How to Make Seed Tape for Flowers

If you have spring fever and it's too early to plant any flowers, make your own seed tape and get ready for spring. Use a biodegradable paper and adhesive for seed tape.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Florist Sticks
• Florist Wires
• Floral Tape
• Cornstarches
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Paper Towels
• Paper Towels
• Paper towels

Seed Tape Adhesive

1. Dissolve 1 tbsp. cornstarch in 1 c. cold water.

2. Cook over medium heat.

3. Stir to keep the cornstarch from getting lumpy. A wire whisk works well.

4. Boil until the mixture is a translucent gel.

5. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Placing Seeds on Tape

6. Use paper towels or long sheets of tissue paper.

7. Tear off about 3 feet of paper towels and cut in half lengthwise. For the tissue paper cut into 4- or 5-inch-wide strips.

8. Use a syringe or a freezer bag with a small cut in one corner (like you would use to put frosting on a cake, but with a very small hole).

9. Drop a dollop of adhesive about every inch or follow the directions on the seed package for spacing. The size of the adhesive drop should match the size of seed. Use just enough to hold the seed in place.

10. Let the tape dry completely before you make your flower.

Making the Flowers

11. Tape one end of your seed tape to a florist stick or ice cream stick.

12. Gather the seed tape as you go around the stick.

13. Hold the seed tape in place with your fingers until you use all your tape.

14. Tie in place with florist wire.

15. Fluff out the flower or give the paper a squeeze to crinkle.

16. Cut green leaves from tissue paper and use floral tape to attach them to the stick under the flower head.

17. Continue wrapping the stick with florist tape.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to keep the seeds evenly spaced.
• Use large seeds such as sunflower seeds for small hands.
• To keep chemicals off hands and out of eyes, do not use seeds that have been treated.

[CWSusan]

on 7/17/2008 You might want to check out http://seed-tape.com

Also, using "school glue" which is non-toxic is really easy with this biodegradeable paper strip of seed tape that can be used with any seed.

on 4/3/2006 I used the inexpensive craft glue sticks instead of the cornstarch mixture and they worked fine. Easy to draw a line down center of tp with glue stick, sprinkle seeds along, fold tp over, seal with dabs of glue stick.