DIY Plantable Christmas Cards

Come along to Bendigo EcoLivings free Christmas without the Waste workshop on Thursday the 17th of December 12.30-1.30 at Allan's Walk EcoLiving, shop 10, Allan's Walk

Here is a sneak preview of what Verity will be sharing with you.

DIY Plantable Christmas Cards

Equipment

1 Pot

1 Stick blender or paint stirrer

1 Spoon

2 Sheets fly wire screen (as big as the paper you want to make)

2 Old Towels

Ingredients

Shredded recycled paper

Water

Xanthan Gum (optional)

Cornflour (optional)

Plant seeds (of your choice)

To make your paper pulp:

Half fill a medium saucepan with shredded paper. Add just enough water to cover the paper and then slowly bring to the boil. Then set aside and allow to cool.

Place in a cup xanthan gum and cornflour (approx ½ teaspoon of each for every litre of paper pulp). Whilst stirring, add just enough water to make a smooth paste.

Add your paste to your pulp and then blend with a stick blender, if you’re making large amounts of paper a paint stirrer attached to a power drill may work better. Blend until it is nice and pulpy. It should have the consistency of porridge.

To make the paper:

 Lay out a towel on a table. Then lay down one of the pieces of fly screen. Spoon out your pulp onto the fly screen and try and spread it as thinly and evenly as you can to the size you want your paper (keeping in mind it will get bigger). Cover with second sheet of fly screen and gently roll with a rolling pin. You will see the paper start to even out.

Remove the top layer of flyscreen and sprinkle on seeds. Add another very fine layer of pulp and again with flyscreen roll with rolling pin. Then place a second towel on top and roll again to soak up the water from the paper and presto!! You have plantable paper which can then be made into a card or gift tag.

Hints & Tips:

Xanthan gum and cornflour help to bind the paper together making it stronger if you want your paper to break down quicker don’t add these and use paper that has already been recycled i.e.: newspaper.

Wait for paper to be semi dried before you try and remove from the flyscreen, complete drying can up to 2 days so don’t be too impatient.

To make your cards even more eco friendly remember to use native plant seeds.