Make Seed Starters

Seed starters are a fun and easy DIY project you can do by yourself or even with kids. Make seed starters as great gifts to grandparents, moms, coaches, teachers and any special gardener in your life. Make seed starters to teach about the environment, composting, recycling, Earth day, growing seeds etc. You can teach students or kids about the importance of protecting the bees by adding seeds in your seed starter that will naturally attract bees. Bees generally gravitate to flowers that are yellow or purple. 

The supplies needed to make seed starters

The supplies needed to make seed starters

Materials Needed to Make Seed Starters

  • A blender, food processor or hand blender (Smart Stick)

  • Water

  • Recycled paper like construction paper/newspaper/egg cartons

  • A package of seeds

  • A cookie cutter

  • Plastic tray or baking sheets

  • Sponge or tea towel

  • A strainer/sieve

  • A bowl


*If you don’t want to use a blender you can rip the paper into smaller pieces and let in soak in water for longer until it becomes a pulp

Make Seed Starters!

  • Start by tearing up your recycled paper into small pieces about an inch in size

  • Start by putting a couple of handfuls of torn paper into the blender

  • Add some water to cover the paper. It should all be wet. If you have added too much water add some more paper. If your paper is dry add more water. Your blender should be about half full of water and paper. You don’t want to do too much and overwork your blender

  • Blend it for a minute or so. Pour the blended pulp (paper torn up with water mixed) into a strainer over a bowl

  • Squeeze excess water out through the strainer into the bowl by pressing the pulp with your hands

To Receive More Detailed Instructions on How to Make Seed Starters - click the link below!


To receive video instructions of this process, environmental themed activities for kids - click here!

You can dab out the water of a seed starter with a tea towel or sponge to help it dry faster

You can dab out the water of a seed starter with a tea towel or sponge to help it dry faster

What to Do Once You Have Made Your Seed Starters 

  • You can plant them in a flower pot, garden or start them in your home and then transplant them

  • You can give them as a gift to someone



Ideas for Making Your Own Seed Starters

  • Hole-punch your dried seed starter and add a ribbon to make an ornament

  • Glue on your dried seed starter to decorate a card

  • Use seed starters as place cards for a dinner party

  • Give seed starters as a party favour

  • Give seed starters to a school/library or community centre to plant a garden

  • Create seed starters as a birthday party activity

  • Try mixing other colours of paper pulp together to make a multicoloured seed starters

  • Make seed starter fridge magnets

  • Use seed starters as gift tags for presents



Related Articles

Check out my Teachers Pay Teachers Store for more art resources!

Watch YouTube videos on acrylic painting on my channel

Learn about how I make paper with denim here!

Purchase the Seed Starter Lesson, Video and activities here!

Tag your seed starters on instagram @jackiepartridgeart - I would love to see them!

Join my mailing list to receive updates, discounts and special surprises! 

Connect with me on social media - click on one of the icons below! 

14 Considerations for Buying Art


14 considerations for buying art - what you need to think about before you start expanding your art collection! It doesn’t feel like home for me until I start hanging things up on the wall. But there are a lot of decisions to make when it comes to selecting the right piece of art for you! Learn from me, artist Jackie Partridge as I help you with what you need to consider when purchasing artwork!

Art is what makes your house a home. It makes your home come alive and become a place that you enjoy to spend time in.


When it comes to buying art first and foremost you need to buy what speaks to you. It has to be something that you absolutely love. Before even designing a room it helps to know what will be going on the wall. Let your art collection be the focal point.


There are many things to consider when it comes to buying artwork for your home.

Handmade paper art by Jackie Partridge -check out the shop here!

Handmade paper art by Jackie Partridge -check out the shop here!

Here is a list of 14 questions to consider when buying art:

  1. Is it important to buy local?

  2. Is it important to buy from someone you know?

  3. Where will this artwork be displayed?

  4. What size of space do you have?

  5. What does the decor of your space look like? 

  6. Does the art come framed or need to be framed?

  7. What frame or display method suits the artwork?

  8. Does this piece of art mesh well with other artwork or photographs?

  9. What is the budget to spend on art?

  10. Is this the right investment for me and my home at this time?

  11. What colour are the walls, flooring and nearby furniture?

  12. What is your design style? 

  13. Is this something you will love in the future or is it just a trend?

  14. Is there enough lighting for the artwork?


Once you have thought about the above considerations it will be easier for you to make a purchasing decision.

Owning original art is an investment in your home and how you express your sense of style/personality. Therefore, make sure you do your research so you can be completely satisfied with your purchase!

Since art is an investment I offer a certificate of authenticity to be able to feel comfortable about the investment in the future.

 

handmade paper art by Jackie Partridge
Blue and White Vintage Burst
CA$90.00
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Tip for buying Art:

If you are working with a lower budget to buy art you can reach out to an artist by asking them for a smaller work or a print of something they have already made.

You could also consider joining your favourite artist's mailing list to stay up to date with when they offer sales or discounts.

For me, I have my annual art sale every November where I give a discount of 20% off and free shipping. In addition, my email subscribers have a chance to purchase art in the last week of October as pre-sale to get something they might have had their eye on. Email list members also are first to know about new art before it is released!

