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The small give away with the big impression

Seedsticks are based on the original 1940's design for a book of matches. Rather than an explosive head on the end of the match we use our own patented machinery to glue plant seeds onto the sticks - hence the name 'Seedsticks'.

This unique and exclusive product manufactured by Sow Easy is the perfect premium gift for pennies. By branding the cover, and even choosing a bespoke shape, Seedsticks offer a point of discussion and a longer lasting memory of your corporate message.

There are many varieties of seed to chose from and we can totally personalise the product to meet your exact requirements.

A variety of alternative shapes are available for larger quantities, to enhance your message. In the past, these have included bottles, carrots, bananas and mobile phones. Let us know your idea and we will see if we can make it for you.

The seedbook format lends itself to a variety of products including matches, emery boards, memo jotter and sewing kits. Please contact us for further information.

This unique and exclusive product manufactured by Sow Easy is the perfect premium gift for pennies. By branding the cover as has been done with millions of book matches, Seedsticks will offer a longer lasting memory of your corporate message.

From caulis to kale, poppies to parsley, strawberries to spruce trees - there are so many varieties of seed to chose from, you can totally personalise the product to meet your exact requirements.

HOW MANY SEEDSTICKS ARE IN EACH BOOK?

Seedsticks come in packs of either 5 or 10. You'll specify when you order and the artwork sizing is slightly different.

WHAT TYPES OF SEEDS ARE AVAILABLE?

We can supply a wide range of seeds including herbs, flowers, vegetables, fruits and trees. The only restrictions are size, and occasionally cost and availability. Some of our customers' favourites are: basil, mint, thyme, forget-me-nots, poppies, wildflowers, tomatoes, chillies, alpine strawberries and mixed herbs. If there is something else you fancy, let us know and we should be able to supply it (as long as it is legal!). If you can't decide - just ask. We can make recommendations based on the season, germination times and the type of product you're planning.

CAN YOU DO SEEDSTICK BOOKS IN DIFFERENT SHAPES?

We regularly make seedstick packets in bespoke shapes. These have included telephones, houses, buses and bookmarks. Talk to us and we will do our best to bring your ideas to life.

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The small give away with the big impression Seedsticks are based on the original 1940's design for a book of matches. Rather than an explosive head on the end of the match we use our own patented machinery to glue plant seeds onto the sticks - hence the name 'Seedsticks'.

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Some garden seeds are very hard to sow because they are so tiny. Once in the soil, the rain often washes them away. To solve this, try making homemade seed tapes to be sure the seeds grow right where you want them.

For more, I have listed more tips and tricks for handling tiny seeds here.

Complete guide to indoor seed starting. Grow your own garden!
See contents ->

Wait! Where Did My Seeds Go?

Some seeds are just so tiny that when you try to plant them, the wind blows them away. This tutorial shows you a really simple way to make seed tapes. It's really just a way to temporarily attach little seeds (like carrot seeds) to a surface that holds them in place while you plant them.

Because they're on a tape (or length of toilet paper, really), you can also control how far apart they are planted. The entire thing is placed in the garden. The toilet paper will disintegrate and the seeds will sprout right where you planted them.

There are more seed starting tips here.

When seeds are tiny and hard to manage and you don't want to plant a lot just to thin a bunch out, I say Glue 'em down! It just takes a tiny dab.

I first tried making carrot seed tapes last year and my germination rates were excellent.

I grew several different varieties and I didn't have to do any seedling thinning. I'm a thinning klutz so I prefer to sow my seeds carefully instead.

Complete guide to indoor seed starting. Grow your own garden!
See contents ->

How to Make Seed Tapes

This method will work with any fine seeds.

Supplies

toilet paper or paper towel

seeds

paint brush or pencil

glue / paste made from 1 teaspoon baking flour and a bit of water

measuring tape

The flour and water glue should be thick enough to sit on the end of your brush or pencil without dripping. You need only about a teaspoon of flour to glue several tapes.

