gifts in jars: homemade tea bags

these gift jars were inspired by a make your own tea-bag tutorial found at a beautiful mess. i made mine a little different and only had to spend five dollars (for the tea bags) to make all six jars!

this project would not have been possible without my wonderful friend, missy. despite being almost eight months pregnant, she sat for hours and sewed fifty tea bags for me without a complaint. she was also taking breaks to go upstairs and fix dinner. whatta mama!=)

missy also provided me fabric scraps for the lids. she makes the sweetest pillow case dresses and i love her choice of floral fabric. the green and turquoise is a vintage scrap my friend carol gave me. (you may recall i used a piece for a three little birds wing).

there are plenty of organic loose leaf tea jars in my pantry to share. the mint and dandelion came from my garden/backyard. the rest i purchase from bulk bins at the local health food store. i swear by herbal teas, especially since discovering plantain tea for my interstitial cystitis flare-ups.

what makes me most happy about these gifts is that they're not only functional and decorative, but so healing! each jar has a mix of:

chamomile tea: a relaxing, soothing tea. helps with sleep disorders, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, migraines, skin conditions, and stomach issues such as menstrual cramps, stomach flu, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. topically it reduces dark circles under the eyes.

green tea powder: super-rich in antioxidants that combat all types of cancer, bacterial or viral infections and cardiovascular disease. studies suggest that drinking green tea lowers risk of death due to all causes.

nettles: packed with vitamins (especially iron), nettles tea treats a slew of ailments such as anemia, arthritis, rheumatism, respiratory and urinary issues, asthma, and many more.

dandelion: aids digestion and detoxification of the liver. full of other benefits you can read here.

spearmint: a great-tasting tea that also aids digestion and helps to reduce flatulence. thwppp.=)

fyi - the mason jar lids were hot glue-gunned with circles of felt and fabric scraps. if you have any questions on how i made these gift jars, just ask - i'm happy to help!