Time to makes some soaps and order seeds??
Soaps 'n Seeds...
What?! Soaps AND seeds?? Soaps WITH seeds?? Why, yes--on both counts! Why not??
I'm thinking I need to
get prepped for a farmers market or a hometown festival and call my booth, "Soaps 'n Seeds!" Or get more things ready for my online store!!! Spring is just around the corner, after all.
Along with handmade soaps and melts, I could provide a pre-Spring service by selling seeds! I could offer organic, hard-to-find, and the ordinarily sought-after vegetable and herb varieties!
My first step for this "seedy" project is to design an envelope.
Of course, I'm going to make my own paper--just because I can! I will use a special folding method to wrap up a cool seed packet. Inside, I can use a glassine envelope to ensure freshness and secure the tiny, precious commodities of vegetables-to-be.
Here's how I'll start this project...Collecting the seeds will be an ongoing effort in the next few weeks to find the perfect ones, locally and online, to place in each unique envelope! If you are like me, you may have seeded last year's crops and have seeds just waiting to be placed in cute little envelopes until you need them!
Supplies...
You'll need a few things--most of which you already have on hand. :)
A shallow pan or an aluminum throw-away container (at least two inches deep and big enough to hold your screen) - I found two pans at the local dollar store for $1.00!
A old blender (a yard sale find because you don't want to use the same one for preparing food) or, if you're like me--a hand-held stick blender just for crafts!
A grease splatter guard--at least 10-12 inches in diameter (or a screen on a picture frame) Another dollar store find--not many stores carry them anymore since we all eat healthier and fry less, but it was there for, you guessed it, $1.00!
You'll also need 2 handfuls of scrappy, crappy, recycled paper, torn into teeny, tiny pieces OR 2 handfuls of decorative gift shreds in your choice of color (see below)--the shreds work well with a stick blender because it doesn't have to pulverize the already shredded paper. By the way, it cleaned up easier than a big ole blender. I found decorative gift shred paper at the local dollar store for $1! It has to be the cheap stuff, nothing glossy or thick. Plus, I love a bargain!
Lastly, you'll need a handy, clean household sponge and plain ole cotton towels, flat ones or textured, for interest
2 hard surfaces (boards, heavy flat baking pans, or really heavy, boring books you will NEVER read...haha...you know, something heavy!)
A metal mixing cup (for stick blender) and/or your blender's mixing container.
Hot or at least really, really warm H20
Directions...
You can collect your own recycled paper--junk mail, old homework papers, bills you don't wanna pay...kidding, but you get the idea. Shread or cut these into tiny pieces no more than 1 inch by 1 inch. Toss the pieces into your blender with hot water and let it chill...I mean, let it SIT about 12-15 minutes, but keep it warm.
Using my decorative gift shreads, there was NO prep! I just tossed them into a metal cup of warm water, let them sit, and did a little "kitchen dance" for 12-15 minutes...haha...then I inserted a stick blender and got SERIOUS pulsing it in that hot-ish warm H20. Do a few pulses, like 5-8, maybe 10. Then let it sit, again. It's pulverized, but it needs to sit. You can sit too. Just do it.
Fill your shallow container with about 2 inches of really warm water. Be sure the container will hold the splatter guard or screened picture frame and immerse it. Add your pulp mixture to the water in the shallow pan and swirl it around a bit.
Lift up the screen several times until its covered evenly.
Place the papiere on a dish towel to dry, fold the towel over and pat, remove...and let it completely dry. Don't put your fingers on it or mess with it until its dry. Leave it!
Let it air dry, no matter how much you want to speed up the process with your hair dryer or heat lamp--I mean, just let the air do the work. Leave it for about 5 hours and that's it! Press between something heavy.
Then... enjoy your AWESOME HANDMADE PAPER!!! Cut into any shape for whatever your project. How easy is THAT??
For added interest, you could add flower petals or...oh, oh, SEEDS--goodness!-- I just had another idea!!...Texture and natural items add wonderful variation. But remember to do this before drying!
Turning your paper into envelopes...here's something I tried!
Although these envelopes are not finished products (yet), you can see how easy and fun it is to make seed packets or tiny envelopes. I can use a garden stamp or tie them up with tiny jute or ribbon! The possibilities are endless!
