DIY Network

Seed Art Plant a new look for your wall art. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-306

Your creativity will blossom with seed art.

Most of us remember gluing navy beans to construction paper as children. Well, seed art is all grown up, thanks to Michele Beschen.

The B. Original host shares her tips for creating original artwork from seeds, beans and dried herbs – without a piece of construction paper in sight! Then, she shows how to update a hum-drum piece of thrift store artwork with the seed treatment, giving it new depth and personality.

Scroll down for this easy how-to, and start growing some art!

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Seed Art From Scratch

Materials:

sandpaper, burlap or heavy, textured fabric
sandpaper
strong fabric glue
bamboo skewers
seeds, dried beans, birdseed, dried herbs

	Figure A
	Figure B

• Make sure to use a heavy, textured material such as burlap or sandpaper for the piece so the glue has something to stick to. Don't use a slick fabric, or your creation will slide right off.

• Make sure to use fabric glue that dries clear and has a strong hold. Make sure any seeds or beans are thoroughly dried out.

• If desired, cut out contrasting pieces of fabric and glue them to the base piece to create simple designs (figure A).

• Use skewers to help spread the glue on the desired areas and press in the seeds. Use plenty of glue, and apply more seeds than seem necessary to make sure the glue is completely covered.

• Shake off excess seeds before applying glue to the next area.

• Plant your art on the wall (figure B) and wait for the compliments to sprout!

	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

Update Old Art with Seeds

Materials:

old painting or wall art
strong fabric glue
bamboo skewers
seeds, dried beans, birdseed, dried herbs

• Yard sales and thrift stores are a great source for "fixer upper" paintings to refurbish with seeds and other natural materials (figure C).

• Make sure to choose a strong, clear-drying fabric glue for this project. Also make sure that any seeds or beans are thoroughly dried out.

• Decide what parts of the picture to embellish, and what materials to use.

• Choose one section to embellish and cover the design with a thick layer of glue. Stay in the lines of the artwork and use a skewer to spread the glue evenly and precisely (figure D). Try not to get excess glue on the canvas.

• Pour small seeds or beans into the glue and press down. Place large seeds or dried herbs one at a time. You also can spread glue onto large seeds and herbs before placing them on the picture (figure E).

• Make sure to cover all glue thoroughly, press the material in firmly and gently shake off any excess before applying glue to the next section.

• Keep as many details of the artwork as possible: Use seeds that are the same colors as the original design (figure F).

• Don't cover the entire painting with seeds – just use them to embellish what's already there.