I’ve begun to gather supplies I will need to start seeds for my garden. Mike was busy yesterday hanging plant lights while I made little pots from newspaper. I have some plastic starting trays, but not quite enough for the seeds I plan to start, so rather than purchase more plastic, I recycled newspaper into pots. I made 8 dozen pots in under an hour. Here’s how it’s done:
Cut each full sheet of newspaper into four.
Fold each square into thirds.
Roll the folded paper around a small juice glass so that about an inch or less of it overlaps the bottom of the glass. Tape with a small piece of masking tape which will eventually decompose along with the newspaper.
To form the bottom of the pot, fold the newspaper down on the bottom of the glass and tape.
Press down to flatten the bottom of the pot.
Remove the pot and you are done!
Shared at: Sunday School, Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, Teach Me Tuesday, Tuesday Garden Party, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Simple Lives Thursday, Rural Thursday, Farmgirl Friday, Family Table Tuesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Healthy 2Day, Real Food Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Down Home Blog Hop, Homeacre Hop, Fight Back Friday, Old Fashioned Friday, Small Footprint Friday, Six Sisters, Homestead Barn Hop, Clever Chicks
What a great way to recycle & garden!
This is fantastic! Maybe I can actually participate this year in the process by doing this. It was helpful to know that it only took under an hour.
Thanks for the info!
Such cute pots & such a cute you! Thanks, Susan! Great Idea !
& Great Blog! (I don’t think I told you that yet)
You’re too sweet!!!!
Pingback: Starting Seeds for Your Garden | learningandyearning
Pingback: Vegetable Gardening 101 | learningandyearning
Great post! I had actually requested a carved wooden thing called the NViroPotter for Christmas to do this specifically. I clicked on your post because I was going to show my sister, thinking “hey that woman has that little tool I wanted but didn’t get!” but then I saw you used a juice glass, which is even more awesome. I will definitely try it! I’ve been saving toilet paper and paper towel rolls for seed starting.
I think the toilet paper and paper towel rolls are a great idea! I’ve seen the wooden thing to which you are referring but I thought I could figure out a way to do the same thing without it. It’s really easy, too.
Rosalyn, I just planted a bunch of seeds using toilet paper rolls, but have found that the glue tends to come loose when I water them and they unravel. Make sure that you have the rolls packed tightly in a box or something to hold them together.
Hi! Thanks for the comment–I did plant my seeds in toilet paper rolls and I did notice a couple of them starting to unravel. Most of them are intact now, just because I packed them pretty tightly (one pumpkin seedling pushed the roll up and off as if it was taking off a sweater or something!). I’ve been meaning now to get some newspaper pots made so I can transplant some of the bigger seedlings into something with a bottom, so their roots don’t spread out around the rolls. That is another little drawback. But for the most part, they work pretty well.
That is my plan too. I need to transfer a few of my seedlings, and the paper pots seem to be the right size. I agree that the rolls worked pretty well. I did this as a project with my kindergarten class. The rolls were easier to use with them, but I intend to use the paper myself.
I’ve “hopped” over from Teach Me Tuesdays – great idea! Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Wisconsin.
Thanks for stopping by!!
What a great idea!!
Thanks! Easy and free, too!
This is a good recycling idea–I may have to try it if I run out of pots this year! Thank you for posting.
You’re welcome! I no longer have to purchase pots; it’s great.
WONDERFUL! Thanks for sharing how to do this. I’m going to save the paper tomorrow!
Glad to help. Thanks for visiting!
Terrific idea! – thank you for sharing. I linked onto your site from the Homestead Barn Hop. I do have a couple questions for you. Do you use regular potting soil to fill each of the cups? When you water them before transplanting, does the newspaper hold up well? I made about 30 of them tonight with today’s paper and was wondering how to use them now that they are sitting here waiting so patiently! Any more advice you can share would be wonderful. Glad to have found your site!
Hi! Glad you found us as well! Your questions are great. Rather than potting soil, I purchase a mix made specifically for starting seeds. These are generally soilless and are less prone to disease. A good garden center should be able to help you. I have found that the newspaper holds up just fine. By the time I am ready to set my plants out in the garden they have begun to decompose but are not falling apart.
Good recycling! Last year I used toilet paper tubes cut into thirds and set in a tray as seed starting pots.
I haven’t tried that, but I think it is a fantastic idea!
Thanks for sharing your idea. Anything that we can do to re-use and recycle is terrific. Now we all want to see the terrific seedlings that you are going to grow in all of those little pots! Happy Spring!
I LOVE this time of year!!!!!
that is cool and dang it….it just threw out all the newspapers :/
“I” just threw out all the newspapers, not it!
