Want to hand out Non-candy treats this year? Create these adorable plantable pumpkin treats for around .05 each! Each little pumpkin contains seeds that can be planted and grown inside or in the garden.
You’ll Need:
2 Sheets of Construction Paper
1 1/2 c. Water
Blender
Packet of Seeds
A Mold or a piece of screen
dry washcloths or paper towels
Cookie Cutter shape of your choice
There are several ways to create these since I’m a very busy woman who’s sometimes impatient, I opted for the food dehydrator method.
Tear the construction paper into small pieces and place them in a bowl of warm water to soften for about a minute.
Pour 3/4 c. of water into a blender (this craft isn’t so good for the blades, so if you happen to find an old blender on a yard sale, you might want to pick one up for crafting recipes). Add the wet paper pieces. Blend on high, adding the remaining water through the top until it reaches a nice pulpy consistency.
Shut the blender off and add the seeds, stir using a wooden spoon handle. (If you have a glass measuring cup you can transfer the mixture to the measuring cup first, it’s much easier.
Place the cookie cutter on a screen, pour in just enough pulp/seed mixture to spread it evenly.
Tamp it down using your fingers. Then blot gently using a dry piece of paper towel or dry washcloth. The paper towel seems to work best and you can simply wring it out every so often to get the excess water off.
Once your pumpkin is compressed, gently remove it from the cookie cutter and place it on a food dehydrator tray.
Place them in the food dehydrator and set it to the Herb setting of 95F, anything higher may “cook” your seed and prevent them from germinating.
These take approximately 3 hours in all to dry. Once dry, poke a small hole in the top and add a touch of curly green ribbon. However, if you don’t have a food dehydrator, place them on a screen or drying rack in a warm, non-humid room to dry thoroughly.
To give as Halloween treats, attach a small tag to the pumpkin that says,
Soak it in water for a moment or two,
then place it atop some fresh graveyard dirt,
covering it lightly with some won’t hurt!
Water it a spritz every day for two weeks,
until little seedlings start to peek,
Then watch it grow into an edible treat!
(C) Melissa “Liss” Burnell, Budget101.com
If you’re using edible seeds, leave “edible treat” in the last line. If using flowers instead, change the last line to “Smelly treat”.
Budget101 Crafty Breakdown:
2 Sheets of Construction Paper .05 cents (a Pad of 36 sheets of construction paper is $1.)
1 packet seeds .20 cents (at the Dollar Store & also in Walmart Garden Center)
Water- free
Directions for Planting:
Fill a Plant pot with potting soil.
Soak the plant-able pumpkin for 1 full minute in lukewarm water.
Place on top of soil, Cover lightly with additional soil.
Place in warm sunny area and water lightly each day to keep seeds damp.
Depending on which type of seeds chosen, they will sprout in 7-10 days.
this is the cutest thing ever! it would be great to give to the adults attending my halloween party! **they are all garden owners.** thank you!
love it!
Thank you…
this is a great idea. think about the other holidays and what seeds could be used. i think an herb garden or peppers would be a great idea as well.
awesome idea we are going to do this for our family christmas party . we have decided to hang them on a tree with all the kids names on them . thanks for a great idea
Great idea. Better than candy treats.