HOMEMADE MINT TEA (A DELICIOUS DIY GIFT, TOO!)

If you’ve ever grown mint, you’ll know it can quickly take over a garden—but I’m not complaining, though. I think its verdant expanse spreading through my flower beds is freakin’ gorgeous. And there’s no end to its delicious uses. I love it torn into this spiralised honey & garlic cucumber salad, bejewelling these edible flower lollies, blended into this watermelon granita, and adding fresh vibes to my favourite quinoa Tabbouleh, or this creamy cashew & carrot soup.

I could go on—the list is endless!—but what we’re here for right now is the easiest of ways to use up your mint, make a proper fresh cuppa, AND even craft a beautiful gift with minimal effort.

So let’s make some tea, shall we?

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There’s a few ways you can make mint tea: some days, I literally throw a couple fresh leaves into a cup, pour in the hot water, and let steep. Sometimes I use a loose leaf tea infuser, like this one, or a glass teapot infuser if I’m feeling fancy.

And then there’s my all-time fave way to make mint tea (or any herbal or floral tea)—and then pass it on as a beautiful gift: using disposable paper tea bags, like these perfect little drawstring bags. They’re made from 100% natural, unbleached material, so there’s no nasties leaching into the tea (who wants to drink chemicals in their cuppa??), and they’re biodegradable, too. A thoughtful, simple gift for a loved one and our planet!

All you need to do is fill your bags with 2-3 large, clean and dry mint leaves, gently pull the drawstrings closed, and package them for the recipient! I like to thread a preprinted tea tag on to the drawstring if I’m gifting the tea—grab my faaaavourite printable labels here, FREE! (We also love using the bags for lavender (about a teaspoon of buds per bag), and chrysanthemum flowers (about 3-6 dried flowers per bag).

You can also use coffee filters, a bit of string, and a stapler, to make your DIY tea bags. Simply:

• Cut the coffee filter into a rectangle.
• Put your mint leaves, herbs, or flowers, into the centre.
• Insert a small length of plain string into the pocket, too, leaving the bulk of the length outside of the filter pocket.
• Fold the sides over into the middle.
• Fold the top down and staple.

If you’re not gifting the mint tea bags immediately, the mint leaves will begin to curl and lose colour, but they’ll still impart a fresh flavour—just make sure you store the bags in an airtight container and try to gift them within a few days!

Tea time!