If you’re planning an Alice in Wonderland party, be prepared to fall down the rabbit hole. The books and movies are filled with quirky imagery that is a never-ending well of inspiration. The more you make, the more ideas pop into your head. Which is exactly how this project came to be. After I finished the shortbread cookie tea box, I started wracking my brain for other ways to work the Mad Hatter’s tea into our party. And then it hit me. Who says lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice! This tea party favor bag is perfect for holding small candies, bath salts, and yes, even tea. It’s an easy project, so you can whip out a batch in an afternoon while binge-watching your favorite show. That’s what I call multitasking at its best!

Materials

• white 8.5 x 11 card stock paper
• sewing machine (or a needle if hand sewing is your thing)
• light pink thread
• gold foil heat transfer vinyl (optional)
• Cricut (optional)
• vinyl weeding tool (optional)
• inkjet printer
• scissors
• twine

Two Types of Tea

Download and print the tea bag files. I have included two versions: one with a logo and one without. If you have a Cricut, you have the option of printing the file without the logo and cutting the logo out of gold foil heat transfer vinyl. If you choose to go this route, make sure that you mirror the logo before you cut it and that the logo is 1.35″ wide in Design Space. Then just weed your vinyl, iron it onto the front panel, and you’re ready to go!

The next steps are the same for both versions of the file. Cut out the tea bag shapes and stack them so that the printed sides face outward. Use a paper clip to pin them together and hold them in place.

Sew Easy Tea Party Favor

Only a few measly seams stand between you and an adorable Mad Hatter tea party favor bag. Let’s get started! The first step is to sew around the three long sides at the bottom of the bag using a 1/8″ seam allowance. We’re going to do this with one continuous stitch. An edgestitch foot makes this step a breeze. This is my favorite foot because it keeps an even distance between the edge of your fabric and the needle so that you can sew perfectly straight seams every time. It saves a lot of time and frustration. Start at the top of one side and stop 1/8″ from the bottom of the bag. With the needle in the down position, lift the foot and pivot the bag 90 degrees. Lower the foot and continue sewing. Repeat these steps on the adjacent side and stop at the end of the third side. Remember to backstitch at both the beginning and end of your stitch to lock your seam in place.

Since we’re going to sew the bag shut, now is the time to fill the bag. We’re also going to add the string for the tea tag. Cut a 7.5″ piece of twine and slip it into the center of your opening. Make sure that at least 1″ of the ribbon is inside the bag. Increase your stitch length slightly and continue sewing around the top of the bag until you reach the side seam. Again, use a continuous stitch as you did for the bottom of the bag.

Mad Hatter’s Harvest Tea Bag

We’re headed into the home stretch! Cut out the tea tag and carefully fold it in half, making sure that the top edges are properly aligned. Add a little glue to one of the interior faces of the tag and sandwich the twine between them. And now you can cross another project off of your party to-do list! Not bad, huh? I love it when a project is beautiful and easy!