Cheap gift ideas: For the tea drinkers

As part of my strategy to focus on small gifts to make Christmas shopping easier and cheaper, I’m compiling the ultimate lists of gifts for under $20.

There’s one drink that unites the world like few others and it makes a very inexpensive gift.

Here in north Florida and other south-eastern states, we tend to drink ours cold and sweetened enough to put soda to shame. Sure, tea isn’t so much a ritual here as it is something to be gulped down with some barbecue pork, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate a good cup of hot tea like our neighbors to the north and around the globe.

If you know someone who can appreciate a good cup of tea — or maybe someone who could appreciate it more, here are some gift ideas. All are under $20 and almost everything ships internationally.

Tasty teas

For starters, how about some gourmet tea? Loose leaf teas come in just about every flavor imaginable and usually taste a lot better than those bagged teas you see at the grocery store. SerendipiTea makes a lot of blends that are sure to please the senses. Each 4 ounce box makes about 50 cups. Here’s just a taste of their huge selection:

• Darjeeling (Single estate Indian tea) - $16
• Earl Grey (Organic)- $14
• Ceylon Green - $14
• Chocolate A-Peel (Chocolate, Orange Peel, Black Tea) - $14
• City Harvest Green (Jasmine, Apple, Green Tea) - $14
• City Harvest Black (Orchid, Vanilla, Black Tea) - $12
• Slim Mint (Chocolate, Vanilla, Rooibos, Mint, Black Tea) - $12
• Congo Bongo (Coconut, Mango, Black Tea) - $14
• Fresh Phrase (Strawberry, Green Tea) - $12
• Casanova (Rose Petals, Pu-erh) - $14
• Charlie Chan Cha (Mixed Spice, Mint, Lemon Myrtle, Green Tea) - $12

If those don’t have enough pizzazz, then consider the Teaposy Flowering Tea Medley. Each tea posy blooms in boiling water and makes 5 pots of tea. The box of 6 different tea posies is $17.99.

Tea tools

If your loved one has been baggin’ it, they may be in need of a tea infuser to use loose teas. Fortunately, they’re very inexpensive, so if you’re not sure whether they have one or not, you may want to give them one like this tea ball with a heart at the end. It’s just $4.50.

Or you can get them a teapot with a built-in filter like the ingenuiTEA dispensing teapot ($17.49).

There are also more traditional teapots with built-in infusers, like this sea foam teapot ($11.50). In the same line, there is also a matching tea candle teapot warmer in sea foam for $5.50.

Other tea-riffic accessories

Of course, the experience of drinking tea doesn’t stop when it’s made. Beautiful tea cups like these leaf-imprint celadon cups (2 for $10) remind us that drinking tea still is special.

Take sugar or cream with your tea? Then take a look at this celadon sugar and creamer set. It includes a dark wood spoon and tray and is just $15.

And even if you don’t use a teabag, teapot-shaped tea bag holders work as cute spoon rests. They’re $4, but unfortunately the seller only ships to the U.S.

Not just any old spoon will do, though. For a really special treat, I suggest a stirring spoon dipped in dark Belgian chocolate (6 for $12.99). They’re also great for coffee drinkers.

Homemade treats

In the spirit of my recent post on homemade goodies, I will say that you can dip spoons in chocolate yourself. A really cool homemade gift, though, might be homegrown tea herbs. Whether you give them live or dried, common herbs like mint and lemon balm make excellent additions to tea.

Tea fashions

Finally, in case you haven’t already read my recent earring gift guide, check out these Swarovski crystal teapot earrings ($16.99)! What a lovely idea for the avid tea drinker!