One challenge I face with my clients on a regular basis is how to store everyday items in a way that looks aesthetically pleasing and is functional.  I wanted to share this story about storing tea bags with the hope that it will inspire you to implement your own creative storage system for your everyday items.

Here was the situation: my client enjoys drinking tea and therefore purchases many flavors to have on hand.  Her kitchen lacks storage and the shelves above the counter are open.  The tea boxes were sitting on the counter.  Some of them were falling apart, others contained just a few tea bags.  My client did not like the way these boxes looked, but knew she wanted to keep the collection of tea.  

The idea came to mind to consolidate the tea bags in a large clear glass jar that would serve to not only contain the tea bags, but display them in a playful manner.  The tea flavors are easily viewed from the outside of the jar, and we were sure not to fill it to the point where a hand could not comfortably reach in for a bag.

We also opted to mix the bags in the jar as opposed to trying to arrange them by flavor.  If you are feeling up to the challenge, go for it!  We felt it was too tedious and likely to get messed up as soon as someone reached in for a bag of tea.

What other items do you have around the house that you store in a more decorative way?  Other kitchen or food items?  Bathroom supplies?  Office supplies?