Use it, plant it! – DIY Seed Wrapping Paper

With the holidays just around the corner, I am reminded of this fun and easy project that not only re-uses left over tissue paper from past holidays but acts as a gift itself. Several years ago I came across seed wrapping paper in the store and thought it was an incredibly awesome concept. It is essentially recycled paper that has been embedded with seeds and can be planted in the garden after use, instead of discarded in a landfill.

I was just about to buy some too, until I saw the price tag. It was far more than I was willing to spend for a bit of wrapping paper. So I went home and I began messing around with different ways to make my own seeded paper. This project is easy and inexpensive – requiring about 20 minutes of time and a few common household items. I like to use left over tissue paper and wildflower seeds from my garden. By pressing two sheets of tissue paper together, and binding it with homemade cornstarch glue, the paper became thicker yet still pliable, and is perfect for wrapping gifts.

Of course, this technique is not limited to just wrapping paper – you can use it to make cards, bookmarks, and gift tags as well. The fun part is, after the paper is used it can be planted in the garden, as it naturally decomposes! Enjoy!

Materials

• 2 Pieces of Matching Tissue Paper*
• Wildflower Seeds**
• Spray Bottle filled with Water
• Cornstarch Glue

*Note, this method of making wrapping paper will only work with tissue paper. If you want to use printer paper or card stock, a great tutorial can be found here.

**You can use any seeds for this, but I have found easy to grow seeds (such as wildflowers) work the best.

Instructions

1. Lay tissue paper, side by side (not overlapping), on flat surface.
2. Use spray bottle to wet the tissue paper. The paper should be damp but not soaked (you don’t want your seeds to germinate).
3. Use a brush to spread a thin layer of cornstarch glue to one piece of paper. Do not coat the second piece of paper with glue.
4. Sprinkle the wildflower seeds onto the paper with glue.
5. Take the paper without glue and lay it on top of the paper with seeds, making sure to line up the edges as closely as possible.
6. Press the papers together using your hands. You want to be firm enough to adhere the papers together but gentle enough not to crush the seeds.
7. Allow the paper to dry completely. (It’s ok if there is wrinkles – it adds character!)
8. Wrap your presents! 

Optional – Add a small note to your gift with planting instructions for the type of seeds in the paper.

Hope you enjoy this project as much I do! Happy holidays! 🙂