Alright, let’s dive into my little weekend project: a menu, a teapot, and a warmer. It all started because I was tired of my tea getting cold too quickly, and I wanted a nicer way to present my tea selection to guests.
First, I needed to get my hands dirty. I started with the teapot. I already had a basic ceramic teapot, but it was kinda boring. So, I decided to paint it! I grabbed some ceramic paints from the local art store – a nice, deep blue and a sunny yellow. I sketched out a simple floral design with a pencil first, then went over it with the paints. It was messy, for sure, but that’s part of the fun, right?
While the teapot was drying (which took forever, it felt like), I moved on to the warmer. I found an old terracotta plant saucer in the garage – perfect! I thought about buying one, but reusing is way cooler. I cleaned it up and painted it a matching blue to the teapot. Then, I needed something to hold the tealight. I used a small tuna can (cleaned, of course!), filled it with sand, and stuck the tealight in there. It worked like a charm!
Okay, teapot dry (finally!). Time for the menu. This was the most digital part of the project. I fired up my laptop and used a free online design tool. I listed all my tea options – Earl Grey, green tea, chamomile, the works. I added some cute little teacup icons next to each one. I played around with different fonts until I found one that felt elegant but readable. Then I printed it out on some nice cardstock. I laminated it too so if I accidentally spill tea on it, it won’t get ruined.
I was pretty much done, but I felt it needed a final touch. I grabbed some twine and tied a little tag to the teapot handle that said “Enjoy!”. Corny, maybe, but it made me smile.
The moment of truth! I brewed a pot of Earl Grey, lit the tealight in the warmer, and set out the menu. My tea stayed warm for a good hour, and the whole setup just looked…nice! Way better than my usual mug and tea bag routine.
Lessons learned: Ceramic paint takes forever to dry, and I definitely need to practice my floral painting skills. But overall, this was a fun and satisfying little project. And now, I have a fancy tea setup to impress my friends (and keep my tea warm!).
- Teapot: Painted with ceramic paints, floral design.
- Warmer: Repurposed terracotta saucer, tuna can tealight holder.
- Menu: Digital design, printed on cardstock.
Now, who’s up for a cup of tea?
