well, as odd as it may seem I have, and here’s why;
tea bags are a light weight, strong paper with a lovely tea stained patina that gives them a vintage distressed look.
Best of all, teabag paper is so thin, that when adhered to fabric, the tea bag blends right into the surface and has a ‘workable’ surface for art media like; colored pencils and paint.
I have a bowl that sits on my counter that I toss tea bags in after I use them. When it gets to the point where it’s overflowing, I tear each one open and dump out the tea. I don’t worry about little tears in the paper, I think it adds to the distressed look. 
I really like the tea bags that are folded in half with a staple or tied at the top because they make a larger size piece of paper.
Here are two types of tea bags opened up to show the size and shape of the paper.
Tip: you can also get extra large tea bags if you buy the kind for making pitchers of iced tea and you can even iron tea bags to get them really smooth and flat.
product labels, postage stamps, ticket stubs, dry cleaning tags, maps, diagrams, pages from old books, napkins, decorative tissue paper, matchbook covers…
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Printing photos on teabags
To print photos on tea bags, scan a fairly high resolution image (300 dpi) into your computer. A low res photo may not show a clear image and look a little blurry.
Print the photo onto a plain piece of paper.
Tip: laser printed images will not bleed if they get wet the way many ink jet prints do.
Place a flattened tea bag over the printed image and tape it in place with scotch tape on each corner. It’s especially important along the top edge of the tea bag, so the tea bag doesn’t get caught on the rollers that feed the paper through the printer and cause a paper jam. 
Place the paper with the tea bag on it in the paper tray in the correct position to print out, usually it’s face down with the top of the paper going into the printer first.
To double check the printing orientation, place an arrow on a blank piece of paper and print your image on it, making note of how you placed the paper in the paper tray and the direction the printed image came out.
Here’s the printed tea bag, ready to be used for collage.
You can also print in color on a tea bag.
Following the same procedure as with the black and white laser printed image, I lined up the tea bag on the printed photo and taped it in place and printed it on my Epson ink jet printer.
Note: Epson printers use Durabrite inks that are permanent. Other ink jet printers have ink that bleeds if it gets wet. This is important if you are gluing the image to fabric, since it will get wet when you adhere the image using acrylic gel medium.
If you don’t have an Epson printer, you can try spraying a coat of fixative on the tea bag after printing to keep the bleeding to a minimum before adhering it to the fabric. Another option could be to fuse the teabag to fabric with a sheer fusible web product like Mistyfuse.
Sign up now, if you’d like to spend a day learning mixed media techniques and multiple ways to use teabag paper in your art at Craft Napa in my Tea & Ephemera workshop on Saturday January 9th,
or learn about painting fabric with acrylic inks in my 2-day 10+ Techniques with Acrylic Inks workshop, January 7 and 8th, where we explore multiple ways to paint with acrylic inks on fabric. Registration closes December 15th!
And check out my tutorial for making easy and fun foam stamps that I love using with acrylic inks!
Do you have a favorite quote, word, image or ritual that inspires you to create?
Leave a comment here telling me what inspires you by December 10th for a chance to win a $500 Gift Certificate from eQuilter.com! All comments will go into one big grand prize drawing that will happen after Pokey’s blog post on December 10th.
Nov 30- Jane LaFazio – http://janeville.blogspot.com/
Dec 1 – Lynn Krawczyk – http://smudgeddesignstudio.com/blog/
Dec 2 – Judy Coates Perez – that’s me! 🙂
Dec 3 – Jenny K. Lyon – http://quiltskipper.com/blog/
Dec 4 – Jamie Fingal – http://JamieFingalDesigns.blogspot.com/
Dec 5 – Melanie Testa – http://melanietesta.com/blog/
Dec 6 – Elizabeth St. Hilaire – http://www.paperpaintings.com/
Dec 7– Leslie Jenison – http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/
Dec 8- Carrie Bloomston – http://www.carriebloomston.com/blog/
Dec 9 – Cheryl Sleboda – http://blog.muppin.com
Dec 10 – Pokey Bolton – http://pokeysponderings.com/
I’d like to thank the wonderful CRAFT NAPA sponsors, BERNINA and Meissner Sewing and Vacuum Centers.
84 responses to “Have you ever thought of printing a photo on a tea bag?”
