How many seed bombs do I need per guest?

Two balls per guest is the usual rule of thumb: visibly more than one, and still small enough for a bag that fits on a plate. For couples and families one bag per household is often enough.

How far in advance should I order?

Six to eight weeks before the event is relaxed. The balls are rolled by hand and then have to dry through; larger quantities need lead time. Bags and tags often come from other suppliers and should arrive earlier.

How long does it take to fill a hundred bags?

Two people at a kitchen table manage roughly forty to fifty filled and labelled bags an hour. So for a hundred guests, plan a whole evening rather than half an hour before the party.

Will the balls keep until the event?

Yes. Stored dry, dark and cool they stay viable at least until the next season. The only thing that matters is that they do not get damp – a cellar with condensation is the wrong place.

Seed bombs as party favours: a planning guide for weddings, christenings and company events

Most party favours do not survive the party. They end up next to the champagne glass, travel into a handbag and from there into a drawer. Seed bombs have an advantage: they only get interesting months later – when something flowers in your guests’ gardens that came from your celebration.

What needs planning fits into four questions: how many balls, which packaging, which wording, and when does it all have to be there?

1. How many balls per guest?

Two balls per guest is the figure I work with most often. A single ball looks like a leftover; three make the bag heavy and the bill expensive. Two look like something and are enough for a balcony box.

Two exceptions: for couples and families one bag per household is often enough, which quickly saves a third. And if many children are coming, plan for more – children throw immediately, not next spring.

2. The maths, without a calculator

20 guests
40 balls → one set of Forty loose (€19.00) is exactly right. For a reserve, add Twenty loose in four mixes.
30 guests
60 balls → one set of Forty plus Twenty, or go straight to A hundred loose with a reserve for late arrivals.
50 guests
100 balls → one set of A hundred loose (€49.00) makes exactly fifty two-ball bags.
80 guests
160 balls → two sets of a hundred. The remaining forty are your breakage reserve and table decoration.
120 guests
240 balls → from here on an enquiry pays off: larger quantities, a fixed split between mixes and your own tags are something I plan with you.

Rule of thumb: a hundred loose balls make fifty filled two-ball bags. Add five to ten per cent as a reserve – for breakage, for unexpected guests and for your own windowsill.

3. Packaging: what works and what does not

Loose balls come without packaging so that you can decide yourself. What has proved itself:

Linen or cotton bags, around 7 × 10 cm. They look good, they tie shut, and a tag fits onto the cord.
Small paper bags with a stamp or sticker. The cheapest option and entirely plastic-free.
Boxes or jars if it has to stand on a laid table. Careful: glass is heavy and the balls roll about in transit.
Organza photographs well but is plastic. If you are planning plastic-free, leave it out.

Only one thing really matters: keep them dry. No bags next to ice buckets, no decoration left outside overnight. Damp balls start doing their job, and that should happen in your guests’ gardens.

4. The tag – more important than the packaging

A seed bomb looks like a lump of soil. Without an explanation nobody knows what is on their plate – and in the worst case it goes in the bin. So the tag should say three things: what it is, what to do with it and who it is from.

Wording you can copy:

Wedding: “So that our day keeps flowering. Put the balls on soil in spring, water them in – and see what happens. Anna & Jonas, 12 June 2027”

Christening: “Grow and bloom. For Mathilda, christened on 3 May. Place on soil, water, wait.”

Communion or confirmation: “A piece of meadow to take home. Place on loose soil, water – it flowers in summer.”

Birthday: “Instead of flowers: flowers for later. Throw, water, wait.”

Company event: “Thank you for a flourishing year. Two seed bombs for a balcony or garden – place on soil, water, come back in summer.”

If you like, add an address where guests can read up on how it works – for example seedball-roadshop.de. That saves space on the tag and still answers every question.

5. Sorting by colour

Loose balls come in different earth tones: ochre, grey, brown and rust red, depending on clay and mix. On request I sort them by colour beforehand. That is not a cosmetic detail: a celebration planned in warm tones looks completely different with rust-red and ochre balls than with grey ones. Just tell me your colour scheme.

6. The timeline

8 weeks before
Decide the quantity and order the balls. For more than a hundred, ask first whether the amount is possible in the mix you want.
6 weeks before
Order bags, tags, cord and stamp. Test the bag size with an actual ball rather than deciding from a photo.
3 weeks before
Packing evening. Two people, some music, box by box. Make one sample bag first, then the rest.
1 week before
Store the finished bags dry and cool, ideally not in a car and not in a damp cellar.
On the day
On the plate, at each seat, or in a basket by the exit. By the exit they go home most reliably.

7. The question of season

A party in July does not mean the balls have to be thrown in July – on the contrary, that would be the worst moment. A line such as “best in spring” on the tag solves it. Why that is, is explained in detail in the sowing calendar.

The five most common mistakes

Ordering too late – hand-rolled balls need drying time.
Buying bags that are too small without trying a ball in one.
No tag: guests have no idea what they are holding.
Storing bags damp – then it germinates on the buffet.
Counting exactly, with no reserve for breakage and extra guests.

And if you are planning something that is not covered here – three hundred balls for a company anniversary, a fixed split across five mixes, individual wording on every tag: write to me. That is exactly what the form is for.

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