Uses for used tea leaves and coffee grounds

Karlyn Rayne's uses for tea and or coffee grounds

Earl Grey Scented Beads

See below for coffee ground scents and uses besides jewery.

tapestry or carpet thread (smooth, not fuzzy)
a darning needle
a button
a small knife
dental floss (for the finished beads)
a food processor or spice mill (optional)

1/2 cup used tea  leaves, fresh or dried
3-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
water
10-15 drops Bergamot essential oil

Process the herbs until they are pureed or very finely chopped. The easiest way to do this is in a food processor. If you are using dried tealeaves, process them the same way or rub them through a sieve to make a powder.

Once you've pureed or finely chopped your plant material, begin adding the all-purpose flour. The amount listed is approximate. You will need more flour if your puree is soupy or your chopped tea
is very moist. You may need less if your plant material is drier or if you use powdered leaves.
If you use powdered plant material or if your tea leaves are dry, you may need to add water. Start with 1 tablespoon and begin mixing the leaf/flour mixture.

The dough should be about right when it looks like craft clay for kids (e.g. Playdough). Add a little more flour to the mix if it seems too soft or a teeny bit of water if it seems too stiff. The
dough will definitely be too soft if you pull on it and it easily stretches like kneaded bread dough. I do most of my dough mixing right in the food processor, periodically playing with the dough to see if it feels workable.

When the dough seems right, begin by pinching off chunks and shaping them into beads. You'll notice that chopped plant material will cause your beads to look course at this point. They're
still quite attractive this way! Another way to make the beads is to roll a chunk into a long tube or snake and then chop off bead-sized bits with a knife.

The dough remains workable for quite some time, but if it starts to feel very dry to the touch, it's starting to harden. Making the amount specified above should keep them from beginning to harden before you're done. If they start, try moistening the surface of the dough very lightly and working the moisture in quickly.

Once the beads are shaped, you can add essential oil to them if you like. Adding the oil sooner usually results in poorer quality beads because the oil evaporates quickly when you mix everything together.

Once your beads are shaped, knot the end of the thread and string it through the bottom of the button. Use enough thread to string your beads with room between them for moving around as they
dry. String the beads carefully, being sure they have their holes where you want them (some people may not want the hole to go right through the middle). The beads will shrink slightly as they dry.

Hang the beads in a warm, dry place with plenty of circulation and away from lights. It should take about 3 or 4 days to dry fully. The size of your beads and the weather will make a difference. Be sure
to slide the beads on the string every so often to keep them from sticking together or to the string..

When the beads are dry, store them in an airtight container until you're ready to string them together. I've found that dental floss works best for stringing the beads together.

Other Hints and Tips

Dried, coffee grounds also work well and for them I use either a mocha latte scent or a peppermint mocha fragrance.  They are very nice on the Yule tree. And you can use scents like pine, bayberry or candy cane for them.

Yule spider gifts

making  two beads (one larger than the other) makes a great body and head for a german spider to place on the yule tree. then make the legs from pretty glass beads. and give as a tree ornament with the story of the woman who spent all day decorating her tree while a spider watched from the rafters. Then after she went to bed, the  spider who was curious come and look at each decoration, jumping from one to the other until she had seen them all. Realizing that the woman would be sad when she woke, the spider spun all her webs in silver thus creating the first tinscle. In the morning the gleaming silver strands made the woman rejoice.
Peppermint Mocha body scrub

Smells like a mint oreo cookie

- 1 c coffee grounds, brewed - 1/2 c exfoliant (sugar, salt, epsom salt) - 2 Tbsp olive oil

- 10 drops of peppermint oil - 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa

 

1.  In a medium bowl, mix together coffee grounds and sugar.
2. Add oils and mix well.
3. Add cocoa for extra kick of scent. pour into a washed out jelly jar.