I was so happy to read this post. I think it was a QA magazine article I read a few years ago about using tea bags and collecting them to have plenty for working on projects. I have a big bowl sitting on my kitchen counter right now with used tea bags! I remember the article you wrote about using acrylic inks to paint and that was the first time I was made aware of the acrylic inks as a painting medium for fabric, etc. I soooo wanted to be able to come to the retreat to celebrate Pokey’s new “Happy Place” but I’m here in North Carolina so I’m going to have to save over this upcoming year so I’ll be able to come for a retreat next year or two retreats!
I get inspired by reading yours and other’s blogs about creating with mixed mediums, it inspires me to experiment and create more this year.
Wow – I love the tea bag idea – awesome! I will be collecting mine and giving it a try! Thank you for the inspiring blog!
This post certainly inspired me. Thank you for the details of how to print on tea bags. I think I’ll drink some tea this week!
What inspires me? 3:00 tea. Every day at 3 I make a cup of tea and wander around my sewing room. I pet the fabric, shake a bead container, look at my UFOs, and think about what I will enjoy starting next. It’s my Zen time. I used to share it with my mom – for over 30 years. Now I share it with my daughter.
Ditto to all the awesome comments, as most of them said Judy, it’s artists like yourself, that are committed to sharing and inspiring their gift of knowledge and experience to all of us thru their blogging and other formats, I realize I am not that different than many others, who for various reasons r unable to travel and attend art workshops, so our connection to this art world is here, so thanks Judy for always sharing and inspiring, I know it keeps me sane! Aloha, angi in hana
Wow – your blog is so inspiring. Must admit it never occurred to me to print on anything other than copy paper or cloth. Might have to start drinking tea! Thanks for sharing your creativity.
I always say your dead for a long time so do it now. Your art is a legacy for ll
Judy- I love your work! Will have to give this a try as I love the Vintage, Aged look on fabric.
Judy, you inspire me the most. Your work is amazing!
Nature inspires me and then I look to my box of techniques, mostly learned from you and Melly. My favorite quote is “what would you do if you knew you would not fail”. I read that years ago, and it prompted me to finally explore new areas. I left behind the fear of not being “perfect” and now adopt the “it is the best I can do with the skills I have” attitude. So freeing! Thanks for always inspiring me to try something new.
A walk in nature inspires me to make art. Now with winter setting in, my walks are fewer than during summer. I look back at pictures for my inspiration during the winter.
Great, now I know what to do with all the teabags I have saved!! Nature is my greatest inspiration
Great details on the printing aspect, thank you! I am inspired by your blogs and my YOGI tea bags. But my biggest inspiration is always through meditation. ; )
Embrace Change!!
Loved this article about printing on tea bags. I have been used plain white tea bags for years for mixed-media projects, but I never thought about printing on them. I took a class from you at Create in Chicago and remembered your enthusiasm and artistry. Thanks for sharing this technique.
oops – used should have been using!
Nothing specific inspires me – just the work of others! And a clean work space.
I love the tea bag idea. Always looking for ways to recycle every day items. Think my grand daughters Girl Scout troop could to this. Thanks for sharing on your blog.
Flowers inspire me — I love their petals and stamina and leaves and stems!
I think memory is my primary inspiration—the way a time or place looked or felt or sometimes just the memory of a color and its context.
“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt (maybe)
Just starting- putting two pieces of fabric together, or slapping some paint on a page- is enough to set my inspiration humming! Lots of ideas, not enough time!! What a great giveaway-thanks!
Natural dyed material! And recycled too! Very cool! I have defining words I use to keep me focused, like: Receptive, Create, Radiate & Curious, Passionate, Dreamer. I’m working on writing my own books, and I think those would be great titles! 🙂
The beautiful work that I see in magazines is so inspiring.
Well, that is just so cool! What an interesting effect. Looking forward to seeing you at Craft Napa.
My inspiration generally comes from something that just catches my eye. Maybe ephemera received in a swap or happy mail, or a photo I took when out walking, or someone’s tutorial might inspire me to try a similar approach. I’m always on the look out for inspiration, I love your tea bag idea. Now I have something else to inspire me!
This technique just inspired me! I’d never have thought of printing on a teabag, but I’m going to try it!
Judy you inspire me to try different things….anytime I see an article by you I have to read it first…..love this technique with the tea bags …..will have to drink tea from now on lol
I am inspired by color, texture and learning new techniques. I happen to have some tea bags on hand that I have been saving for . . . . this! Thank you.
