Seed Paper

Celebrate the warm weather with the perfect spring project. Seed Paper is
the next big thing in the DIY world and we love it too.

Blogger Risa Baker with Restless Risa shares her favorite ways to package
seed paper into gorgeous gifts and pretty party favors.


Have you seen the lovely seed paper popping up on Pinterest these days? I
couldn’t believe it when I saw it; paper embedded with tiny seeds that
actually grow when you plant it! I had to give it a try.

I am not lying when I say it was a bit of work. It’s not too bad after you do it
once though.

You will need paper that you tear into one inch squares. I used scrapbook
paper for the colors, but you can use whatever you have, including
newspaper.

You will need a screen with a frame around it. I found all sorts of tutorials
describing how to make one of your own, but I thought it would be faster
(and cheaper) to just buy a window. I got mine for $6.50 at Home Depot. A
package of screen was also $6.50. The only benefit to buying the roll of
screen, is that you can wrap it around cookie cutters, and make things in
different sizes.

You will need a BIG stack of towels!

And of course, some seeds. I looked for the pack with the most for the
money. I got mine for around $4 at Home Depot. I chose larkspur, because
I love it’s beautiful flowers in the spring time, and it is a Utah native, that
easily reseeds.

Place your torn up paper in your food processor or blender.

Fill with water to where it just covers the paper.

Turn on your food processor. I am not going to lie, this was a mess! I don’t
know how, but the wet paper managed to escape from the food processor
and leak everywhere. Just make sure to have some dry towels on hand.

When it is finished mixing, it should look like this. Now it’s time to add the
seeds.

Place your screen over a cookie sheet full of water, and dump the pulp on
top.

The water beneath will help you spread it out as evenly as you can on the
screen.

Lift the pulp up out of the water, and let as much water drain out as you
can. Place the whole screen on top of a towel. I had my towel on an upside
down cookie sheet.

Cover with a thin cloth, like cheese cloth.

Take your rolling pen, and roll over the top, squeezing out as much water
as you can.

Flip your screen over onto another towel covered in cheese cloth. At this
point, you can place another piece of cheese cloth over the top, and go
over it with the rolling pen again, or you can leave it if you think it is dry
enough. I ended up doing it twice. I didn’t want my seeds to sprout!

Turn the paper over onto a cookie sheet to dry.

You want to make sure you will be able to get it off when you have finished.

It will be stiff and hard when it’s dry.

This next part is showing a sweet little gift you can make using your seed
paper.

Buy the small plantable seed boxes. I got mine at Wal-mart, and paid
around $2 for 40 of them!

Cut them apart.

Cover the bottoms with tape, so the dirt won’t spill out before they are
planted.

Cut hearts or whatever shapes you want out of your seed paper.

I attached the hearts to sucker sticks, and put them in the dirt filled
container with a sign that reads, “Plant Me!”

SEED TAPE

Seed tape is one of my new favorite things! The idea behind it is that you
can space your seeds perfectly for planting, like rows of carrots that need
to be spaced a certain width apart. Me… I prefer planting flowers, so I used
wild flower seeds. Maybe someday I will get around to planting carrots.

This seed tape makes a fun gift, and it is SUPER EASY to make!

The first thing you need is seeds.
You will also need an old newspaper that you cut into strips.

You’ll need flower.

To which you will add water, enough so that it makes a thin paste.

Get the best helper in your house to help you lay the strips on your
counter.

Use a paint brush to dab a dot of the flower mixture in one inch
increments on the newspaper. Have your helper drop one seed on the wet
dot.

First my helper told me it was, “lame,” then he really like it, and wanted to
keep going. Let your strips dry before you do anything with them. The first
strips I did were basically dry by the time I got to the last strips. It doesn’t
take long at all.

Find any container you may have around the house for packaging, and
place the rolled-up strips inside.

Laughing Cow cheese spread works – right?

Wrap it up, and place a little label on top. You may want to say what the
seeds are on your label, so people know what they are planting.

These will be used for an LDS Enrichment night about Family History. The
sister’s will each be able to take one home, and plant it in her yard, or in a
pot.

SEED BOMBS

These are so easy, and a great thing to do with kids!

You will need paper confetti, and seeds. I used wildflowers.

Dump the confetti into a bowl.

Add enough water to just cover the confetti, and let it soak. I let mine soak
for about 45 minutes while I did other things. You can check yours, and see
how it is doing. It just basically needs to soften up. Once you feel it is soft
enough, go ahead and stir in a good amount of seeds.

You can make balls, or mold it into shapes. I chose to make little stars
using a chocolate mold I got at Wal-mart for $2.50.

Lift some of the mixture by hand out of the bowl, and squeeze a good
amount of water out, but not so much that you can’t easily squish it into
the mold.

Tuck the excess into the mold.

Press down hard with a dry cloth to get as much water as you can out of
the paper.

Pry your shape out using a toothpick if it’s stuck.

Let the shapes dry on a screen or a plate. Mine dried overnight.

You can also make balls with the extra mush. Just pick some out of the
bowl, and SQUEEZE with all your might to get the water out. You really
need to squeeze hard, as you won’t be able to use a towel to get the excess
out.

Let everything dry overnight.

I think these would be darling baby shower or bridal shower favors, or ever
wedding favors. My kids will be giving a bag of them to their teachers with
a note attached saying thanks for planting the seed of knowledge, and
helping me grow.



You can find more ideas at restlessrisa.blogspot.com.

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