My raised beds are 4×8′ so I make my seed tapes in 2′ lengths. This way I can plant them side by side or in a row the whole width of the bed.

Tear off the length of toilet paper you want and write the name of the seed type on it.

Decide how close together you want to place the seeds. I place about 50 carrot seeds on a 5″ x 4′ length. If you are unsure, follow the advice on your seed packet.

Pour the number of seeds you'll be using on a clean plate and spread them apart so they're easy to pick up one at a time.

Dab the brush in the glue and then pick up a seed with it.

Dab the seed onto the toilet paper and let the glue settle around it. Use your finger to help if you need to.

When you're done, leave the whole thing to dry. Even when the glue is dry, the seeds stay stuck to the paper quite well.

If you have leftover seeds that you want to use up, you can make a few T.P. seed bombs. Take smaller sections of toilet paper, write the name of the seeds on them, and glue on more seeds. I use the mini seed tapes to add patches of veggies to gaps in my flower beds.

Planting The Seed Tape

To plant the tape, prepare your growing area as usual and lay the tape down.

Cover it with the appropriate depth of soil and water as usual.

The toilet paper gradually dissolves and the seeds take root. I got a stellar crop this way last year. I also have extremely sandy soil which pleases carrots immensely.

As mentioned, this works well with other seeds too, not just carrots.

TIP: The optimum soil temperature for sowing carrots seeds is 80F (26C). You can check with a kitchen meat thermometer like this one.

Buy it Here

Storing Seed Tapes

If you're not ready to plant them yet, just leave the seed tapes flat, stacking one on top of the next. As long as they don't get wet or shaken, they should be fine until you're ready to use them.

Seeds do best in cool, dry storage, just above freezing. You can read more tips here. Many of us cannot provide optimum conditions but do the best we can.

If they start to germinate in storage, contact the authorities immediately. (Just checking if anyone is reading this. They won't germinate in storage unless it's warm and humid.)

Benefits

Use just the number of seeds you want to plant, without having to thin them out.

Save on the cost of seeds. If you're like me and like to try a wide variety of seeds but don't have a garden buddy nearby to share shipping costs and packets with, exact planting with seed tapes is a frugal alternative.

Making seed tapes is a bit slow but surprisingly relaxing. Go figure.

Happy growing.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

PS: There are other good tips for sowing tiny seeds here.

The 12 most popular garden tip sheets and checklists.
See contents->

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How to Make Seed Tapes - Empress of Dirt

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Some garden seeds are very hard to sow because they are so tiny. Once in the soil, the rain often washes them away. To solve this, try making homemade seed tapes to be sure the seeds grow right where you want them. For more, I have listed more tips and tricks for handling tiny seeds here.

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How to Make Paper (out of recycled paper)

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put seeds in a little pouch at the front

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put seeds in a little pouch at the front

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Handmade Plant Pot Father's Day Card With Keepsake Veg

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A fun, gardening themed card with a handmade felt plant pot and mini beetroot keepsake created especially for Father's Day.The mini felt beetroot to go inside the card is optional. Both the size of the mini beetroot keepsake and the card can be found at the bottom of this description.

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A beautiful seeded congratualtions on your wedding day card that re-grows into flowers! These cards are 100% recycled and contain real wild flower seeds embedded inside the card. The seeds inside are especially chosen to promote garden wildlife and cards should be planted within 2 years of purchase.

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I asked Meryl Hooker some questions about the retail scene and what artists should know about greeting card trends.

She has worked with many independent card designers as a greeting card sales rep, won several awards for her sales skills and has a special talent of pinpointing what people want. When I worked with her, she was often my top selling rep.

She is now the card and gift buyer at Pulp, a trendy store in Washington DC. (more bio below).

What do customers want these days?

One thing I see every day is that people still want, and actively seek out contemporary items that reflect who they are. We have a national drugstore chain one block away from the store and people could choose to get their cards there, but they come to Pulp instead. That says something to me about the quality of product and aesthetic our customer base is willing to pay for.

