The past couple of weeks, I started noticing the leaves turning yellow, amber and crimson and graciously falling and dancing with every breath of the wind.
I started loving autumn last September when I moved to Glasgow. The truth is, as I was born in the heart of August, a sizzling hot Wednesday afternoon, I am deeply and irrevocably a summer child. Summer in Greece is the eternal blue sea and the heavens bright with blinding sun, sun glimmering on the water and on your freckled skin. Summer full of sounds, colours, smells and tastes - countless islands and ice-cream and swimming, and sticky watermelon juice on your fingertips.
But let me not get carried away so easily, for I tend to do that when I talk about summer.
Oh yes, I was talking about autumn. Autumn is, hm, colours again, warm colours surrounding me, embracing me like a swirl of leaves that lands right next to your feet. Autumn is walking at the park, feeling the leaves rustling among my feet and a swift breeze through the folds of my scarf. Autumn leaves are so beautiful because they are reminiscent of bright memories and still full of life, still having the power to transform everything around. Deciduous trees and deciduous decisions.
I even spotted some cyclamens in a garden, which was an immensely plizant surprise. Cyclamens are probably the most beautiful autumnal flower - they remind me of a Greek village where I spent a lot of time as a child. Their soft pink resembles the crispy winds - not too strong, not too cold.
Well, enough with my romanticism! Those first brisk winds ignited a spark of creativity in me and I seized the opportunity to celebrate a dear friend's birthday by making something handmade. We both love tea, so I decided to make an origami tea box for the chilly days ahead. It is exactly that: a lovely origami box I made which I decorated and filled with aromatic teabags.
I will guide you through the process of making the box, hoping that you will enjoy it as much as I did. Making origami is utterly relaxing and lets your mind rest while being creative.
I started off with a 50x50 sheet of white paper, which... I didn't have. This is why I used washi tape and two A4 papers that I glued together to serve my purpose. This is DeLiz being resourceful and a crafty spirit.
What I used: paper, washi tape, scissors, measuring tape, pencil for marking
These are my washi tapes! Aren't they lovely?
Next, I started making the creases following the technique as shown in various youtube tutorials. You might like this one, but there's loads really:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3YVYLixFUA
Here are some of the steps! The video is very helpful if you haven't done this before!
And voilà! If you are a crafty person, I can confirm that this is very addictive and you can end up with loads of cute little boxes for everything. Do try this at home!
Next, I unfolded the paper once again in order to paint and decorate it! I always like it when my gifts are personaLized...
You can see how many creases I used. The lines help you fold it nicely.
I used watercolour paint by Staedtler, because I love how you can make different shades and various transparency levels depending on how much water you use!
I decided to do an autumnal theme with leaves and warm colours.
I love every single one of these leaf shapes! Amber, ochre, crimson... Earthy colours and I already feel warmer!
Νext, I used pink and light blue to make the lid of my box, using the same technique as the bottom part. This time I allowed a slightly bigger gap before the final fold, so that the lid comes out slightly bigger than the bottom box. This way it can fit on top and complete the box. You can see the gap I allowed in the last picture below.
Teabox ready to welcome its fuzzy little teabags!
I used different tea varieties: green tea, strawberry Rooibos, herbal mix tea from the Greek mountains, etc.
You can use whichever variety you like or the ones that you know the recipient of your gift will like!
I scooped 1-2 spoonfuls in the teabag and wrote the labels together with info on how long to brew it.
I used some floral labels and cut out some more. Νext, I punched holes and tied the string to the teabag.
In you go, little bags!
After tucking them all in, I wish you could only imagine the wonderful smell of all the different teas combined. It was like a magic tearoom in a box!
I also used some ribbon for the final touch and wrapped the box with it!
Ιt seems like the lucky tea lover was chuffed to receive it, so I guess I will be making more! I also enjoyed it and felt proud of my creation.
The original idea belongs to our beloved In my closet to whom I owe lots of inspiration and love. Thank you lovely Anna!
You can find her post and many many other ideas on her website inmyc.gr. The website is in Greek and has beautiful explanatory pictures in every post. For the origami tea box, follow the link below:
http://inmyc.gr/2015/03/30/create_origami_box_for_tea/
These days, she has a lovely giveaway going on! En-join!