I found this Turkish apple tea during my last visit to Harkola.
Unlike the powdered version, this tea is unsweetened, and a gloriously bright red. It contains apple, hibiscus, blackberry leaves, apple flavour, lemon peel and cinnamon. The packet of 20 tea bags cost me just $2.80.
I was particularly taken with the lovely wrappers…
…and, loathe to waste them, I turned them into a little red lantern, using the instructions I posted here. It’s now hanging in the kitchen doorway.
If you’d like to play around with some pretty tea bag wrappers, my friend Mazza the Toymaker has several to print out on her website. They’re gorgeous, and come complete with a Wind in the Willows quote!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I love the lantern- would adore the tea!
And I printed out many of the Toymaker’s tea bags and filled them with my own tea concoctions for Christmas!
Heidi, Maz has so many wonderful things, doesn’t she?
THAT LANTERN IS SOOOOO COOL!!!
Thanks Dakota! :)
The Toymakers cards are very sweet.
I used to love that sugary apple turkish tea when my metabolism was faster, maybe these ones would be a better substitute :-)
Brydie, the powdered stuff is pretty wicked – this one is not nearly as sweet, but still very nice!
Awwhhh Celia, now that’s gotta be the coolest little lantern – & the tea sounds wonderful too. Win Win huh!!!!
Have a great week Celia :)
Thanks Anna love, you too! x
Love the lantern – and the tea.
Cheers, Deb. It would be lovely to be able to share a cup with you!
Celia, that is such an imaginative use of what to others (me included) would be rubbish – very inspiring, thanks.
Amanda, you’re kind, but I really could be much better at not wasting. This time I was just struck by how pretty they were!
What a gorgeous way to use tea bag covers. So clever! The tea looks yummy.
Claire, so few tea bags come in covers anymore. I didn’t realise until I started saving these. I bought a lemon tea as well – tea bag covers are pretty too, but the tea isn’t quite as appealing, so I still have to get through the box! :)
OMG! I was going to say how fragrant the tea sounded and then I saw the lantern!! You go above and beyond, dear girl..Magnificent!
It was just a bit of fun, but thanks for being so nice, Chris! Did you see the River Cottage links? I’ve been having a field day watching them all!
Thankyou, I caught the links (as well as the Good Life), would love to sit and watch, if only there were more hours in the day!
Love the lantern. Bet it makes you happy every time you look at it!
The boys like to stand under it and whack the tassle around with their heads.. :)
Thought of you yesterday as I was throwing this very pretty blue tea bag wrapper in the bin. I wondered if you would like a blue lantern to go with your red….
Save them up and get the kids to make something with them! :)
Gosh you are clever – much nicer than them ending up in landfill.
Thanks Sally, I thought so too! Although it probably has more with my inability to throw anything out! :)
What a unique lantern! Great idea and lovely lantern. The tea looks very refreshing.
Thanks Manuela! The tea is lovely and cheery!
LOL girl you make me laugh. I’m taken by packaging but I don’t go around turning them into works of art! :P
No, but I’ll bet there’s a whole range of packaging that you just can’t part with..hahaha
OK it’s true, I do have a box of boxes. But we’ll keep that a secret ok? ;)
Celia you are a very clever lady! That lantern is gorgeous! The tea looks good too, would be so lovely chilled with mint.
Mrs B, that’s a genius idea, thank you! I never thought of serving the tea chilled!
The tea sounds and looks fabulous and how clever of you to use the wrapper to make the pretty lantern. I also battle with throwing anything away but appease myself by paying things forward.
:-) Mandy
Good on you, Mandy! :)
That looks like wonderful tea, the powdered tea is waaay to sweet. The tea labels are gorgeous too, and I need about 200 of those little lanterns for a party coming up!
Hahaha…Becca, I’d love to help, but even I can’t drink that much tea!!
I love your lanterns! I used to make lots of hibiscus tea drinks, buy the flowers from Neals Yard and then I think I drank too much one summer. It gets used in a lot of drinks doesn’t it for its gorgeous colour and lemony taste? I am waiting for the linden blossom to open and then this year I will try and pick some, that’s my current favourite non caffeine tea! I missed the moment last year, I think the picking time is short. Does hibiscus grow well in Australia?
xx Joanna
Jo, is the hibiscus what’s turning it bright red? or the blackberry leaves? Either way, it really is very gorgeous. Hibiscus grows well in Australia, Pete tells me.. :)
I love recycling. the Lantern looks great, and it does ease your heart, that you’re doing your bit to make the world a better, happier place!
Oz, it’s just a bit of fun, but it does make me happy to see it hanging in the doorway! :)
Tea is so wonderful, endless variety. And wow you are so clever.
Jason, thank you! :)
I love tea. Coffee in the morning but tea at all other times of the day.
The lantern is beauty. (Note to self, get one of those small staplers.
And thanks for the link. :-)
Maz.
Here, the leaves are falling
Although my neighbors are all barbarians,
And you, you are a thousand miles away,
There are always two cups at my table.
Love your teabags Maz! Would love to join you for a cup of tea, oh that would be so nice! :)
I’ll make the tea if you bring the bread. We can make sandwiches and sit on the beach.
Oh where is that private jet I ordered?
And jam, I’ll make some. (though my mother-in-law’s is better.)
Hugs, M