Make your own Seed Paper!

By Eirlys Hunter | May 17 2021 |

Spring has finally arrived and with it gardens are being planted and flowers are blooming!

Being back in lockdown for a third time has definitely made spending time with friends difficult, and with mental health week coming to an end, it has never been more important to reach out and connect with others. Something that made my day the past week was receiving a letter from my friend Kira, who checked in to see how I was doing. While social media is the number one source of communication, receiving a letter is much more personal and exciting. What made this letter particularly special was that it was written on homemade seed paper!

What is seed paper you might ask?

Seed paper is an environmentally friendly way to recycle used paper, while also creating an amazing opportunity to get a garden started this spring. Below is a list of materials you will need and a brief step by step instruction on how to make your own seed paper, with an inside tip from Kira.

Materials:

Old paper, which would otherwise be recycled
Water
A blender which is capable of shredding paper
A shallow tub
A mesh screen glued to a picture frame or something that is able to scoop paper while draining water
An old towel
Relatively small seeds - ideally smaller than a sunflower seed

Instructions:

Collect some old paper and rip into pieces.
Next put the pieces in a blender, leaving a few pieces to the side that are ripped but not shredded.
Soak the blended paper in a wide shallow tub of water.
Using the mesh screen glued to a picture frame, pick up a layer of pulp and let the water drain from the paper- there is an art to picking up an even layer of paper pulp so be patient and take your time!
Press on the screen to drain out the water and then flip it onto an old towel.
Push hard on the mesh, then gently tap and people the paper off the screen and onto the towel.
Take the seeds and sprinkle them onto the paper - Kira recommends taking some of the larger scraps of paper (that were left to the side at the beginning) and tucking each seed into the paper to ensure they don’t fall.
Leave to dry over the next few days.
Write a letter, put in an envelope (ideally recycled paper) and it's ready to post!
Instruct the receiver of your letter to rip up the paper to free the seeds, soak overnight and then to plant the wet seed paper in prepared soil at a depth of roughly ¼ inch. Make sure to water well, particularly during the first 4-6 weeks.

The best seeds to use in your paper are wildflowers that are native to the region where the receiver of the letter lives and that encourage bees. Some wildflowers native to Ontario include; Aster, Bee Balm, Black Eyed Susan and Blue-Stem Goldenrod, however many more can be found and bought at https://onplants.ca/product-category/wildflowers/.

It is also best to avoid using flower petals because they leach colour (they may also look like mould when set) and avoid glitter unless it is biodegradable.

Enjoy writing and planting your letters! 🪴📃