How to Organize Your Tea

If your tea collection is starting to feel like a game of Jenga, it’s time to get organized! Tea lovers know the neverending struggle of trying to keep our dozens of bags, boxes, tins, and packages of tea from becoming a disorganized mess in our kitchens. Let’s face it, cutting back on tea is not an option but we can learn creative tips and tricks for decluttering and storing our impressive assortment of tea.

Tea should be a relaxing experience from start to finish which begins with a manageable and beautiful tea space that’s compact, cute, and easily accessible. And once you find the tea organizing solution that works for you, you’ll be able to save valuable storage space while enjoying a steeping experience that’s satisfying from the start.

Sips by is a personalized tea discovery subscription. Each month, we match tea drinkers across the U.S. with delicious teas from over 150 global tea brands that we’re sure they’ll love. Members receive 4 teas chosen just for them in every box. Learn more about our tea subscription service.

How to Organize Your Tea

Here are a few ideas on how to take your bags and boxes of loose leaf and packaged tea from cluttered to classy in no time! Keep reading for the best ways to organize your tea by type, some small space storage solutions, and learn how to make your own refillable tea organizer with your monthly Sips by boxes.

Where to Start

Create your own cute tea bar! Find one area in your home to keep all of your tea, accessories, mugs, and teapots so that everything you need is contained in one space. This can be a drawer (or two) directly under the cabinet where you keep your mugs and teapots, a dedicated shelf, or a cabinet.

First, take stock of what you have - you might be surprised how many boxes, tins, organizers, and drawers you already have around your house that you can repurpose. Gather everything you think you might be able to use, then see if you need to buy anything new to fit in your space. However, these don’t have to be expensive! You can probably find any organizers, jars, canisters, boxes, or even spice racks at your local dollar store or craft store.

Gather all of your tea and separate the loose leaf tea from tea bags. It’s important to store your tea in a cool, dark, and dry place so it stays fresh and retains its full flavor. Tea is absorbent so it soaks up any strong odors around it - don’t keep your tea next to your spices, in the refrigerator, or next to any candles and cleaning products! Pre-sealed tea bags are generally safe to store anywhere, but loose leaf teas last the longest if they are stored in airtight containers that keep out light.

Choose whether you’d like to organize your tea by variety, the time of day you drink it, by its health benefits, caffeine level, if it’s flavored or flavored...the opportunities are endless!

Small Space Storage Solutions

• If you have limited storage space, never fear! First, check and see if any of your tea boxes are only half full or less - if so, condense and combine.
• If you can’t clear an entire shelf or cabinet for tea, try organizing your tea in a drawer. Use organizers and dividers to keep small tins, bags, and containers in place. This is the easiest way to organize your tea as it takes up barely any space and you can keep all of your tea and accessories in one easy-to-access place!
• Or, find a decorative tea box or a large tea jar that will look cute and clean on your kitchen counter. This solution works to keep pre-sealed tea bags and small packages of tea all in one place. There are even compact tea bag stands that slide vertically in a cabinet. Most fit over 100 tea bags, take up barely any space, and they’re convenient and visible.
• You might already have a bar cart, so why not start a tea cart! Any cute and inexpensive three-tiered storage cart will work. Keep your kettle or teapot on top with a mug tree, and use the bottom levels to store your tea, accessories, and sweetener.

Tips to Organize Different Types of Tea

For loose leaf tea, canisters, tins, and jars are the best storage solution as they give an airtight seal which keeps the tea fresh. Some tea might already come in reusable containers, you can purchase sets of cute cookie tins, or repurpose tins from teas that you’ve finished. If you have multiple small packages of loose leaf tea you can store several packages in one large to medium-sized tin. These fit best laying down in a drawer, standing up on a shelf, or on a tea cart.

Single-use tea bags are easiest to organize because they are compact and mostly uniform in size. If you have too many bulky boxes of tea bags, take the tea out of most of the boxes, especially if they’re half empty. To save tons of space, you can condense them down to just a few boxes or organize them in your preferred tea storage box or divider. Decorative wooden boxes or stackable acrylic containers with drawers are perfect!

Condensing and organizing unsealed tea bags and sachets can be tricky but we found the easiest and cheapest way to organize them. First, take your boxes of tea and cut the front label off. Next, get a clear sandwich bag and place the label at the front. Then, put your tea bags behind the label and seal the bag. This condenses your bulky boxes down to a few bags, but you still know what kind of tea you’re reaching for! You can fit tons of these in your tea drawer or in a tea box.

Our mission at Sips by is to make quality tea fun, personalized, and affordable for the U.S. Click below to create a free tea profile and stay up to date on new tea lessons, learn about healthy tea recipes, and gain access to special brand offers & giveaways!

About Sips by: We’re a female-founded and led startup that makes discovering tea fun, personalized, and affordable. The Sips by Box is the only multi-brand, personalized tea subscription box. Each month, we match tea drinkers across the U.S. with delicious teas from over 150 global tea brands that we’re sure they’ll love. Based out of Austin, Texas, we are adept at savoring a hot mug even when it’s seasonally inappropriate.