DIY Wildflower Seed Paper

The prettiest flower garden I ever grew was grown from seed tape. The seed tape was about 1.5" wide and 30' long. My back yard was tiny, so it would have only taken four packages to plant the perimeter. I don't remember the brand, or where I got it, but that could be because it was about thirty years ago. Because we're quickly approaching Mother's Day, I thought I'd show you my DIY version. It couldn't be easier! And I hope when it dries, it'll be pretty! We'll figure this out together...

Supplies:

• Parchment paper

• Water in a spray bottle. I have lavender oil in the water, and it smells yummy!

• Toilet paper

• Dried flower seeds. I used three or four varieties from my garden last summer. I used Candy Tuft, Alyssum, Black Eyed Susan, and the Zinia you see in the photo.

I started this project by laying out a sheet of parchment paper. I didn't want to use anything that wasn't breathable, like plastic wrap, because I wanted to aid in the drying process as much as possible. On top of the parchment, I laid a strip of toilet paper. I chose toilet paper because it breaks down easily, or so it says on the package. I'm confident that toilet paper is the easiest method to make seed tape, as the other methods involve pulverizing paper and forming sheets. That was more mess than I wanted to make, and ease of assembly is very important to me!! It was kind of like making lasagne - everything was layered: 1. Toilet paper

- spray with water 2. Seeds - spray with water 3. Toilet paper - spray with water 4. Seeds - spray with water 5. Etcetera. ...you get the idea. I made three seed layers, and then topped with one last strip of toilet paper. I sprayed the paper liberally with water, and then rolled with a rolling pin to compress the paper and seeds.

I love that the dried petals were mixed in with the seeds!

After the fourth layer of paper, I smooshed it all together with a rolling pin, and it looked pretty!! Never thought I'd say the words toilet paper and pretty in the same sentence, but here we are.

This is how it looks after the final sheet has been applied, and the layers were rolled with a rolling pin.

Lastly, I rolled the paper, tied with a piece of jute string, and have to admit, I'm not super in love with this. I thought I would be thrilled. I am certain it's usable, but it's definitely not the fun, feminine gift I had hoped it would be. I may try rolling some of the others with a sprig of eucalyptus tied in the jute. My silver dollar eucalyptus are always willing to donate. My Rosemary and lavender are growing like weeds this spring and could stand a trim. If I up my presentation game, then hopefully the disappointing paper will be less noticeable. It's still dark out, so as soon as the sun rises, I'll get on that and snap one last photo.

Whew... the sun is up! Let's see how it goes... Honestly, if you are going to give someone a gift made from toilet paper it really should be cute... ...MUCH BETTER! I found some brand new silver dollar leaf-babies and decided I liked the red new growth better than the mature leaves because of the contrast with the grass-green of the rosemary.

All in all, I'm glad I tried this, however, I probably won't do it again. I will likely plant these in my own yard rather than giving them away. At Christmas I made seed mix jars for a few of my friends and family members, and gave those away. I like that much better than this. However, this is a GREAT project for a preschool age child. It is perfect for developing fine motor skills and dexterity. What do you think? Will you give it a try?