Sew a tea bag with the free TEEPORELLO sewing pattern

Sew a tea bag holder: With this tutorial including a free sewing pattern, you can easily sew a practical and pretty tea bag wallet.

The most important points at a glance

• With this tutorial, you can sew yourself a cute little tea bag holder
• The tea bag holder is suitable for presenting, transporting, or gifting tea bags.
• You can sew the tea bag holder in two versions
• This tea bag storage is a lovely patchwork project (and great for using up fabric scraps)
• You can download the free pattern in this post
• Sewing level: easy
• Sewing time: 1 hour

For me, a good cup of hot tea is simply part of a relaxing day. Especially when the weather outside is cold and dreary. But a cold fruit tea is also an excellent thirst quencher in summer. On my travels, I have therefore gotten into the habit of always having a few tea bags in my luggage. And to transport them, I needed a pretty storage solution.

Eventually, I came up with the idea of the "Teeporello." A cute little tea bag holder in the form of an accordion fold. I can take a handful of tea bags with me, present them nicely and clearly, and also give the little tea book away as a gift for special moments of enjoyment. It is the ideal last-minute gift for all tea lovers. Because sewing gifts is just fun, isn't it? All that remains to say is – keep calm and drink tea.

Can beginners sew a tea bag holder?

Maybe you are unsure if the tea bag holder is a project you can handle as a beginner? Definitely yes. Because just as easy as it is to sip a delicious cup of tea, it is just as easy to sew this tea bag holder. It is an ideal beginner project. All you need is the straight stitch of your sewing machine. And, depending on the type of fabric, perhaps an even-feed foot (walking foot).

Reading tip: Sewing with an even-feed foot

What do I need to sew a tea bag holder?

First and foremost, non-stretchy fabric. Simple woven cotton is best. It is easy to iron and shape. You can learn more about this in the post Sewing with cotton fabric. There you will find a good overview of how to work with woven fabrics. Poplin or canvas also work. In any case, the fabric should be easy to iron.

You need the following materials to sew the tea bag holder:

• Iron-on interfacing, e.g., H320^* or H250
• Iron^*
• Ribbon for the closure (Webbing^* approx. 25cm, leather strap approx. 70cm, satin ribbon approx. 70cm ...)
• Snap fastener as needed^*
• Matching sewing thread^*
• Matching sewing needle
• Pins^* or Fabric clips^*
• Ruler^*
• Fabric marker^* or tailor's chalk
• Fabric scissors^*
• Thread snips^*
• Sewing machine

Reading tip: Sewing with cotton fabric

Which fabrics are suitable for sewing a tea bag holder?

Ideal is a simple, non-stretchy cotton fabric or poplin. It irons and shapes perfectly. Together with the iron-on interfacing, the tea bag holder gets the perfect stability to stand upright without becoming too thick. You can also use canvas or coated cotton. In these cases, you can safely skip the interfacing.

Here you can find the right fabrics for the tea bag holder:

• Canvas^*
• Poplin^*
• Cotton voile^*
• Coated cotton fabrics^*
• Linen^*
• Denim^*
• Corduroy^*

Where can I find the free sewing pattern?

You can sew the tea bag holder in two versions. Either from one piece of fabric each for the outside and inside, or as a patchwork version. This is somewhat more elaborate and more suitable for experienced sewers. I show you how best to work with this sewing technique in my post on patchwork. In the pattern, you will find the template for both versions.

The pattern fits tea bags up to a size of 6.4cm x 7.6cm

Help, I can't download the pattern!

No problem, here's how it works:

1. Sign up for the SewSimple newsletter
2. Click the newsletter registration in the confirmation email: Yes, I want to...
3. After receiving the SewSimple welcome email, you are officially a subscriber
4. Create a customer account with the same email address
5. Log in
6. Click on download or go to the pattern via the Freebook area of your customer account.

• It may also help to clear cookies and cache, use a different browser, or use a different device.
• It is also always a good idea to check if your browser is up to date or if your browser settings are preventing a download. :)

Please understand that we cannot send the pattern individually via email. Unfortunately, we cannot answer requests regarding this.

What must my sewing machine be able to do to sew a tea bag holder?

For this sewing project, your sewing machine doesn't need to be able to do anything fancy. A normal household sewing machine with a straight stitch is perfect. Use a universal needle in size 70 or 80. If you also use a good all-purpose thread, everything will be perfect.

Let's go!

Conclusion: Simply delicious!

This little tea bag holder is a great beginner project and a perfect last-minute gift. And especially in dreary weather, everyone likes to snuggle up with a good cup of tea and an exciting book. Adjust the look by choosing your fabrics and give little moments of enjoyment for every season. Whether British elegant, East Frisian herbal, or summer fresh. You can adapt it to any occasion.

And if you want it to be really cozy, grab a hot water bottle and quickly sew yourself a cute, fluffy hot water bottle cover. I show you how to do this in my post Sewing a hot water bottle cover and it is done in a flash.

Have you been inspired to sew such a beautiful tea bag holder? Perfect! Then get to the sewing machine. Such a cute little tea holder can also always be sewn in advance as a quick gift. A cute addition, by the way, is our teacup pouch. :)

Happy simple sewing,
Eve & Sabine