake before using. Apply to face, neck, hands and arms with organic cotton balls. There is no need to rinse as the rose and glycerine will hydrate and protect your skin.
Uses for Domestic Space
Hyrdosols made from lavender plants are the most versatile for use in the home. While English Lavender is the most therapeutic for relaxation and calming, French Lavender hydrosol works well as room spray, ironing water, and a cleaner and deodorizer for bodies, yoga mats, and other surfaces. Clean mirrors and glass with it. Make an energizing spray for dusty rooms or anywhere that needs a quick clearing. Try ironing your sheets with English lavender hydrosol and drift to sleep with the peaceful, gentle fragrances of organic lavender.
Joy in a Bottle
Hydrosols are wonderful for changing your mood or boosting energy. Keep a bottle of western red cedar or lavender hydrosol in your glove compartment or in your work space. Try lemon verbena to cleanse your living space. Guests love this happy, energizing scent. Rose uplifts the spirits and is romantic and warm so it is a sweet way to inspire love in a home. None of these are overpowering or invasive as they are made from true plant materials as opposed to strong chemicals or fragrance oils.
Therapeutic Aromatherapy
For true Aromatherapy, hydrosols are becoming more appreciated in treatment as they are exceedingly gentle and can be used when essential oils might be too strong. Qualifications for aromatherapeutic uses are much more stringent than cosmetic or home care uses. Hydrosols for aromatherapy and other health treatments require that the hydrosols are made from plants grown on organic farms or ethically wildcrafted botanicals with pure water. Distillation is often done for longer periods of time and at lower temperatures. After distillation, the hydrosols should be correctly stored (in a cool and dark space or even refrigerated) preferably in sterile glass containers, and they should be used within 6 months of creation, depending on the botanical product. In Europe, hydrosol is required to contain an alcohol preservative which certainly influences its benefits as a therapeutic product. If the hydrosol does not contain a preservative, it can be monitored for appropriate PH levels which vary depending on the botanical to ascertain its suitability for clinical use, according to Suzanne Catty, author of Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy.
Pet Stains and Odors
Hydrosols work well to neutralize animal odors or pet stains. Here’s a simple idea for pet accidents on carpet or other materials. Immediately following the accident, use a fluffy towel and remove all of the moisture from the spot. Next, liberally pour lavender or red cedar hydrosol (white vinegar also works very well) on the spot–tamp with a clean towel until you’ve removed all moisture possible. For larger spots, apply several times using a clean towel each time and tamping out all of the moisture. Then make a mixture of baking soda and a bit of essential oil like lavender or citrus–just a few drops will do.) Sprinkle this onto the damp carpet or fabric very liberally. Use a stiff scrub brush and brush the baking soda mixture directly on the spot making sure you cover the edges between the wet/dry carpet area.You’ll want at least 1/4″ of powder left on the spot. Leave overnight and vacuum the next morning. You can do this several times until no residual evidence remains in the powder when it is dry. This works well for many human spills as well. Experiment on a test patch if you’re not sure your carpet color is stable.
Many of us want to keep a bright, fresh-smelling home. Artificial products don’t compare to the natural aromas of beneficial plants. Aromatherapy is a gentle health modality. Define your domestic spaces with the natural, soothing scents of versatile and sweet smelling hydrosols.
The information provided here is not intended as medical advice or treatment. Please consult your own health care provider.
I’ve made thousands of these sweet little lavender heart sachets for wedding favors, valentines, and everyday tokens of love. Hide them somewhere to be found later, like a coat pocket or drawer. You’ll love hearing the stories about when and how your hearts are discovered, and how scrumptious they smell!
Follow these simple steps and share the love!
1. First, gather your materials.
Fabric. Use a cotton fabric, or try something like lace or tulle on the front to make the lavender visible. I prefer a fabric with natural fibers, like a cotton or linen.
Thread. This is used for top stitching. I prefer thread with a heavier weight.
Needle. If using heavy thread, you need a needle with a larger eye.
Dried lavender
Scissors
Paper for pattern
1. Make a pattern. My hearts are approximately 3″ tall by 2 1/2″ wide. A Post It Note is roughly the right size. Fold the paper in half and draw half of the heart. Cut it out. Unfold the pattern.
2. Pin the pattern to your fabric and cut two hearts.
3. Begin sewing. Start on the front side about a third of the way down the center line of the heart. Leave 4-5″ of tail.
Continue sewing around the edge of the heart about 1/8″ from the side edges until you get all around and to the top right of the heart.
4. Open the heart and stuff with lavender. I like mine very full so the heart is plump.
5. After stuffing, continue stitching back to where you started. Leave another long tail of thread.
Tie the tails into a bow. Trim the edges if needed, or use pinking shears for a ruffled look.
Enjoy giving your hearts away. They will be a sweet-smelling surprise for any loved one in your life.
