Mason Jar Tea Cup With Built in Tea Ball

I was just browsing the contest page here on Instructables and noticed the 'Mason Jar Challenge'. I'd been wanting to make my wife a tea cup with a built in steeper for a while now, and since Christmas was just around the corner, I thought now would be the perfect time!

What you'll need:

-Mason jar mug with handle (got mine at Canadian Tire for $2.50)

-Mason jar lid

-Tea ball (Again, Canadian Tire for $2.00)

-A small self-tapping eye bolt

-A small round knob

Tools/consumables:

-Epoxy or hot glue

-Sandpaper (I used 400 grit wet/dry)

-Needlenose Pliers

-Primer and paint colour of your choice (optional)

Let's get started!

Step 1: Prepare Mason Jar Lid

I first lightly sanded the two parts of the mason jar lid with 400 grit sandpaper, rinsed them off and dried them thoroughly.

Next, I marked the centre point of the lid with an awl and drilled a tiny (1/16") hole through it.

I then used some hot glue and secured the two parts of the lid together and allowed it to dry for a few hours.

Step 2: Paint Lid

This step is optional. I just thought some paint would give my project a nice touch. I first sprayed on a coat of primer. Hold the can about 6-12" away from the surface to be painted and spray in fast, sweeping motions with a slight overlap. Don't spray the paint on too thick or it may run. Two light coats are better than one thick one.

After allowing the primer to dry for a couple of hours, I painted the lid a nice light green colour I had. Use the same procedure for painting as for priming. Allow the paint to dry overnight.

Step 3: Attach Eye Bolt and Knob

Since the threads on my eye bolt were a bit smaller/not the same pitch as the female threads in the back of the knob, I had to use some epoxy glue to hold them together.

Feed/thread the eye bolt up through the underside of the lid in the hole you drilled. The threads should be protruding from the top of the lid. Next, fill the female threaded portion of the knob with epoxy glue and centre it over the male threads of the eye bolt and allow the glue to set (preferably overnight).

Step 4: Shorten Tea Ball Chain

I had to remove some of the links of my tea ball chain so the ball wouldn't rest on the bottom of the jar when hanging from the inside of the lid. Just use your needlenose pliers to bend and remove as many links as necessary.

Then, simply hang the hook on the end of the tea ball chain to your eye bolt and you're all set!

Step 5: Drink Some Tea

Now just fill your tea ball with some loose leaf tea, boil the kettle and fill your mason jar with hot water. Now, submerge your tea ball in the water and thread the mason jar lid on. Enjoy your tea!

I hope you enjoyed this quick little Instructable!