My inspirational quote:” You can’t create art if you don’t start.” “Just do it”
I am inspired by fabric that others have created.
The tea bags dried and pressed have such a beautiful tone. Using them by stamping and printing and then putting them into a collage is inspired. You get such lovely effects. Thanks for the tutorial, definitely an inspiration for me.
I don’t have a favorite word but find that words in general, quotes, blogs, etc. all inspire me to learn, grow and become better.
I have used tea bags before but never to print on them so this is a must try for me. Love the effect when fused onto other fabric. I have printed onto tea dyed fabric before but this is a different result due to the texture.Thank you for sharing this
Would love to win. Thanks.
Shellie
Quiltingbean1@msn.com
I love your tea bag work. They are all so beautiful. Thanks for sharing your process! My inspiration changes on a daily basis, sometimes on an hourly basis. Right now my inspiration is “Do it” – no procrastination, just get to work! 😀
Will have to start drinking more bagged tea. Stop thinking & talking about it and just do it!
I have two words Create & Life as both are always evolving and make me think of new ideas.
a button that says JUST START with the ART in red! Usually, it’s a piece of fabric that speaks to me and gets me going on a new creation :).
Scripture that just seems to pop up and applies to something that is going on in my life!
I love this idea. The tea bag has such a gauzy look to it. I find my inspiiration by studying the work of others at quilt shows, on Pinterest, at guild meetings. I am always looking for new ways to combine colors and designs.
i am inspired by nature and creative blogs like yours; i especially love anything butterfly. thanks for the giveaway.
Judy, I am most inspired by color and patterns. I think that’s why I love to look at your creations so much. They absolutely explode with color!
More than once I have remembered this quote: “You beat your pate and fancy it will come. Knock as you please. There’s no one at home.” I believe the author was Pope. I’ve always taken it to mean that you need to rely on yourself. No one is going to do the job for you.
The tea bags are intriguing. I have tea nearly every day.
Looking around my craft room inspires me to create. It’s my favourite room in the house!
Stretch, take chances, reach out, lean in. My mantra is, “Be a happy mistake-maker.” In what you thought was a mistake you might recognize a discovery or have an opportunity to learn something so you don’t have to make that same mistake again.
I let nature inspire me. It is the best source for my creativity.
People who share wonderful and interesting insight inspire me to do the same. Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea.
All things natural are truly inspiring to me. Distant landscapes, leaf close-ups, the hair swirls around my dog’s nose. All ideas to be pursued.
Diane
Love this idea! And I just threw out a bag full of used tea bags. 🙁 Just a question, you print out the image twice? If you don’t have access to a laser printer, will an inkjet suffice? My favorite quote, not necessarily about being creative, but about living life to its fullest:
In the end it is not the years in your life that matter, it is the life in your years. Abraham Lincoln
Sylvia
you print the image onto a piece of blank paper so you will know where to tape the tea bag so that it will be positioned properly for printing. When you run it through the printer again it will definitely be printed on the tea bag and not half on or half off.
The last part of my tutorial talks specifically about printing on an ink jet.
Photography inspires me the most!
Thank you for the great tea bag tutorial…b
These tea bags are quite inspiring! These would be cute in an art quilt.
I really like this idea…I have been collecting T bags for years. Last year I would buy tea from Starbucks each morning…use the same t bag all day then tea dye fabric for my Art School project, These t bags are in a thin fabric and slightly bigger than normal bags. I split the bags, emptied the tea out and used the fabric in my project. I printed onto the dyed fabric but never thought to use the bag. In my home town we had a tea factory and I have end rolls of tea bag paper, It is useful for tracing quilting patterns onto, quilting then tearing off, easier than paper. or making sachets of herbs or spices.
This year I have another stash of bags and a new idea…My Art school project is all about avoidable food waste.
You never know what fun you can have squeezing an old bag! My inspiration comes more and more from old photographs, poetry, and favorite artists’ blogs
I love the tea bag idea, and printing it first on paper and then taping your media over the top and reprinting, is so common sense as to be too easy. I would love to go to Napa too.
Music is my inspiration especially Debussy’s Images or other rousing pieces
Wow Judy, this is a wonderful technique you shared. Thank you for the details. I always wondered how though I have saved a large collection of tea bags.
