If you want a simple answer to how to make your own loose leaf tea blend, start with a few dried herbs you like, measure them by the teaspoon, and keep each blend in its own jar. These five blends give you a black-tea cup, a floral pot, chamomile with honey, a cozy pear rooibos for fall, and a big iced hibiscus mint pitcher. They mix up fast on the counter and make good gifts.

Why You Will Love This

Each blend has its own flavor. Rose and rosemary make a fragrant black tea. Spearmint, hibiscus, and chamomile make a bright floral pot. Chamomile with honey is the soft bedtime cup. Pear and cinnamon rooibos is the one to make on a chilly fall evening, and hibiscus with fresh mint is the cooler for a warm day. Every recipe gives exact spoon measures and steep times, so you do not have to guess.

The Story Behind It

I started blending loose leaf tea the year I grew more mint than I could use fresh. A few dried leaves, a pinch of flowers, and a jar on the shelf tasted better than anything from a tin. These five blends are built the same way, and each one comes from a published tea recipe so the ratios are proven.

Five glass jars filled with colorful loose leaf herbal tea blends on a wooden table with fresh herbs scattered around
Keep each blend in its own jar and label it with the name and date.

What You Will Need

Blend 1: Rose, Rosemary and Peppermint Black Tea

  • 1 tsp Ceylon black tea
  • 1 tsp dried red rose petals
  • 1 tsp rosemary leaves
  • 1 tsp peppermint leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Blend 2: Spearmint Floral Pot

  • 1 tsp each dried spearmint, hibiscus, chamomile, sage, and lemon peel
  • 2-4 cups boiling water

Blend 3: Chamomile Tea with Honey

  • 2 tsp dried chamomile
  • A pinch of dried culinary lavender (optional)
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 500-600 ml water (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups)

Blend 4: Pear and Cinnamon Rooibos

  • 1 ripe pear, sliced
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tsp rooibos leaves
  • 600 ml water (about 2 1/2 cups)

Blend 5: Hibiscus and Fresh Mint Cooler

  • 20 g fresh spearmint, finely chopped
  • 5 g dried hibiscus (about 2 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp honey, or to taste
  • 1 1/2 quarts just-boiled water
  • Ice

Equipment: small bowls, airtight glass jars, labels, measuring spoons, an infuser or teapot, and a 2-quart heat-safe pitcher for the cooler.

How to Make It

  1. Black tea blend. Put the black tea, rose petals, rosemary, and peppermint in a roomy infuser. Pour over 1 1/2 cups boiling water, steep 3-4 minutes, and strain.

  2. Spearmint floral pot. Combine 1 tsp each of spearmint, hibiscus, chamomile, sage, and lemon peel. Pour over 2-4 cups boiling water, steep 3-5 minutes, and strain. Use less water for a stronger pot.

  3. Chamomile with honey. Boil water and let it stand for 1 minute. Pour it over the chamomile (and lavender, if using) in a 500-600 ml teapot. Steep 2-3 minutes, stir in the honey, and strain. This makes one to two cups.

  4. Pear and cinnamon rooibos. Put the sliced pear and cinnamon stick in a saucepan with 600 ml water. Simmer 5-6 minutes, take it off the heat, then add the rooibos. Steep 2-3 minutes and strain into a pot. This is the cozy one for fall.

  5. Hibiscus mint cooler. Put the chopped mint and hibiscus in a heat-safe vessel of at least 2 quarts. Add the just-boiled water, stir, cover, and steep 10-15 minutes. Strain into a half-gallon pitcher and stir in the honey while it is still warm. Chill in the refrigerator, then add ice just before serving. It makes about 2 quarts including ice.

To keep dry blends for later, mix the dry herbs for the blend you want, store them in an airtight glass jar away from light, and label with the date. Then brew with the measures above.

Hands mixing dried herbs in a ceramic bowl with loose leaf tea ingredients on a linen cloth
Mixing by hand lets you check for stems before jarring.

Flavor Notes

Rosemary brings a pine-like, savory edge to the black tea, and rose softens it. Hibiscus is tart and turns the water ruby red, so it pairs well with the cool bite of spearmint. Rooibos is naturally sweet and woody, which is why it loves pear and cinnamon. Chamomile is gentle and apple-like, and honey rounds it off.

Make It Your Own

Double the lavender in the chamomile tea if you want stronger floral notes, but keep it small or it starts to taste like soap. Swap the sage in the floral pot for more lemon peel for a brighter cup. Serve the pear rooibos with a little extra honey on a cool fall evening. The hibiscus cooler is also lovely over a glass of ice with a squeeze of lemon.

Store your dry blends in a cool, dark cupboard, not on an open shelf, and use them within a few months for the best flavor.

Steaming cup of herbal tea next to open glass jars of loose leaf tea blends with dried mint and rose petals
Serve in a clear cup so you can see the color of the tea.

Common Questions

How do you make your own herbal tea blend?

Pick a base herb, add one or two supporting herbs for flavor, and keep strong flavors like lavender and rosemary small. Mix them by the teaspoon, store in glass, and brew with the water amount and steep time from the blend you chose.

What herbs blend well together for tea?

Mint pairs with nearly everything, especially chamomile and hibiscus. Rose goes well with black tea and rosemary. Chamomile and lavender are a classic soft floral pair. Rooibos is a good base for fruit and cinnamon.

Can you mix different herbal teas together?

Yes. Try half chamomile and half spearmint for a gentle evening cup, or add a pinch of rose to a black tea. Taste as you go and keep notes on what you liked.

How should I store loose leaf tea blends to keep them fresh?

Keep them in airtight glass jars in a cupboard away from light, heat, and moisture. Label each jar with the blend name and date, and refresh your supply every few months.

More to Try

For a different floral drink, try the lavender honey lemon mocktail . The single-ingredient chamomile tea page goes deeper on a bedtime cup. For cold fruit drinks, see the five strawberry drinks with herbs and flowers , and for growing your own herbs, use the herb garden guide .