May is finally here- more daylight, warmer breezes, and Mother's Day. All the little kids are hard at work at home, school, church, and daycare lovingly crafting a homemade gift they can't wait to give to mom. Well, put down the noodle necklace, because this homemade idea is a gift mom is sure to love- seed paper!
Seed paper is just what it sounds like- seeds and paper. It combines paper that was going to be trashed or recycled with seeds to grow your own flowers. You can plant the seed paper right in the ground, or indoors in a pot. The paper decomposes as it is watered and acts as compost to help the seeds grow into pretty flowers or even veggies. You can use any paper- old spreadsheets or bills, construction paper, cardboard, or old books trying to find a new purpose. It is simple to make so it will be a quick and fun project to do with the kids.
What you need to make your own seed paper can easily be found in your kitchen. You will need a blender, a large mixing bowl, a colander, warm water, and a drying rack. If you want to make shapes you can use cookie cutters to form the shape you want.
You can use any kind of small seeds for the seed paper (a wildflower mix works well). First you tear your paper into small pieces and place it in the blender. Then you add enough warm water so the paper is submerged and wet. Blend the water and paper on low speed for 10 seconds, then pump it up to high speed for 30 seconds. You should have a pulpy, watery mixture. Pour the mixture in your big bowl and mix in about 1 tablespoon of seeds. Drain the mixture in a colander. The goal is to drain off as much water as you can (I used the back of a serving spoon to push more water out of the mixture). After the water is drained, dump the mass on to an old towel to try and press out more water. At this point you can shape the seed paper into whatever shape you want. You can use cookie cutters, or just shape it yourself. Place the seed paper on the drying rack. It will take 24 hours to fully dry. You can decorate the seed paper, or just gift it as it is. Now you are ready to give your homemade gift!
This gift is something not only mom will love, but grandmas, aunts, best friends, or any special mom in your life. You can buy a plain pot and let the kids decorate it however they want for the beloved women in their lives to give with the seed paper. As the school year comes to an end it is also a great gift to give teachers. You can buy a pot, and your kids can make them seed paper with flower seeds, herb seeds, or even a "grow your own salsa" pot with tomato, pepper, and cilantro seeds. While mom loves homemade gifts, she doesn't need more noodle necklaces. This is a fun gift mom and her kids can watch grow all summer long.
If you want to take your seed paper gift to the next level you can put it in a sachet and attach it to a Mystery Book Box! You can gift the fabulous women in your life with 3 books in a genre they will love, an antique cup and saucer, choice of drink (tea, coffee, or hot chocolate), and choice of a relaxing scent (candle, essential oil, or wax melts).