Stash/Cupboard Pictures

Oh my goodness even your sample drawer has me drooling with envy! ;)

I love the little bird tin you have in the top picture in the front of the drawer! Do you remember where you got it from by any chance?

Zim: I actually got the tin at a tea shop in Warsaw called Herbaty Świata. Not exactly what you were hoping for, I know! :) It actually says “Elite Gift Boxes UK” on the back, though I think it’s an old design they don’t produce anymore.

Oh wow. If I didn’t have a lot of wonderful pots and pans, I would clear out my drawers in a heartbeat to organize my tea that way. Oh well! : )

I’m lucky that I have a big office with big drawers and plenty of room for tea… I would absolutely have no where to put all of this at home! I drink most of my tea during the day at work, so it works out.

I do think that the bird tin is one of the cutest things ever! I’m trying to devise a way of making cute labels and tins for my teas. :p

I Want but have NO room for your tea collection lol

Wow that last one does show a lot of tea! Looks like lots o’ pu-erh cakes, huh?

Thanks for telling us what is in those black, unlabeled tins!

Thank you for letting us take a peek! The more of you all that post pictures, the more it pressures me to show some of mine! I will have to get my camera working soon …

Yes, I’d love to see how much you’ve got stashed away, SimpliciTea!

I do enjoy the pu-erh and the more I get, the more I enjoy it, I find!

And I guess more specifically in the unlabeled tins, I’ve got a few oolongs, a few Yunnan reds, a jasmine pearl, some chrysanthemum, and I feel like there’s something else, but I just can’t seem to remember what!

I love the black tin’s that you got from China!

Actually, the black tins are from Cost Plus World Market. But they’re filled with Chinese teas!

I really like that green Japanese (I believe their called) “Tokoname Kyusu” on the bottom shelf with matching cups. I’ll have to get one someday.

How’d you do that?!

@Kat: Tnx :)
@MadelineAlyce: Afternoon spent in Photoshop :P

My only concern with going that far (which, trust me… I’ve considered) is that I will have to remove and replace labels a lot and re-do them in future potentially. Do you have a way of making that easier so you can maybe save your existing labels and re-use as needed?

I was thinking that too but its super easy to take it down or (if it will stuck after a year or so) just put another one over it. It’s not like I’m changing this on a weekly basis so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem… They can’t be reused but I can make a new one (now that I have a template) in under a minute so that is really not a problem either :P

Love it!

@Erin Tnx :)

Those labels are very cool. I do something very similar. But I take it a little further for my jars (and some of my tins): I not only label the front, but I label the top, too.

I am usually able to use the label from the bag the tea came in for the facing label in my tin/jar. I also use templates; I create, modify and save them in JPG format (It looks like yours are too, Miha Rekar) using MS-Windows’ Paint program (I have one for each sized lid top, and ones for the facing labels of different heights and diameters of each jar). And I agree, Miha Rekar, it’s not a problem taking the old label(s) off, and replacing them with new ones (although, the initial process of getting the sizes ‘mapped’ out for my templates took some time); I see it as a creative way to display the tea, and I really enjoy the process of coming up with the labels!

Sounds awesome, SimpliciTEA! Though I have to admit, I’ve come to enjoy being able to pick up one of my unlabeled tins, shake it a bit, and guess which tea is found within. I actually have come to achieve about a 95% accuracy rate!

@SimpliciTEA this is actally top down view – my labels are on top of tins. I have them in a drawer so there is no reason to label anything more than a top of them.

I was thinking that too – reusing the original package – but it was all to different and it didn’t look good in my mashup. So then I’ve decided to unify them all with the same kind of label (for easy readability) but to differentiate them with the company logo on top (so that all that brand reputation doesn’t go unnoticed :P).

For the size I just went with regular Avery/Zweckform 3474 labels which I had lying around. Since one was too wide I just halved them and got 37mm x 35mm “squares”.

If anyone is interested I can share my *.psd document but it’s really no science – just a simple tea plantage background, company logo centrally aligned in top third, tea name centrally aligned in middle third and steep time and temperature centrally aligned in low third :P

Dinahsaur: I agree, playing the guessing game sounds like fun!

Miha Rekar: There is definitely something to be said about consistency, and ease of reading. Avery labels are nice for labeling. I simply print my labels on ordinary paper, and then tape them on.

I use the original labels for many reasons. One is that I love to reuse things (I like to think of myself as being very resourceful); most of the containers my tea is kept in originally held something else. Using tins and jars of various sizes makes it more difficult to make my cupboard look organized, but I enjoy the challenge; and after having put lots of work into it, my wife and I can see EVERY TEA that is stored on that shelf, with about 40+ containers (although there are a few teas that are currently not very visible, I am confident I will eventually be able to visibly place those, too).

@Dinahsaur Well if you wanted to put in the time/effort to make labels like that, there should be an easy way to avoid relabeling. Once you get everything mapped out size/design wise, head to a print/copy shop and get the labels laminated. That way you can use dry erase, sharpie, or overhead markers to write on the label you’ve made.

