Whether you’re looking to celebrate Dad, Grandpa, an uncle or someone else, Father’s Day is a great time to create something special. I love making something that can be enjoyed for days, and even weeks after Father’s Day. This DIY Fathers Day Gift Idea uses recycled materials to create a seed bomb and the free printable completes the gift.
Grab some paper headed for the recycling and reuse it for this simple nature craft that will grow in your garden.
For a similar activity and instructions on how to Make Recycled Seed Balls click the link.
This is a simple hand made craft that Dad is sure to love.
DIY Father’s Day Gift Idea – Materials
You don’t need a lot of materials for this activity. I created these seed balls with my kindergarten class, it was simple, inexpensive and all of the kids were successful in creating several for their Dad.
You will need:
- Paper
- Water
- Blender/Hand Mixer
- Seeds (Flowers or Grass)
- Strainer (Optional, but makes creating the balls much easier)
- Food Coloring (Optional)
To create the gift package for the seed balls, you will need:
- Free Printable Tag
- Bags to Create the Gift
- Stapler
- Markers/Coloring Materials
If you’re making the seed balls with a large group, a bag of shredded paper works well!
Some paper has different dyes in it, so avoid using a blender that you also use for food.
I love to use grass seed because it grows quickly; however, seeds for flowers can also be used and are beautiful as they grow. It’s up to you what you use.
Make Your Recycled Seed Balls
Once you have all of your materials, start by ripping up the paper into pieces. This is a great part for kids to be involved in!
You will need roughly 1-2 sheets of paper for each seed ball you want to make.
Once ripped, put into water. You can soak the paper overnight to help it break up, but you don’t need to for it to work.
Make sure you have enough water to completely cover the paper. If you don’t use enough water, it will not break down properly. Adding too much water is okay, it will just take longer to strain the water out later.
Use the blender, or hand mixer to break down the paper into pulp. This is a great learning activity for kids to get an idea of how (recycled) paper is made. Continue blending until all of the paper is broken down.
Once you have lots of paper pulp, you are ready to create your seed balls. If you have time, the paper pulp is a great opportunity for sensory play for kids. Let kids get their hands into the pulp. It can get messy, but it’s a great experience.
DIY Father’s Day Gift Idea
Begin by removing some of the water using a strainer. Keep the paper pulp wet, but not soaking wet.
Add seeds to the mixture. You should add enough so that the seeds are visible throughout the paper pulp. Fully mix in.
You can also add food coloring at this point. I added blue to one bowl of the paper pulp and seed mixture, green to another bowl and left some without color.
You can use any cookie cutters you have on hand to create the seed balls, or you can simply roll the mixture into balls.
I personally found that the cookie cutters work well with children to create the seed bombs. Fill the cutter with the mixture and squeeze the excess water out. You can remove as much water at this point as you can. It’s okay if some water is left in the seed bomb, it will just take longer to dry.
Once you have created all of your seed bombs, in the shape you like, set them aside to dry. Depending on how warm the location is that you’re drying the shapes, it can take a few days to be completely dry.
Avoid leaving the seed bombs in a damp warm place. The seeds will begin to sprout, which you want to avoid.
Make sure the seed balls are completely dry. Once they are, they’re ready to give for Father’s Day.
The dry seed balls can be stored for awhile. They won’t start to sprout until water is added.
DIY Fathers Day Gift Idea – Tag
As you’re waiting for your seed bombs to dry, you can prepare your Father’s Day gift tag. The free printable is available below.
Print copies of the tag and have children color them however they wish. Each page includes two tags.
Once the tag is colored, attach it to a bag with the seed bombs inside. I used four seed balls in my bag, but you can include as many as you create.
Fold the tag in half over the top of the bag and secure it with a staple. The planting instructions are on the back of the tag so Dads know how to care for the seed bombs.
Taking Care of Your Seed Squares
Plant the seeds in soil, in a sunny place. Wet with water and keep moist.
Kids will love checking on the seed bombs as they begin to sprout and grow. Over time the paper in the seed bomb will break down into the soil and you will be left with beautiful flowers!
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