Magical scenes from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings created by Waterlooville artist using tea bags

Caroline West, 50, from Waterlooville, discovered her passion of painting on used tea bags in August 2023 when she realised she could create art from something normally discarded.

She has previously painted the Sycamore Gap tree and famous landmarks on tea bags - and she has now turned her attention to a world of magic.

Recreating some of the most iconic scenes from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, Caroline has been inspired by her love of books.

She said: “I’m an avid reader and I’m so inspired by how a storyteller can weave an entire world into a book, so I just wanted to see if I could capture that feeling in miniature, on a tea bag.

“The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are just iconic so I wanted to do a limited edition collection of fan art.”

For her Harry Potter series, Caroline has created seven painted tea bags which feature memorable aspects from the J K Rowling fantasy book series including the Hogwarts Express, the Sorting Hat and Hogwarts.

Her The Lord of the Rings tea bags feature Gollum, the eye of a dragon and silhouettes of characters from the fantasy series walking up a mountain.

Caroline added: “I think reading the books or watching the movies is just a way of getting out of normal everyday life and escaping into a completely different world where anything’s possible,” she said.

“I grew up reading The Lord of the Rings when I was a teenager so there’s also a sense of nostalgia.”

The process began with used Yorkshire Tea tea bags being dried out. They were then cut them up, scrapped out and ironed flat.

Caroline uses acrylic paint to create her one-of-a-kind pieces and each piece took several hours to complete.

She said she thinks the series’ are both so popular to this day because they offer a sense of “escapism” from the “hustle and bustle” of everyday life.

She continued: “The most satisfying part about being an artist is creating something that brings someone else joy and is something that they love.

“I think people are amazed with the art being on a tea bag, I think it just really captures people’s imagination.”

For more information about Caroline’s work, click here.