My mother has always inspired me! As a young girl she was the one who kept pushing me to try new ventures.. in different areas… artistry in pencil, paints, fabric! I thank her for that and even now she is one of my biggest inspirations! She has been confined to a chair due to a physical problem but whenever I call her she has some sewing project she is working on ….. often teaching herself new techniques! I’ll have to share the tea bag technique with her! Thanks for sharing!
Inspired by other artists and nature!
My inspiration comes from various blogs and looking out the window in my craft cave to be wowed by God’s creation!
Beautiful flowers of all types inspire me.
I love your tea bag idea….my Earl Gray bags will now be put to good use. Nature all around inspires me. Lately, late fall flowers and tiny little birds eating the remnants of the sunflower seeds outside my dining room window have been setting my creative mind in motion. Thank you for sharing your work and creativity!
I love the idea about using Tea Bag paper! Have you ever thought about doing an Online Class? It would really be great for those of us who are not local.
Forgot to mention what inspires me… People like yourself who share creative ideas and using everyday items to create wonderful pieces of art!
Color always inspires me as well as a new event or learing about life in general. That Ah Ha moment.
Egad, I don’t drink tea, but this technique may force me to. Thank you for sharing this and inspiring us to be creative.
I never thought to use tea bags. This is a fantastically creative idea! I am inspired by colors, words and emotions. Oftentimes, I will hear a song or a phrase and think, “I must express this feeling through my art.”
Color and texture inspire me.
I love the way nature puts colors together, lets me feel free to work with color. If I like it I don’t worrying about that color wheel.
Not a word, but blog posts like yours inspire me…can’t wait for your class in Napa!!
I love tea dyed fabric, but I do mine a little differently. I keep a piece of muslin PFD fabric, folded, near my teapot. When I make my tea I plop (technical term) my wet, used teabag onto the folded piece of fabric. The tea seeps into the layers of fabric and leaves a blob (more technical talk). I just keep doing this for a week or so and eventually I have a wonderfully mottled piece of tea stained fabric. Sometimes I refold a piece to create more texture. Just keep going until it is a blotchy as you like it.
I love this idea! Thanks for sharing ❤️
WEll, lots of things inspire me…I wish more would propel me to action. I like taking walks outdoors and snapping photos!
Love the tea bag ideas – love that look – I am definitely going to try it! I love Pokey’s phrase – Crafting a Life –
My inspiration comes from colors and shapes all around.
I am having difficulty getting the print on the tea bag without ink splotches. I’ve tried it on an Epson and a Canon. I’ve tried ironing the tea bags, applying gesso, taking the tea out while still hot and letting it dry flat, putting it between pages of a book overnight, unused tea bags, taping it to card stock. I can’t think of much else to try. It always seems to be the black ink. And it’s not really blotches but a few “lines” here and there that are ruining the image. I’ve read through the comments and haven’t seen anyone else with that problem. I’d love some ideas. Thank you.
Hi DiAnna,
that’s not a problem I’ve ever encountered and it looks like you’ve done a lot of trouble shooting. I think the gesso could cause a problem since not as much ink would be able to absorb into the paper which I think would cause the ink to smear. Have you tried making a print on plain bond paper first, then making a print on a tea bag taped to the next sheet of paper, and then make a 3rd print on a plain bond paper? If it prints the same then it is a problem with the printer, if it changes then the tea bag is causing the problem. It’s possible the tea bags is hitting something in the printer that is creating the mark. If the marks are coming up repeatedly then it could be a clogged printhead. Which is another problem to solve. I’m not really sure what else to tell you since I haven’t experienced that.
Hi again.
I’m preparing to print on tea bag paper – large sheets that I managed to find. However, you lost me at the part where you first print on plain paper…then put the tea bag paper over it and print again? Am I reading that correctly?
Hi Lela,
if you have large tea bag paper you may not need to print on a plain paper from the printer first. You print on the paper first so you can center the tea bag over the printed image and put it in the tray again so that the next printed image doesn’t miss the tea bag if it was placed on the wrong area of the paper.
LOL. Ok, thank you. That makes sense. I appreciate the response. 🙂
Thank you for this great idea! I will definitely try this. I save all my tea bags to dye copy paper with. I then put the used tea leaves in my garden and use the paper for collaging but it’s great to know another use for the paper. I’m definitely going to try this.