How To Make Plantable Seed Paper At Home

Want to make some homemade plantable seed paper? Use our simple guide to repurpose and reuse any old recyclable paper you have lying around and create paper filled with herb, vegetable or wildflower seeds.

Things You'll Need

Most of the equipment needed for making plantable paper can be found in your kitchen with relative ease.

* Please note the paper screen (otherwise known as a Mould & Deckle) is required but don’t worry, you can make one of these using picture frames and some mesh. Buying a mould & deckle is optional but will help you create a more professional finish to your seed paper.
 
What you’ll need….
 
  • Cups of recyclable paper (3-4)
  • Seeds of your choice
  • Some warm water in a container
  • Terry cloth, dishcloth or micro fibre towel
  • *Paper screen (Mould & Deckle)
  • Strainer
  • Sponge
an example of some homemade mould and deckles used for plantable paper making

Preparing your Paper Pulp

Recycled Paper

Collect up any old paper you can get your hands on. This can take the form of newspapers, napkins, discarded receipts, egg cartons,  paper grocery bags and any of that unsolicited mail you receive.

Soak the Paper

Tear all the waste paper into small pieces and soak it in water for around 10-15 minutes. You can use this time to find and prepare your blender. Don’t use a blender that you use for food.

Blitz the Paper

Time to blitz the paper in a blender. Avoid using one that’s used for food as you don’t want waste paper in your dinner and nobody wants poppy seeds in their smoothie.

recycled paper shredded and ready for pulping

Blending your Paper

Once your paper has soaked for approximately 15 minutes you can begin to turn your mixture into a pulp. To achieve this begin blending on a low setting for 10-15 seconds, this will break down all of the larger pieces of paper before increasing the blenders intensity for around 30 seconds to ensure all of the paper is properly pulped.

Pro Tip: Never add your seed mix pre-blending, the seeds will be destroyed in the process.

Create A Seed Mix For Your Plantable Paper

Now you’ve created the perfect medium to add your seeds to, you’ll need to pick the varieties you would like to add. Things to consider:
 
  • You can use flower, vegetable or herb seeds
  • We recommend native species
  • Consider the time of year for planting
  • Smaller seeds are easier to work with
  • You can mix different varieties of seeds
  • Think about pollinator friendly species
seeds ready to be embedded in paper
seeds being mixed in to paper pulp

Stir & Strain

Sprinkle in a tablespoon of your seed mix and stir gently until the seeds have been evenly dispersed throughout your paper mixture. Now you can pour your mixture into a strainer to begin to remove the excess moisture within the pulp.

Use your hands or a spoon to apply pressure to the mixture and squeeze out the water. Don’t apply too much pressure to avoid damaging the seeds.

Spread out your Paper

Using a flat surface spread out your Terry cloth, dishcloth or microfibre towel.  Extract and spread your mixture thinly across the surface of your cloth or towel. Use your sponge to flatten out any uneven areas and soak up any excess water left in your paper.

*If you have a Mould & Deckle (as pictured) available you can use it to replace the cloth or towel and produce seed paper in a perfect rectangle with a much more consistent finish. We aim to make a detailed guide on how to use a Mould & Deckle for seed paper soon.

spreading out paper pulp on a mould and deckle

Drying Time

After you have sponged off your seed paper and flattened it suitably you can leave it to dry for a few hours until completely dry on one side. After this occurs flip over your seed paper and dries the opposite side for a few more hours.

Once the drying process is complete you’re all set to start cutting, crafting or painting your plantable paper creations.

Frequently Asked Questions

When seeds are embedded in paper it creates a barrier that the seeds will need to break through to germinate and bloom. By keeping the paper wet you reduce the rigidity of the paper allowing your seeds to grow.

Yes, properly made seed paper is perfect for growing flowers of all varieties. Due to the medium used to contain the seeds (paper) you will be required to water more regularly than you would if you just planted the seeds.

After a few days your paper will decompose leaving just plant and flowers in it’s wake.

In the UK you can plant your wildflower seed paper in early Spring (March-April) or early Autumn (September) to bloom the following year.

Thera re numerous reasons why your seed paper my not grow from soil quality to pets and insects. It’s also important to remember some wildflowers of the biennial variety will not bloom until their second year.

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