Well, I don't know about you but my mailbox in the last couple of days has been hit with seed catalogs. As I eagerly scanned each page with anticipation planning out just what I wanted to plant and looking at the beautiful pictures, my mind started wondering to what I could do with the catalog after I placed my order and here are some of the things I came up with.
One of the catalogs looks like an old Sears Catalog printed with the old time pictures and font so I thought these would be great to make envelopes with for a garden party. First get yourself a white invitation envelope. Carefully unfold the envelope. You are going to use this as your template. Carefully trace around the envelope onto card stock. Cut out. Now take a page from your catalog and glue it to the cardstock and cut out. Following your template as a guide to fold and glue to make an envelope. Any invitation can now be used in your new envelope but you can make a matching invitation doing the same thing covering the cardstock and putting your invite on the inside. Depending on how detailed your page from the catalog was, you may want to use a mailing label so your addresses show up.
I then thought about those little paper mache boxes that you can get really cheap at the craft store. These could be decoupaged with the pages of any catalog, to be used any way you would like. Cut out just flowers or add some trees and bushes if you like. Small silk flowers glued to the top and you would have a beautiful box to fill with candy for Mother's day and simple enough that the kids could do it.
Next, I thought about seed packets to give as gifts. Take a page out of your catalog and fold until you have the size you would like. Double fold the edges and glue down. Now you can fill this with seeds you have saved from your own garden. Add a sticker to the front with the type of seeds and a small bow and you have an easy gift for that neighbor or friend.
How about some plant sticks? Easy as pie. Just cut out the picture of the herb or flower and glue to cardstock and add a chopstick cut in half. Now you have a plant stick for that container herb garden.
How about making a card game for the kids? How about cutting out a bunch of vegetable pictures, glueing them to cardstock and then laminating them with clear contact paper. They then could play concentration or a matching game or make up what it takes to make a good salad. Flash cards can be expensive but these are practically free. You could do this with fruit also.
Well, I am sure with some brainstorming you can come up with some ideas too. I challenge you to leave feedback with your ideas.
By Debra Frick from Colorado Springs, Colorado