Also, if you aren’t worried about a nifty design, they actually make adhesive dry erase sheets. It’s essentially a dry erase poster that self adheres and can be removed and reused. Cut to size and you’re good to go with a simple white surface to write on.

Thanks for the ideas, Blake! I actually thought of adhesive dry erase first when I got my tins. I searched all over and couldn’t find any! But I also really like the idea of designing a basic label and getting it laminated to simulate dry erase options. That way it would look pretty, too! ;)

So I’ve got 20 or so blank tins in the mail, and I decided I should head out to see if I could get some of the dry erase rolls locally before I ordered it. My first thought was Staples, so off I went. While they didn’t have the rolls I was looking for (they suggested I try a craft store, which in hindsight, should have been obvious,) but when I explained that I needed it for labels, they directed me to their Martha Stewart section where they have these cool little removable chalk labels. While those were nice, on the shelf just below were these…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76956710@N06/6912367404/

They’re removable dry erase labels that come 12 to a pack for $5.99. While I enjoy the look of chalk, I hate the feel of it. For some reason I’ve always had very serious tactile qualms with chalk. There are other styles and sizes available as well. You don’t have the pride of creating your own, but for lazy, untalented, young gentlemen* such as myself, they should be interesting solution. As my tins won’t be here until later this week, I haven’t gotten to try them out yet, but I’ll let you know what I think when I can.

*Note – The term gentleman was used very loosely.

Very cool.

I wonder though, depending on how you handle the container (tin or jar or whatever) if the writing could rub off easily (and/or ‘run’ if it’s too humid). That could be avoided, of course, if you carefully handle the container.

Still, good to know dry erase labels exist!

That’s a good question. Indiana gets relatively humid (though we keep our house pretty stable) so we’ll see. They do mention that they can be used with wet erase markers as well, so there’s always that. When my tins come (should be two days) and I’ve had a chance to put them through the ringer a bit, I’ll report back.

I was recently given a Dymo label maker by a coworker, and was going to be content with just printing out new labels. Missy took it one step further, and bought a strip of magnetic tape (showing here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00114LU8K/ref=oh_o02_s00_i01_details). So now, she prints off a label, cuts a strip of magnetic tape to fit, and voila, we have reusable labels.

The magnetic bond to the tin isn’t super, but it’s strong enough that it isn’t going to fall off under normal use. I’ve shaken a tin fairly vigorously, and the label didn’t move. It’s not necessarily the cheapest solution, but it’s definitely a long term solution.

i feel like I have just finally found the place where I belong. all of you people are beautiful.

Teavangelical! i feel the same way almost every day!

@Dylan Oxford – are you still using the magnetic tape labels? just wondering how they’ve stood the test of time.

Curious to know what Assam Melody tastes like. I don’t drink much black tea, but assam is one of my favorites, and Melody just so happens to be my daughter’s name. :)

@Shmiracles so far, so good!

I just received two more shipments from H&S myself, which are not included in my picture. I ordered one shipment and realized there were others I wanted to try and ordered more! Granted they are mostly samples, but I finally caved and bought the 5oz japanese cups from them. I love them! But every time a package comes in my husband looks at me funny and shakes his head because he knows it’s more tea!

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/428105_10151303088050013_681380012_22665919_1287763924_n.jpg

lol Isn’t it awesome to know we aren’t the only obsessed people on the planet. I mean I guess there could be a worse addiction than tea right? :)

It’s always nice to know that we aren’t the only ones. And when he gives me that look I always tell him “at least it isn’t drugs.” He has no argument for that.

Absolutely! It could always be worse. People who don’t drink tea or not much of it have no idea why I have this much tea. But there really is a tea for each mood!

I feel like mine needs to be better organized before I start posting pictures… :)

I hear you Amy. It took me forever to put my stash back…. And I just laid mine on the floor :P

Invader Zim, I recently purchased those Japanese H&S cups and have been using them for several weeks now. Love them, they’re excellent.

They are quite nice, I was surprised by the weight of them, but I like that they are heavy, they feel more durable I guess. I like using them myself, but I’m excited for when some friends come up to visit and break them out for a some nice social tea time!

Lol Kat

Very cool – and very thoughtful! I find it a little stressful to pick the right teas to try to get my friends engaged in the beaty that is tea, but it’s so much fun!

Yeah, I try to find those that really stand out so even those with none experience can pick up the notes in them :)

What a thoughtful gift!

That is an awesome gift! I like how you added your labels to them too, quite a nice touch.

very cool!

Tnx, I try my best :)

A bit expensive though :P

That is very awesome, but it is also very expensive.

Cool, but only for bagged tea and HOLY doodles expensive!

@Erin

Late to reply to this, but it’s not just for bagged tea – check out the pics on the side, it opens up! A bit on the pricey side, but consider the workmanship.

@Daniel I didn’t see the other pictures until now. It is very beautiful, and yes the workmanship is amazing :) I’d need a few however to store my collection :)

I use these for the tea bags I am currently still attached to/using up as I replace with loose leaf versions.

http://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Tea-Rack-total-packs/dp/B004L75JHM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355082603&sr=8-2&keywords=tea+rack

http://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Rack-Organize-Total-Packs/dp/B0088YU762/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_6