How We Make Seed Paper and Eco-Friendly Paper By Hand

The process of making paper by hand hasn’t changed much over the past hundreds of years. Essentially, a wet layer of pulp is formed on a mold. At Cast Paper, we use a variety of fresh plants, including ferns, flower petals, and more. Excess water is pressed out of the pulp, and then damp sheets are air dried until the paper is finished. Once the sheets have dried, our makers carefully separate the paper from the screen molds, taking care not to tear them. The resulting product has a fine deckled edge, the slightly uneven end you will only find on fine, handmade papers.

How the cast paper team makes seed paper from pulp.

How to Plant Seed Paper

We include planting instructions with most of our wildflower seed-embedded paper products, but we know sometimes these get lost or forgotten.

Of course, we can’t always guarantee growing success, given the nature of well, nature, but here’s some general tips on how to turn those little seeds into beautiful blooms.

  1. We recommend planting within the first year of receiving your seed paper product. After two, it might be okay. And after that, well, it’s time to buy some new paper to plant!
  2. For optimal results, only plant mid to late spring or early summer (it almost goes without saying that the dead of winter is not the best time for wildflower growth).
  3. Remove any tags, ties, etc. You don’t want anything in the way of your young plants’ future growth spurt.
  4. In the case of dimensional ornaments or larger sheets of paper, gently break apart or tear into smaller pieces.
  5. Choose a sunny outdoor garden/spot or planter/pot.
  6. Plant in 1/4″ to 1/2″ loosely packed soil. Give ’em room to grow!
  7. Keep very moist, especially until the seeds begin to sprout…
  8. Continue to water as needed….
  9. Watch them bloom! Then do a little congratulatory dance because you just grew your very own wildflowers!

Commemorate a Loved One with Cast Paper Products

Although for many years our business has been focused around weddings and wedding products, we realized that our handmade products, floral themes, and biodegradable materials were also valuable for use in memorials, wakes, and funerals. Flowers and paper celebrate life and love, but they also commemorate those people who gave us life and love, and who are now gone.

We carry several green products to assist with memorial service planning:

  • Hospice Sympathy Cards
  • Plantable Memorial Bookmarks
  • Plantable Memorial Cards
  • Plantable Seed Paper Adornments
  • Tribute Angels
  • Biodegradable Urns
  • Biodegradable Token Urns
  • Bio Scattering Vessels
  • Eco-Friendly Guest Registers

Green funerals are now a respected part of the funeral and cremation community. These funerals are beneficial to both the family and the environment, and it is one of the better alternatives when choosing to arrange a memorial.