Seed Art
 Seed art is an old craft going back to
long ago. When the art of turning seeds into pictures first began is obscured
by time. The seed art was created by Alice B. Yeager. The basket is made
from grains of rice and the flowers with seeds of mimosa, pepper, mustard
and four o'clock.
Find Seeds
Once you start looking you will find seeds in many places. Collect seeds
when the weather is good, and then make your pictures indoors when the
weather takes a downturn.You can make seed hunting into a fun outing.
- save seeds from your own plants
- look in your spice rack
- look for grains andbeans
- fruits and vegetables
Spread fresh seeds out on a tray indoors where they can dry thoroughly
before being put in containers. Newly gathered seeds may mold if put away
too soon.
Materials
Egg cartons are useful storage containers. Names of seeds may be written
on the
lids, and the cartons stacked to save space.
Buy an organizer—a small metal cabinet with lots of drawers. Horizontal
dividers in the
drawers make it possible to keep many varieties of seeds separated.
Burlap is an excellent fabric to use as background for seed art. It is
available in
several colors and is usually reasonable in price. Light green is a good
neutral shade.
A lightweight board or a discarded piece of Masonite—something that
won’t bend—is recommended for a stiff backing.
Elmer’s Glue-All and toothpicks.
Procedure
For your first picture keep it small and simple. Try a 3 x 5" size
and make a vase of flowers. Put glue-all on the board and glue the burlap
to it. Let it dry completely.Use a piece of chalk or a pastel pencil to
lightly outline the vase on the burlap.You can draw a rough sketch first
on paper to guide you.
Apply glue along the top edge of the vase. Touch the end of a toothpick
to the glue and use the moistened tip to pick up a seed. Place the seed
in the middle of the top line and work toward the left and right until
the top line is completed. Repeat for the next line and so on until the
vase area is covered, using glue as needed. Select the highest center
point for the flowers and taper downward toward the sides.You can work
starting from an outer circle and overlap seeds around in a circle until
you reach the center. Use a mustard seed for the center point.
Frame it
Show off a seed picture masterpiece by giving it a proper frame. A fancy
gilded type of frame would detract from the picture. A simple hardwood
frame is best. Bugs and rats will like your picture too so it is a good
idea to spray it lightly with a non-oily insecticide every few months. |
