Magnetic Tea Chalkboard

During the the busy holiday season, I only make crafty gifts for those I love most. A few weeks ago, I created a Magnetic Tea Board for my dear friend Danielle over at This Picture Book Life. She seemed thrilled to receive it, and at the very least I was proud to call it one-of-a-kind, something she couldn’t buy in a store.
As Danielle prefers herbals over the caffeinated kind, I filled her tea board with tisanes like honeybush, peppermint, and Hawaiian Mamaki tea. That’s the great thing about this little project, you can tailor the tea board to please all kinds of tea drinkers. How about a tea board with a variety of chai teas or only Christmas themed teas? The possibilities are endless.  And speaking of possibilities, you can use this board for much more than just tea. The favor tins could hold spices, vitamins, sprinkles, jewelry, or even your workspace desk supplies! Depending on what your frame looks like, you can play around with the shapes of tea tins you use. Just make sure that you use sturdy tins, well made ones that have tops that snugly attach to the bottoms so that the tins’ contents are well contained.

If you use this magnetic board for tea, a tea timer is a nice touch to the project. Although I like to use an elegant sand tea timer, you could also use a precise digital tea timer instead. The key is to pick the frame, timer, and teas to suit a specific style. The board that I made here has a slightly French look, inspired by the sexy little tea timer that I bought from Fauchon in France.

I guess it’s a bit ironic that I used labels on this chalkboard, but if you’ve ever seen my penmanship–trust me, it would make sense. If you are able to write out a lovely script, by all means show it off here! I’ve decided to go the more reliable route, using an embossed label maker. I love that the embossed label gives the board a trendy vibe, so that the aesthetic elements of the board come together to look organized.

There’s nothing like a hand-made gift to tell someone how much you appreciate them. This stylish and versatile Magnetic Tea Board has so many uses, I love that it’s a visual reminder to make time for a tea break. Make one for yourself or for someone special…there couldn’t be a better gift for the avid tea-lover.

Magnetic Tea Chalkboard

What You’ll Need:

magnetic chalk board sheet

12″ x 12″ frame, glass removed

adhesive craft magnets

favor tins

4 button magnets

tea timer

permanent craft glue (p.s. the glue from a glue gun won’t work here)

label maker (optional)

chalk

a selection of teas

Step-By-Step:

1.)  Prepare the magnetic chalk board by inserting and securing the magnetic chalk board sheet into the 12″ x 12″ frame.

2.)  Attach 1 adhesive magnet to the back of each favor tin you plan on using. Now the tins are ready to be filled with teas of your choice.

3.)  Attach the button magnets to the back side of the tea timer using the permanent craft glue. Let the glue dry according to the package instructions before attaching the timer to the magnetic board.

4.)  Create labels for the teas using the label maker, or simply use chalk to write in the names of the teas onto the board wherever you see fit.

5.)  Affix the labels on the board, then attach the tins and tea timer onto the board. Hang the finished tea board up in a convenient location (in the kitchen, or by your desk at work) for an effortless and organized tea time…enjoy!