Tea dyeing paper is one of the easiest ways to give a handmade book warmth, texture, and a wonderfully timeworn look.
With just a few tea bags, hot water, and a little patience, ordinary paper can become beautifully mottled pages for journals, artist books, tags, collage, and more.
In this tutorial, we’ll share how to tea-dye paper and turn it into a simple accordion journal with sewn-in signatures.
Supplies
For tea dyeing:
- Tea bags
- Hot water
- A shallow baking dish or container
- Paper
- An old towel
- Drying rack or clothesline
For the journal:
- Tea-dyed paper
- Bone folder
- Awl
- Needle
- Waxed linen thread
- PVA or another bookbinding glue
- Vintage papers, fabric scraps, or ephemera
- Ribbon or fabric for the closure
- Optional buttons, ink, stamps, or stitching
How to Tea Dye Paper
Start by making a strong batch of tea in a shallow container. For a small stack of paper, two tea bags are usually enough. Use more tea bags if you’re dyeing larger pieces or want a darker color.
Black tea, such as Irish breakfast tea, creates a classic warm brown tone. Leave the tea bags in the water while the paper soaks so the color continues to deepen.
For extra texture, carefully open one tea bag and sprinkle some of the loose leaves into the water. They’ll settle against the paper and leave behind lovely mottled marks.
Creating an Even or Mottled Effect
The size of your container makes a difference.
For uneven, interesting color, place the paper in a smaller dish and keep the sheets fairly close together. Fold some pages, overlap them, or leave a few edges sticking out of the tea.
The areas beneath folds and overlapping pages will stay lighter, while the exposed sections become darker.
For a more even tea-dyed effect, use a larger container and spread the paper out so the tea can move freely around each sheet.
We happen to love the spots, streaks, and variations. They give every page its own personality.
How Long Should Paper Soak in Tea?
Soaking time depends on the weight of the paper.
A lighter paper may only need about 30 minutes. Heavier watercolor or printmaking paper can usually soak for closer to an hour.
Check the paper occasionally and remove it when you like the color. Remember that wet paper is delicate, especially if it is thin.
Drying Tea-Dyed Paper
Lay an old towel across your counter and carefully lift the paper from the tea.
Place each sheet on the towel for about 30 minutes to absorb the excess moisture. Then transfer the paper to a drying rack or hang it to dry.
You can leave any loose tea leaves on the surface while it dries, then gently brush them away afterward.
Tea-dyed paper often becomes wrinkled. Once it is completely dry, flatten it with a cool iron, book press, or a stack of heavy books.
Try Different Types of Tea
Black tea isn’t your only option.
Different herbal teas can create surprising colors, including pinks, yellows, blues, greens, and grays. Try experimenting with:
- Hibiscus tea
- Turmeric and ginger tea
- Peppermint tea
- Cranberry or berry tea
- Butterfly pea flower tea
Different papers will also react differently, so it’s worth testing a few small pieces first.
You can use the same method to dye muslin, ribbon, or strips of natural fabric. Try rolling or bunching the fabric inside a teacup for a soft tie-dyed effect.
Making the Accordion Journal
Once your tea-dyed paper is dry and flat, cut or tear one long strip for the accordion structure.
Before cutting, check the paper grain. The grain should run in the same direction as the folds, or parallel to the spine of the finished book.
Measure equal sections along the strip, score each line, and fold the paper back and forth like an accordion. Sharpen the folds with a bone folder.
You can make your accordion book as long or short as you like.
Adding Sewn-In Signatures
To add more writing or drawing space, create a few small signatures from additional tea-dyed paper.
A signature can be as simple as two folded sheets nested together.
Place each signature inside one of the valley folds of the accordion and secure it with clips. Use an awl to punch three holes through the signature and the accordion fold:
- One in the center
- One near the top
- One near the bottom
Sew the signature in place using a basic three-hole pamphlet stitch. Tie the thread around the long center stitch inside the signature.
Repeat for any additional signatures.
Decorating the Cover
Now you get to play.
Layer vintage book pages, postcards, tea-dyed fabric, handwritten notes, eco-prints, stamps, or scraps from your creative space.
Lightweight paper won’t support a very heavy collage, so choose your materials accordingly. A few thin layers are often all you need.
Tack everything down with PVA, then secure the collage with machine stitching, hand stitching, or a more thorough layer of glue.
Finish with a button, a stamped image, a favorite word, or a few splatters of walnut ink or watercolor.
Adding a Closure
Attach ribbon, torn fabric, silk, lace, or twill tape to the front and back covers to create a simple tie closure.
The sample journal used a strip of silk from an old parachute—which just goes to show that bookmaking materials can come from some unexpected places.
You could also use one long ribbon that wraps around the entire journal.
A Few Tea Dyeing Tips
- Use a small container for more variation.
- Use a larger container for even color.
- Fold paper before dyeing to emphasize the creases.
- Handle lightweight wet paper very carefully.
- Add more tea bags for stronger color.
- Leave loose tea leaves on the paper for extra mottling.
- Flatten the paper only after it is completely dry.
- Save leftover tea for tags, envelopes, fabric, and collage scraps.
Tea-dyed paper is generally not considered archival, so it’s best suited to creative journals, decorative books, and experimental projects rather than artwork intended for long-term preservation.
Make It Your Own
There is no single right way to make a tea-dyed accordion journal.
Add more signatures. Use colorful herbal tea. Keep the cover simple and modern, or layer it with vintage scraps and stitching. Leave a few accordion panels empty for collage, photographs, or small treasures.
The uneven color and unexpected marks are part of the charm.
So make yourself a cup of tea, set a few bags aside for your paper, and see what happens.
Hi! I’m Ali Manning
Years ago, I learned about handmade books, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked. I love creating new designs, learning about different techniques, and expanding my collection of paper. But what I love most about bookmaking is the community.
Through Vintage Page Designs and the Handmade Book Club, I’ve met thousands of other passionate bookmakers, mixed-media artists, and crafters. We all share a love of book arts and crafting, just for the joy of it.
I believe that bookbinding and book arts are for everyone, regardless of skill level or equipment. All you need is a little creativity and, of course, paper!
Hi Ali,
I left the HMB club for a bit, but I’m back. I’m so sorry for your loss. I look forward to you feeling well enough to start talking to us again. Sending hugs from north east England.