Peach Daisies
CA$90.00
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Handmade paper art by Jackie Partridge

Paper Making with Recycled Blue Jeans

Paper making with recycled blue jeans is a time consuming process but it also a rewarding process. I love being sustainable in my art practice and using recycled blue jeans to make paper is exciting! I will show you how to make paper with recycled blue jeans in this post! I started paper making in 2015, where I was working as a teaching assistant in a paper making class during my MFA. See some behind the scenes about the process of paper making below!

How to Make Paper Out of Recycled Blue Jeans -What You Need

  • a hollander beater

  • water

  • a vat (plastic tub that is shallow)

  • mould and deckle

  • felts

  • sponge

  • jeans that are 100% cotton (they must be 100%)

  • Check out this article for other paper making supplies you need!

How to make paper out of jeans, denim pulp by Jackie Partridge

The Process for Making Paper out of Recycled Denim

Denim Doily -Medium
CA$90.00
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You can make paper with found denim as long as the fibres are 100% cotton. In order to make paper out of fabric the fibres need to be natural and not include synthetic fibres. Now a days it can be hard to find blue jeans like that!

Above is an image from the paper making process —> turning denim —> tiny strands of thread —> to pulp —> to paper


Steps for Paper Making with Recycled Blue Jeans:

In order to make the denim paper the blue jeans must be collected rinsed with water (this removes the laundry detergent so the pulp isn’t foamy) and cut into tiny 1cmx 1cm squares. I sort my denim by shade of blue jeans this will get you different blues in your paper. You will have to rinse the jeans in the washing machine with no detergent for a couple cycles to remove any soap residue. If you don’t properly wash the denim you will get lots of foam and bubbles when you run them through the hollander beater. After the squares are cut they are put into a beater that grinds the natural fibres into tiny blue threads.

After the pulp is beaten down to tiny threads (taking around 4 hours or longer). The longer you beat the denim pulp the less threads appear in the paper. The pulp is added into a vat of water and a mould and deckle are used to create sheets of paper. You will scoop the recycled blue jean denim pulp with a mould and deckle in the vat of water and pull a sheet. Then remove the top mould and press the screen on sheets of felt squeezing out excess water. You can also press down with a dry sponge. Layer a felt of the wet sheets of paper. Then place the stack of felts and blue jean paper in a press to squeeze out extra water. Remove sheets of paper and dry them by hanging or in a flat dryer. It will take over 24 hours to dry.

A handful of denim pulp

A handful of denim pulp

Here is abaca paper mixed with denim pulp in a mould and deckle (this forms the shape of the paper)

Here is abaca paper mixed with denim pulp in a mould and deckle (this forms the shape of the paper)

Leftover pulp dries and water can be added to make it pulp again!

Leftover pulp dries and water can be added to make it pulp again!

Denim Paper-Light and Dark Blue
CA$28.00
Shade of Blue:
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Sediment -Art Installation by Jackie Partridge

Sediment art installation by Jackie Partridge was started in 2017. I started paper making in 2015 where I was working as a teaching assistant in a paper making class during my MFA. See some behind the scenes look at a current project and learn about the process of paper making below!

Sediment is an ongoing art installation since 2017 where I form sheets of handmade paper with blue jeans from my grandfather. Currently there are about 300 pieces of handmade paper.

Sediment art installation with blue denim handmade paper by Jackie Partridge

My grandfather is a retired farmer who sold the family owned century farm in 2012.

The paper acts as a memory and are stacked on the floor like waves in the water.

This piece is inspired by the artwork Remnants that also used old farming clothes belonging to my grandfather.

Learn how to make paper out of denim here! This explains the process for making this artwork.

Sediment art installation by Jackie Partridge made of 300 sheets of handmade denim paper

In order to make the denim paper the blue jeans must be collected rinsed with water and cut into tiny 1”x1” squares. After the squares are cut they are put into a beater that grinds the natural fibres into tiny blue threads.

The paper making process- denim pulp

The paper making process- denim pulp

After the pulp is beaten down to tiny threads (taking around 4 hours or longer) The pulp is added into a vat of water and a mould and deckle are used to create sheets of paper.

This is the mould and deckle used to create the circle sheets of paper

This is the mould and deckle used to create the circle sheets of paper

Marbled Denim Paper
CA$28.00
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I invite you to take a look at the handmade paper I sell in my shop. Check out my beautiful handmade paper art here!

Don’t forget to enter your email at the bottom of the post to save 15% off artwork!

To save 15% off my artwork - enter your email below!

Pocket Full of Sunshine
CA$90.00
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Group Exhibition at the O Gallery, 2020


Check out a group exhibition for artist Jackie Partridge. To see my textile artwork and handmade paper art.


I am excited to announce that I am a part of a group of two other artists showing exhibitions at the O Gallery on 44 Gaukel St. in Kitchener, ON, Canada.

Brown Field 5
CA$110.00
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I will be showing work I have curated for a theme of Fields. This work includes past work of my hand dyed, hand embroidered dish cloths that are beautifully framed and work of my sewn thread line drawings embedded in abaca sheets of handmade paper that are for sale.

Fields is an abstract representation of aerial views of farmlands. I have grown up close to farming and fields and have visually seen the landscape change over time and become more developed.

The exhibition is on view from January 15-March 6, 2020.

See a related artwork inspired from the exhibition here!

hand embroidered and hand dyed dish cloth by Jackie Partridge

To stay connected and learn about upcoming art exhibitions -please follow me on Facebook or Instagram. You can click the icons below!

 

Red and Yellow Field
CA$110.00
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