Tea Cabinet

If you’re like me, it’s difficult to imagine beginning the day without a piping hot cup of a caffeinated beverage. For some, this beverage may be coffee, but for the rest of us it’s more than likely tea. Consumed only second to water, tea possesses a past that’s as long as it is complex. Dating back as far as the Han Dynasty (second century B.C.), lore has it that Emperor Shen Nung—while passing through the countryside—experienced a gust of wind that caused a leaf to split from a branch and land conveniently into his boiling cup of water. Regardless of whether you believe this legend to be true or not is irrelevant because what’s undeniable is tea’s omnipresence and global popularity. So, what better way to celebrate the ritual of waking up than by constructing a shrine to house your favorite beverage? Follow along step-by-step as I take you through the process of building a tea cabinet that’s as timeless as the tea itself.

Creating the Form

Start by creating the bending form for the main carcass. I used