Wildflower Seed Paper: Creating Ostara Magic with Children
By: Holly Morgan; Whole Woven Home
The songs of the sandhill cranes high in the sky bespeak the early days of spring. And while we are still left to watch the snow melt slowly away into the Earth, we are oscillating our attention from our indoor activities to exploring the rebirth of the natural world outdoors. Since becoming a mother, I have very much enjoyed cultivating with the children those traditions and observations that come with the transition of seasons, and in the Midwest there is none more patient than emerging out of a winter slumber to celebrate Ostara, or the Spring Equinox. The Ostara folklore from around the world includes deities like Asase Yaa (Ashanti) the Earth goddess, Freya the goddess of fertility, and Eostre, the spring goddess who was said to have turned a wounded bird into a hare. In our home, the Equinox represents the celebration of the fertility of the land, and we enjoy beginning to plant seeds for our garden + having outdoor fires. We are always eager to get our hands in the soil, our bare feet on the ground, and let the longer hours of sunshine wrap us up like a warm, familiar hug.
This year we found ourselves with loads of bits and scraps of paper from various learning activities + projects, and I was inspired by a pen pal to give paper making a go. For a little extra fun, we added wildflower seeds, so the paper can be returned to the earth and provide for our pollinator friends. The process is messy and very sensory, so you will want to allow for time, space and supplies to accommodate. I also enjoy the spontaneous uncertainty of how each batch will be slightly different, so I did not use measurements, rather I just did what felt good. I highly recommend this method, for if you are enjoying this project with littles, attention for the details of measurement needn’t be a factor.
You will need:
• Scrap paper, shredded or torn into small pieces*
• Large Bowl
• Blender
• Large, shallow container
• Mould and Deckle**
• Sponge or Swedish dishcloth
*We used a combination of blue shades of paper scraps with the neutrals to make the batch of blue colored paper.
**There are several good tutorials online for creating a mould and deckle, most easily made from an old picture frame, some screen, and a staple gun.
Making Wildflower Seed Paper:
I used an old Ball canning pot with a colander basket inside to soak the paper in warm water overnight. This made it easy to drain the water from the paper and save it to add to the Vitamix for blending into pulp. I recommend starting with a small amount of paper in the blender (perhaps one fourth full) and slowly adding more paper need be, as it will need to be quite heavily diluted. When you have the paper blended into a relatively thin pulp, you can add it to a large, shallow container. Then you fill the mould and deckle with the pulp, tilt slightly to drain as much water as possible, and invert onto a towel, using the sponge to absorb any excess water until the sheet of paper releases from the mould. You will want to add your seeds during this step before you invert onto the towel to avoid them becoming too saturated. I transferred the paper sheets onto baking pans + dried them in the afternoon sun.
However you choose to welcome the season, the magic of spring can be easily found. Simply taking to the outdoors with children and observing the changes of the trees as they prepare to bud leaves, the animals + insects that have awoken, the songs of the birds returning from their migration. Let’s not forget the nourishment of the spring season- as the hens begin laying with more daylight, and the shoots + sprouts of early spring greens emerge. We are just beginning to see the labors of our autumn love peeking through the leaves along the fence in our new yard- spring florals, a personal favorite of mine. Ostara Blessings, friends. There is much to be grateful for.
About the Author
Holly Morgan is a Circle Facilitator and Creative. She resides in Wisconsin where she is mothering two children. Holly believes in a life rooted deeply in rhythm with the natural seasons of the Earth. She loves gardening + preserving, photography, sharing in community with the lunar cycles, and nourishing the spiritual elements of daily life woven in simple tasks like preparing a meal with her family or taking a woodland walk. Connect with Holly @wholewovenhome and www.wholewovenhome.com