Making seed paper is a great way to recycle used paper and I love that it that it allows you to cycle the paper directly back into the earth. I’m sure you know by now that we love all things snails, so here’s a fun snail-shaped one that uses wildflower seeds. We make seed paper year-round with a variety of different seeds based on what’s currently in season. This seed paper can be be planted directly into the ground or into a pot and I recommend using a wildflower seed mix that is native to your location. You can use any paper that is recyclable, such as paper grocery bags, egg cartons, newspaper or printer paper. Avoid any paper with a lot of ink or any paper that would not be compostable (such as some colored or glossy paper). This is a great project for the entire family and the process of making it is really fun for children!

Materials:

– recyclable newspaper or paper
– native wildflower seeds
– large bowl
– food processor or blender
– some sort of screen, I made my own using an old embroidery hoop and leftover screening material.
– cookie cutters — for the snails I used a round cookie cutter for the shell and molded the body by hand
– towels that have a fine weave

Instructions to make plantable seed paper

Step 1: How to make paper pulp

Rip your paper into small pieces and place them into a bowl of water, making sure that they are fully saturated. We separated our kraft paper from our newspaper/computer paper to create one color for the shell and one color for the body. Soak the paper for an hour or two. After soaking, place the paper into your food processor or blender and just enough water to cover. Blend into a pulp.

Step 2: How to add seeds to your paper

Add some seeds to the paper pulp and mix with your hands or a spoon (do not blend them). Squeeze out any excess water from the pulp. The mixture should be moist enough that it sticks together but not dripping wet.

Step 3: How to shape your seed paper

Prep your work area by placing the thick towel under your screen. Place your round cookie cutter on top of the screen and spoon some pulp mixture inside. Wrap one of your towels around your finger and very loosely mold it into the cutter. You don’t want to remove too much of the water during this stage because you’ll need that moisture to attach the shell to the body of the snail first.

Step 4: How to finish your seed paper

Gently remove the cookie cutter and shape the snail body by hand, making sure that a portion of it overlaps with the shell. Wrap the towel back around your finger and carefully press the pulp down, removing as much water as possible until the pulp has been smoothed down to an even thickness. Remove all of the towels and lay the screen to dry in a warm, preferably sunny and well-ventilated area. Prop the screen up so air can circulate underneath. You’ll want to dry the paper quickly to prevent it from germinating. To speed up the process you can also place the screen near a fan. Let dry overnight and carefully remove from the screen when the paper is completely dry.

How to plant seed paper

1. If you’re planting outdoors, choose a sunny location and prepare your soil by loosening it a bit. The best time to plant outdoors is Spring or Fall depending on your location. The paper can also be planted year-round in a pot indoors on a sunny windowsill.
2. Place your seed paper on top of the prepared soil and add 1/8 inch of soil on top of the paper.
3. Water thoroughly, making sure that you are keeping the soil consistently moist during first few weeks. You want the soil to always be damp but not overly wet. This is important for germination. You should see signs of germination in 1-3 weeks.
4. Once your sprouts grow to a good size you can cut back on watering and water as needed.