How to Recycle Junk Mail into Plant-able Seed Bombs

Plant-able seed bombs are in season all year round. They can be made in the middle of winter and stored until planting time. Kids of all ages enjoy making the seed bombs, planting them, and giving them as gifts.

Gather these supplies:

• Junk mail and scrap paper
• Small molds
• Fine sieve or strainer
• Blender
• Water
• Seeds

Let’s make seed bombs:

1. Gather your molds. You want the seed bombs to be on the small side so condiment containers, ice cube trays, and muffin tins make great molds.

   

   Make the slurry

2. Tear paper scraps into small pieces—about the size of two postage stamps. Glossy papers don’t work too well, but newsprint and envelopes are great. Discard any see-through windows from envelopes. Newspaper, even if it is printed in color, produces a dull purple-grey slurry. Not the liveliest color, but remember—we’re making seed bombs; they’re going to get planted in the ground.

   

3. Put enough torn paper in the blender container to fill it about one-third full. Just drop the piece in the blender—don’t try to pack them down. Add enough water to cover the paper.

   

4. Blend, gradually increase to a high speed. You want a thickish slurry.

   

5. Use the strainer to scoop out a portion of the slurry.

   

6. With your fingers or the back of a spoon press as much of the water out of the slurry as you can.
   
7. Sprinkle a few seeds on your lump of pressed slurry and knead them into the pulp.

   

   Press into molds

8. Press the pulp into a mold. Let rest for a few minutes. As an alternative to molds, you can roll the pulp into a small ball about ¾” in diameter or sculpt it into shape.

   

9. Unmold the seed bomb and set it aside to dry thoroughly.

   

10. Wait for spring and plant your seed bombs!!

    

If you liked this fun tutorial to make seed bombs with recycled paper then you will love all the amazing DIYs on the Bowdabra Blog. And be sure and like us on Facebook.  Each Monday at 4:00 p.m. PST, 5:00 p.m. MST, 6:00 p.m. CST, and 7:00 p.m. EST, Bowdabra hosts Facebook live. Be there, and you may be the next lucky viewer to win a special gift!