DIY: Vintage Seed Pack Art

Seed pack art is all the rage. From calendars to t-shirts, I see vintage seed packs used everywhere these days. I bet you even have a few seed packs that you've held on to over the years, not for the seeds inside, but for the attractive seed packet itself. 

Seed packets themselves are full of terrific plant information and details. I have kept them in photo albums and scrapbooks to use as reference sources over the years. It is fun just to leaf through the albums at look at all the things I have grown. I thought of this craft as a way to enjoy looking at some of my favorite seed packs on a daily basis and not just hidden away in albums.

If you don't vintage seed packets, you can use new ones. Companies like Botanical Interests and Renee's Garden have gorgeous vintage-style packets you can buy new. You can also purchase reproductions of vintage seed packets on cards. 

This is a suitable project for doing with children or your garden club.

Materials:

-

- Wood Piece (6x6 square)

- Acrylic Paints 

- Sanding Block or Sand Paper

- Brushes

- Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

- Mod Podge

- Seed Pack Art 

- Picture Hanger Kit and screwdriver/drill 

- Glitter and Other Accessories, as desired

Instructions:

Step 1- You can use scrap wood from another project or buy already cut craft wood pieces. Squares are nice. Sand off any rough edges on the wood piece. Then wipe off any dust with a damp rag. Wait for it to dry, then you cover your work surface with newspapers.

Step 2 - Start painting. I prefer washable craft acrylics and using a foam brush for base coats, then moving to finer brushes for painting finer details. One trick I learned from a folk artist is to paint all the outside edges black. This makes it look finished and no need for a frame. Let the paint dry and add a second or third coats as you wish.

Step 3 - You can use actual seed packs (vintage or new) that you have collected. You can also purchase seed pack art. Cut off any excess borders that you don't like. Lay it out on the wood piece for size and placement. Coat the seed packet (art) with Mod Podge. Let it dry.

Optional: I glued on a few of the seeds that come from the seed packets at each corner as a fun accent. You could glue a whole border of  them around the seed pack, in a fun pattern, or leave them off. You could also glue on dried flowers or other accents. Use your imagination to come up with other creative accents - like gems, stickers, or hand-drawn/painted flourishes. This is also the point to sprinkle on any glitter you may like.

Step 4 - Add several more layers of Mod Podge or other shellac over the entire piece (including seeds and any glued-on accents), waiting an hour or so between coats. This will ensure the longevity of your seed art.

Step 5 - Screw on a hanger on the back. If the wood is thick enough, it can simply be set on a shelf and doesn't need a hanger.

TIPS:

• Decorate with found objects from found objects in your garden. 
• You can use stencils to decorate the seed art, if free-hand painting is not your strong suit.
• This craft can be as complex or simple as you desire. Stop when you are happy with it or keep going and adding to it as you like.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com.