Craft Maniacs: What is Tea-Bag Folding?

Tea-bag folding is a paper-crafting technique which traditionally involves the folding of squares of lightweight paper to create medallions or rosettes. Sometimes this technique is referred to as miniature kaleidoscope origami. It is said to have originated in Holland by a woman named Tiny Van Der Plaas, who used the printed papers from tea-bag envelopes or sachets to create her designs.

These papers being lightweight and decorative, worked perfectly. In North America and Latin America, these pretty tea-bag envelopes are not available, so the art of tea-bag folding has evolved into using a variety of papers. Lightweight scrapbook papers, gift wrap, chiyogami, and origami papers are some of the paper being used.

Papers can also be created with the use of rubber stamps and stencils. Simply apply ink to the stamp and press the image onto lightweight stationery, scrapbook paper or even photocopy paper: cut out and then let the folding and the fun begin.