Going from a manufacturer's sales reps to a greeting card buyer at a store, my plot point has moved and I'm closer to the customer than I was. I am exposed to vast amounts of raw, uncensored data every day in terms of what customers want, think, and are willing to spend.

For the independent card designer, what do you think they should pay attention to? What should they stay away from?

My best advice for independent card designers is:

Build the strongest, most cohesive, sellable line you can.

Create a strong collection of birthday, thank you, sympathy, wedding and baby cards.

Blank cards still have legs provided the designs are strong.

Learn how to run a business and understand it is, first and foremost, a business.

Learn about the industry from both the creative and retail side.

Ship on time.

Be professional and easy to work with.

Stick with a traditional 5x7 size and stay away from square cards.

I recently interviewed six stores who sell handmade cards and they all said card sales have increased over the last 2 years What do you attribute this to?
People have an innate need to connect with other people. As sexy and convenient as social platforms are, ultimately, they lack human warmth. You can't send a text to the birthday boy at the party when you hand him the gift and even in our practically etiquetteless society, you still can't email your condolences.

At the end of the day, each of us wants to feel connected to other people and just the right card can express how we feel. No matter how tech savvy any of us is or becomes, we can't get away from that basic need.
The primary thing I've noticed is how much paper we still sell at Pulp. Cards have always been a key category and I'm really happy to say it continues to be true. I've seen so many independently owned stores move away from greeting cards as a major category in favor of gift items so I was pleasantly surprised to see that cards are still cranking at our registers.

As a buyer, what are the important things you look for, when selecting cards for the store?

I am primarily looking for a solid lines that will meet the needs of my customers in terms of purpose, price and design. Every card on my shelves must pass the " why would someone send this card?" test. The price has to be consistent with the type and quality of the card and, most importantly, the design has to fit in with the Pulp brand. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of card lines that I personally love but will not bring into the store because they aren't the right fit. Believe me, it's hard to turn so many brilliant companies away, but the business manager side of my job has the final say over the creative, artistic buying side.

Meryl Hooker is an independent business development expert dedicated to helping locally owned businesses thrive in a big box world. She is an internationally recognized speaker, consultant and writer currently serving as the General Manager & Buyer at PULP in Washington, DC. In 2012, Meryl retired after nearly 15 years of serving as a Mid-Atlantic sales representative for greeting card and gift companies.

She was a partner at Center Aisle Group and co-authored a book for the greeting card industry " Pushing the Envelope: the Small Greeting Card Manufacturer's Guide to Working With Sales Reps" and" Showtime! The Greeting Card and Gift Company's Guide to Trade Show Success".

A self-described sales nerd, Meryl takes great pride in the fact she's seen the legendary rock band, KISS, 19 times - and counting-and openly credits KISS, Inc., as the model and inspiration for her business structure and success.

Get Your Greeting Cards Into Stores: How to Find and Work With Sales Reps (Updated 2017 paperback) If you like to make greeting cards, this book explains how to get your cards into stores and sell them nationwide. Learn about changing trends in the indie card market and niche opportunities available for artists. Book includes detailed guidelines on pricing cards for a profit, getting professional feedback on your designs, finding sales representatives, pitching your card line to them, approaching stores, and the industry standards you should follow. Information is also applicable to gift items, such as magnets, journals and calendars.

Greeting Card Design This volume features a vast array of fun, elegant, simple and imaginative greeting cards designed by internationally-known artists, illustrators and calligraphers. With over 300 full-color photographs of creative, popular, and inspiring greeting card designs, this invaluable sourcebook showcases the very best of what is happening in the industry today. Accompanying text explores the history of the greeting card industry and examines the major contributions from the leading innovative companies.

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What kind of Greeting Cards do People Buy?

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I asked Meryl Hooker some questions about the retail scene and what artists should know about greeting card trends. She has worked with many independent card designers as a greeting card sales rep, won several awards for her sales skills and has a special talent of pinpointing what people want.