DIY Garden Gifts: Seed Starting Kits
By Amanda Shepard
As you probably know, there’s nothing better than getting a gift that grows. With Valentine’s Day and spring just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to put together DIY Garden Gifts for friends, significant others, kids, and more. These seed starting kits are super easy and affordable to make. They can be customized to fit your creativity and personal style. This is a fun project for a cold winter afternoon, and also a great activity to do with children.
The complete seed starting kits can be started on a sunny windowsill 4-8 weeks before the last frost in your area, depending on the variety. Our seed packets offer easy-to-grow wildflower, vegetable, and herb seeds, and can make even a novice gardener feel like they have a green thumb.
See the materials and instructions below for DIY Seed Starting Kits! Plus, take a look at four ideas for seed kit themes, including Easy Pollinator Garden, My First Garden, Valentine's Day, and Easy Veggie & Herb Seed Kits.
Materials For DIY Seed Starting Kits
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The supplies for these Seed Starting Kits can be found on our website, around the house, and/or at your local craft store for just a few dollars.
- American Meadows Seed Packets
- Egg Cartons or Seed Starting Trays
- Seed Starting Soil (This typically performs better than regular potting soil)
- 1 Quart Plastic Baggies
- Twine or Ribbon
- Notecards, Gift Tags, and/or Index Cards
- Markers, Pens, and Stickers, or other fun materials for decorating
Instructions For DIY Seed Starting Kits
- Cut a full-sized egg carton in half using a serrated knife. Clean up any rough edges with a pair of scissors.
- Fill plastic baggies about ⅓ to ½ full of seed starting soil.
- Next come the tags and notes. Write the name of your garden on a tag that will go on the outside of the kit, and on a notecard for inside. Add any growing instructions you’d like on the notecard (although our packets do have instructions on the back). Decorate your notes with stickers, colorful writing, and more. Have fun!
- Place your soil bag inside the egg carton, along with the notecard and seed packets. Close the carton.
- Use ribbon or twine to wrap a bow around the closed kit -- don’t forget to include your handwritten tag! Decorate the outside of the carton with stickers, drawings, or however you’d like to get creative.
- Give to your lucky friend, neighbor, family member, or child to start their own seeds!
4 Ideas For Seed Kits
Depending on who will receive your seed starting kits, there are endless themes to choose from! Below are four ideas using some of our most popular seed packets.
Easy Pollinator Garden: Featuring our Bee Happy, Let’s Grow A Butterfly Garden, and Feed The Bees Seed Packets. Whether you're gardening on acres of land, or gardening on a balcony, we can all make a difference when it comes to supporting pollinators.
My First Garden: Featuring our Little Sprouts, My First Garden, Zinnia, and Sunflower Packets. A great activity for kids, or beginning gardeners of any age.
Valentine’s Day Garden: Featuring our Love Is All You Seed, Let Love Grow, and Cosmos Seed Packets. A great alternative (or addition) to the typical candy-focused valentines!
Easy Veggie & Herb Garden: Featuring our Basil, Parsley, Tomato, and Cucumber Seed Packets. A tasty gift that can be used to add some flavor to your friends' cooking! These popular veggies and herbs can be grown in garden beds or containers.
Tips For Starting Seeds
Using the kit is as easy as it looks:
- Simply fill each cell of the carton with seed starting mix
- Sprinkle 2-3 seeds per cell and spray with a water bottle.
- Place this in a warm, sunny spot in your home and keep moist.
- Once there’s no more threat of frost in the spring, cut the cells apart and place each one directly in the ground (egg carton and all).
- Provide supplemental water regularly until sprouts have reached a few inches in height.
Learn more about starting garden seeds in these helpful articles:
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Enjoy free shipping on all seed packets, every day! All of our seeds are non-GMO and guaranteed to grow. Explore our fun and playful seed packet designs to match your style and your growing kit theme.