How to Make a Seed Catalog Garden

Read all of the steps before starting.

Step 1: Project Preparation

Read through the project then gather the materials needed for making the garden. If you don't have any seed catalogs, check with neighbors and family or use magazines with pictures of flowers. For younger children, you might also want to precut the slots in the shoebox.

Step 2: Cut Catalogs

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Take your seed catalogs and have the kids cut out the flowers that they like. For a vegetable garden, cut out vegetables and fruits.

This is the time to plan your garden. Do you want flowers of one or two colors or a full range of colors? What vegetables will you plant?

Step 3: Glue

Glue the cutouts onto craft sticks or popsicle sticks. Tip: If the catalog paper is thin or flimsy, glue the cutout to a scrap of white paper or cardstock before gluing it to the stick.

Step 4: Cut Shoe Box

Decide whether you will use the top or the bottom of the shoe box for your garden. Use the tip of your scissors to cut slits in the shoe box. Make the slits slightly less than the width of the craft stick and arrange them in rows or randomly. Tip: Start with just a few slits and add more as you plant the garden.

Step 5: Plant Garden

To plant your garden, insert the sticks with the cutouts into the 12. Arrange them anyway you like. Adjust the height of each plant by how far you insert it into the shoe box. Try different arrangements. Use your imagination. It's fun to plant and then harvest, and plant again.

Tip: When you are done playing, store your plants in the shoe box for another day.