Homemade Seed Packets - No Cutting, No Gluing!

I've finally settled on my favorite homemade seed packet design. 

(A printable template is available. Folding instructions are in this post.)

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It's based on Robert Pavlis's very useful idea for folding any handy paper into a homemade seed packet.

His YouTube video,

"How to Make a Simple Paper Seed Envelope (packet)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvGrIAkcv5k 

shows how to quickly fold a seed packet to any size you need, from any paper available, so that you always have a way to save seeds, no matter where you travel.

Pavlis's design allows you to collect anything from large seed-heads to tiny seeds, folded safely into a packet that is easily slipped into your pocket, purse, or pack. And you can write all the information you need to remember about the plant right on the packet with a pen or pencil!

Since I want my packets to accept printed information, my seed packets start with printer paper. The most common printer paper in the U.S., 8 1/2" x 11", can be neatly folded into a standard 3" x 5" seed packet like this:

• First, fold the 11" length at 5" and 10" (I also fold at 10 1/4" to make a top flap easier to close)
• Then, fold the 8 1/2" length at 2 3/4" and 5 3/4" (this gives a center panel 3" wide for printing)

I use a grooved scoring board to make the folding easy and to keep all my packets uniform.

A supply of my pre-folded blank packets is ready to carry in my gardening basket and to slip into my pocket when I go out.

Here's an example of a printed packet for Anise Hyssop seeds I collected this week: 

• scored

• folded in half, then in thirds

• printed front and back showing

I highly recommend Robert Pavlis's YouTube channel, Garden Fundamentals, with its many useful and informative videos, and his blogs are great reading and references on many topics!

https://www.gardenfundamentals.com/gardening-information/

https://www.gardenmyths.com/sample-page/

(updated link on 8/24/22)