Craft Idea: Homemade Paper Plantable Cards

[Liss]

From: Evelyn L Barney
Date: Fri Jun 14, 2002 4:05 pm
Subject: (No subject)

Homemade Paper “Plantable” Cards – Cute Craft

Making paper by hand is fun and interesting, and by adding seeds to the paper pulp, you can create a card or letter that can be planted. Plant paper is a completely recycled and recyclable product ? starting with junk mail, you can make a birthday card that (once the seeds sprout) could become a bouquet of flowers or even a bowl of tomato soup!

What You’ll Need:

? two cups junk mail, computer paper, or old paper bags, torn into nickel-sized pieces (avoid glossy, highly illustrated paper)
? blender
?

small plastic washtub
? three packages very small plant seeds such as forget-me-nots, wildflowers, chili peppers, or tomatoes
? stapler or hammer and several small nails
?

old wooden picture frame (a 5″ by 7″ frame works well)
? a piece of fine cheesecloth cut an inch larger than the frame on all sides
? turkey baster
?

newspapers
? several old dishcloths and one towel
? piece of thick cardboard, about 8″ by 10″
?

three bricks

What to Do:
1. Cover your work surface with plastic before starting. Make sure you’ve removed all the staples from the junk paper.

Put one cup of paper scraps into blender. Add three cups water and put blender lid on. Blend for 60 seconds on medium-low speed.

(Don’t remove the lid while blender is running!) Pour the
pulp into washtub and repeat with rest of paper.

2. Pour seeds into tub, distributing them evenly.

3. Staple or nail cheesecloth to back of picture frame. Make sure you stretch cheesecloth mesh tightly and fasten it on all four sides of frame.

4. Slip frame, mesh side up, into washtub and swish pulp around to get it on top of frame. Let a layer of pulp settle on the mesh.

Then lift frame straight up and hold it over washtub to let the excess water drain out.

5. Carefully lay frame, pulp side down, on a dishcloth spread out on a stack of newspapers. Remove frame.

If pulp doesn’t separate from frame right away, try blotting mesh with a dishcloth before lifting frame off.

6. Fill turkey baster with pulp from washtub and use it to fill in empty spots in the molded pulp. Put another dishcloth on top of molded pulp.

7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 until you run out of pulp, laying each new layer of pulp on top of the previous layer, with a dishcloth in between.

8. Put a towel on the last sheet of paper, then a piece of cardboard. Lay bricks on top of cardboard.

Let layers rest for 15 minutes.

9. Carefully remove bricks, cardboard, and towel. Then remove each dishcloth and paper layer and lay them out on separate stacks of newspaper.

Let the sheets dry between 12 and 24 hours. You can dry out the wet newspapers and
save them for recycling afterward. Now that your plant paper has dried, you can make plantable cards.

Be sure to include the following planting instructions when you send a card to someone special.

Planting Instructions:
Plant paper can be planted directly into the ground ? the paper pulp acts as mulch. Or you can sprout the seeds in the paper before planting.

To pre- sprout, dampen the paper with water and put in a plastic bag. Make sure to keep paper damp at all times. The seeds should begin to sprout in one to
three weeks.

When they do, transplant them to your garden or a pot.
Sandy

[janetaba]

What a neat idea! Thanks!

[faxonfive]

I agree this is a great idea!! Thanks!!

Lynn

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