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What to do with coffee grounds by mother nature network

It takes a brave and hearty (and spartan) soul to give up coffee and tea in the name of food miles. Many do, but morning caffeine is the guilty pleasure that whispers in a voice too alluring for many to resist. One thing is for sure: it's generally a long journey for beans and leaves to travel from exotic climes to the kitchen counter — so we may as well honor them with some extra chores before condemning them to the trash. For those who add their spent dregs to the compost bin, you can still do so in many of these applications once their mission has been accomplished.

1. Soften skin

Exfoliate with a body scrub made of coffee grounds, coconut oil and a little brown sugar. Gently massage it on in the shower, rinse, be soft.

2. Please the flowers

Use coffee grounds as mulch for acid-loving plants — roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens, hydrangeas and camellias. They like coffee grounds for the natural acidity and nutrients they add to the soil.

3. Sadden the ants

Sprinkle coffee grounds around areas of ant infestation to deter them.

4. Deter gastropods

Used grounds are said to repel snails and slugs, so sprinkle them in problem areas.

5. Simplify fireplace cleaning

Before cleaning the fireplace, sprinkle with dampened used coffee grounds, which will weigh down the ash and thus eliminate clouds of smoke-flavored dust.

6. Make a sepia dye

Soak used grounds in hot water and use as a dye bath for Easter eggs, fabric and paper for a lovely, soft brown tinge.

7. Keep cats at bay

Keep kitties out of the garden with a mixture of orange peels and used coffee grounds distributed around plants.

8. Encourage the carrots

To boost a carrot harvest, mix seeds with dried coffee grounds before sowing. The extra bulk makes the wee seeds easier to manage, while the coffee aroma can nourish the soil and help repel pests

 

What to do with used  tea and teabags

 

Some tips call for dried leaves, here’s how. When you’re finished brewing tea, place the leaves into a large strainer or colander. Press out as much moisture as possible, and then spread the leaves on paper. Let the leaves dry thoroughly, turning over several times in the process. Also note that wet tea leaves stain, so if you are using wet tea leaves on or near a porous surface, be sure to test in an inconspicuous place first.

9. Tame stings and burns

Cool tea bags can bring relief when applied to bug bites and minor burns, including sunburn. For overall skin irritation, put spent tea leaves in a bath and soak.

10. Soothe your eyes

The tannins in tea have anti-inflammatory effects, which is why cool ones are often employed on puffy eyes. (The chill also helps with swelling.)

11. Feed the garden

Use tea leaves as food for garden plants — green tea is high in nitrogen, and as a bonus, the leaves can ward off pests and insects. This is also good for houseplants, so add old tea leaves to their water.

12. Boost potted plants

When potting plants, place a few used tea bags on top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before adding soil. The tea bags will help to retain water and will also leach some nutrients into the potting medium.

13. Quell the cat box smell

Sprinkle used, dried tea leaves in litter boxes to help reduce the smell.

14. Eliminate other pet odors

Sprinkle dried, used green tea leaves on your pet’s pillow, bed, in the doghouse, or other smelly spots to eliminate odor.

15. Freshen the carpet

Sprinkle dry tea leaves onto the carpet, crush them lightly and let sit for 10 minutes, then vacuum. This will refresh the carpet and deodorize your vacuum cleaner and bag. (Especially helpful if you have pets.)

16. Treat the dog

As an extravagance, loose leaf gunpowder tea is a treat for dogs to roll around in. It’s great for the aroma and luster it adds to the coat.

17. Freshen mats and beds

It is common in Southeast Asia to wash straw sleeping mats in tubs of water to which tea has been added. The tea works as a deodorizer, so you can apply this method to yoga mats and air mattresses.

18. Save the fridge

If you’re out of baking soda, place dried, used green tea bags or leaves in a small open bowl in your refrigerator to help absorb odors.

19. Wash your hands

Rid your hands of food odors (garlic, onions, etc.) by rubbing them with wet green tea leaves, an instant deodorizer.

20. Deodorize kitchen surfaces

Rub wet tea leaves on cutting boards and counters to remove food odors