Living Green
Seed Paper
By Bryan Hayes
“What is this?” I asked.
“Seed paper,” she replied.
“Interesting,” I thought.
In front of me was a flat, heart-shaped creation with blue and green colors much like seeing the Earth from the stratosphere. What I did not realize is just how easy it is to make this little decoration, and even more surprising, it is also eco-friendly. Recycled paper is used for the material, and seeds are added to the paper, so it can be used for a dual purpose. Not only does it look nice, making it a great gift idea, but you also plant it. After you have enjoyed the decoration, you plant the paper into the ground. The paper will decompose and absorb into the dirt, and the seeds will blossom into flowers.
How she came upon plant seeds was my question for Jaimee Schulson who was kind enough to share this little creation with me. Jaimee went further and said that over the past three years she has been expanding her mind to a variety of new things. She is open to learning about how she can help the environment and wants to learn “one new thing every day.”
“What new things would you like to learn?” I asked Jaimee.
She replied, “I changed my diet to raw foods and for the past two years, I have felt more connected to the food I eat, the environment, and social concerns.”
Having an academic background in psychology and going to school for social work, Jaimee enjoys the learning process not only to increase her level of awareness but to also pass that on to others. She likes teaching kids who are open to the idea of helping the environment. She shows them how they can do so in a way that is fun, and in the case of the seed paper, really easy to do. Jaimee is a great example of someone who is living green, learning something new each and every day, and teaching our next generation how they can take care of the environment.
If you would like to make your own seed paper, below is an easy “recipe.” Happy planting!
Materials
• recycled paper
• blender
• flower seeds
• strainer/ screen*
• plastic
• sponge
• newspaper
*You can make a strainer using wire mesh stapled to an old picture frame or other square frame shape.
Instructions
1. Rip recycled paper into small bits, and place into the blender (about half full). Fill the blender with warm water. Run the blender slowly at first then increase the speed until the pulp looks smooth and well-blended. To tint pulp: add a 1 inch square of tissue paper to pulp before blending or food coloring.
2. Add a pinch or two of flower seeds to pulp and stir. Do not blend seeds!
3. Pour mixture into a plastic tub
4. Strain a sheet of paper using the screen.
5. Use sponge to remove more moisture. Press pulp flat
6. Flip the screen over onto a section of newspaper. Press firmly on the back of the screen to release the paper from the screen and adhere it to the newspaper.
7. Let dry and then cut the paper to desired shape. You can make a card and add writing, ribbon, etc.
Bryan Hayes is an actor, amateur photographer, business consultant and full-time lover of all things living. He will be co-hosting a new show “Greenology 101.”