Making seed bombs is a fun spring craft to do with kids. When the weather is right, let your little one toss them around the yard or garden! This is a hands-on way for them to get involved in the planting process.
These sweet little seed bombs come together quickly, with materials you probably already have sitting in your recycling bin. Paper egg cartons are compostable and biodegradable, making them the perfect option for this eco-friendly craft.
You may want to make a few extra to share! Packets of handmade seed bombs, with a label detailing what seeds are included, make great spring party favors or gifts for plant lovers.
Seeds to Include
Before you start making your seed bombs, you’ll want to gather the seeds you’d like to use. There are countless options of things you can include. Generally, the best choices are plants that can be direct seeded and don’t require a lot of nurturing as seedlings, since you’ll be tossing them into your yard or garden and they won’t be getting extra attention.
Many types of flowers are a wonderful addition. Not only do they bring beauty to your outdoor space, but they also attract important pollinators.
You could pick out several flowers you like and then make a mixture of seeds to include in the bombs. Several seed companies offer pre-blended flower mixes. So, that could be another option if you want to have a lot of different flowers popping up in your garden this year, but don’t want the expense of buying lots of individual packets.
You can also add herbs to your seed bombs, to enjoy their culinary and medicinal benefits. Again, you’ll want to include low-maintenance herbs that do well being direct seeded. Veggies are less ideal for seed bombs, as many of them have more specific care instructions and you may want to be more intentional about where you’re planting your food crops.
Here are a few options of seeds you may want to include:
Flowers
- Bachelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus)
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
- Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)
- Chinese Forget-Me-Not (Cynoglossum amabile)
- Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)
- Cosmos (Cosmos spp.)
- Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum)
- Fleabane Daisy (Erigeron annuus)
- Globe Gilia (Gilia capitata)
- Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
- Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
- New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
- Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
- Prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma)
- Siberian Wallflower (Cheiranthus allionii)
- Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)
- Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
- Tidy-Tips (Layia platyglossa)
- Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)
Herbs
- Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
- Bee balm (Monarda fistulosa)
- Borage (Borago officinalis)
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
- Caraway (Carum carvi)
- Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla & Chamaemelum nobile)
- Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
- Dill (Anethum graveolens)
- Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
- Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
- Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
How to Make Recycled Seed Bombs
You will need:
- 1-2 paper egg cartons
- Water
- Seeds of choice
- Mixing bowl
- Blender
- Strainer
- Silicone molds
- Towel
DIRECTIONS:
- Rip up the egg carton into small pieces and put them into a mixing bowl.
- Pour water into the bowl, covering the pieces of egg carton.
- Let soak for 30-45 minutes.
- Place the soaked egg carton pieces and some of the water into a blender. Blend until smooth. You may need to add more water to get the mixture to blend nicely.
- Place the strainer over a mixing bowl. Pour the mixture into the strainer.
- Let the water drain out of the egg carton mash, then use your hands to squeeze more water out of the mixture until it’s just slightly damp. You don’t want the mixture to be too wet, or the seeds may germinate prematurely.
- Press the mash firmly into a silicone mold, dropping in a few seeds in each cavity along with the mash.
- Press down on the tops of the seed bombs firmly with a towel or sponge to remove any excess water.
- Place the molds in a warm, dry place and leave them for 24 hours.
- Gently remove the seed bombs from the molds, then lay them out to dry the rest of the way.
- Toss the seed bombs around your yard or garden, wherever you’d like herbs and flowers to pop up.