If your house is like mine, there will be more in no time!!
This is such a great idea! And then you can just stick them right in the ground.
Yes, so easy, and free!
Excellent! free and biodegradable. Love this. Thank you so much for sharing at Rural Thursday Blog Hop — I’m sure everyone will love this tutorial.
Thanks, Nancy! Glad I found you and thanks for hosting Rural Thursday.
A great idea!
Regards and best wishes
Thanks! Hope you have the opportunity to try it soon.
Hi Susan,
What a great post!
I love that you’re recycling along with becoming more self-sufficient! Thank you for sharing it with Wildcrafting Wednesday. 
~ Kathy
You are welcome! I love that we all can learn from each other.
Great idea!!!
Have fun making yours!
I think you’ll find you don’t even need the tape!
My obsessiveness rebelled against those loose edges!! ha ha. Thanks for visiting!
Pingback: Sunday School Blog Carnival #18 | Butter Believer
Hi Susan,
Thanks for sharing this great gardening tip on Farmgirl Friday. What a great idea in a pinch.
Glad you liked it!!!
Sure hopes this works for you better than it did for me when I tried it last year! The pots grew so much mold in our cool house that the seedlings were stunted.
I’m back to using my recycled plastic pots.
Glad you shared at the TGP and I really look forward to seeing more of your garden (and how those pots work) !
Oh, so sorry to hear that happened to you; I have not had this problem in the past. In a cool house you probably need a lot less water. Gardening is my passion!
Pingback: Simple Lives Thursday #87
I abosolutely LOVE this idea!! Frugal, smart and a great way to recycle (: Thanks so much for sharing!
Glad to be of service!!!
Hi and thanks for the tip- long story short, I’m preparing to work with our Keepers 4-H club on starting seeds for a butterfly garden project for our local library. I was looking for a way to recycle things we have “in our hand”….I’m excited about reading more. I also glanced at “Born-Again Dirt” and just made it my #1 item on my birthday wish list!!
We live in a lovely rural NC community – I have a heart for sharing God’s creation with others- we’re working on establishing a Monarch habitat/butterfly garden/ outdoor classroom at our library, so the timing for this is perfect!!
Blessings,
Deb
Hi Deb, your projects sound so wonderful! I was incredibly blessed by “Born-Again Dirt” and I hope you will be as well. If you are inclined, when you do decide to order, please click through my link. That way, I make a small percentage. I’m just trying to off set time I spend on my blog. Thanks for visiting!
Pingback: Vegetable Gardening 101 | learningandyearninglearningandyearning
I have tried the toliet paper rolls last year. The theory is great, but they are not practical. The way they hold water (or don’t hold water) is the hardest part to keep up with. Once you get that figured out and you need to move things around they have no stability, they simply fall apart. They also can mold, so you really need to keep a fan going. I love to recycle and be thrifty, but in my opinion you should not waste your time with these methods, as well as the egg carton (not enough room,etc). Save your seed trays from year to year. Taking care to not crunch them, and wash and bleach with a 10% solution every season. I have had some for 5 years! I don’t want to offend anyones ideas, but I have tried first hand.
Hi Heather, thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience. I’ve used the newspaper pots for several years and have had success. Perhaps you are overwatering, if you are having a mold problem.
I like this idea, but I too was thinking they may collapse when wet. I might try and few and see how they work. If not for seeds I may find another use for this little trick. Thanks.
Popped over from Tilly’s nest. Love the post!
Great idea! Found this on Clever Chicks and would love to have you join The HomeAcre Hop on Thursdays at:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com
Pingback: Starting Seeds for Your Garden | learningandyearninglearningandyearning
I never seem to have enough newspaper to do this. Hmmm, I will have to search for paper that is being tossed out. Thanks for sharing this on The HomeAcre Hop!!! Can’t wait to see what you share this coming Thursday
Here’s the super easy link to the next hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-homeacre-hop-8.html
If you haven’t checked out Wildcrafing Wednesday yet, please do!
It’s a hop I co-host for herbal remedies, natural living, real food recipes, and self sufficient living. Here’s the link for tomorrow’s hop:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-10.html
Pingback: Healthy 2Day Wednesday {2/27/2013} - Authentic Simplicity
Pingback: Healthy 2Day Wednesday (2/27/13) » The Cheapskate Cook
I love this idea since I am trying to garden this year without spending more than I will save! (Although healthy and handy veggies are a reward in themselves, being frugal about it makes it even better!) here is my question: can anyone tell me why it is important to start with small seed-starting pots and continue to transplant into bigger sizes until they are ready to transplant outside?
Well, I don’t. Since seedlings are generally in their pots for only 6 – 8 weeks, I don’t find the need to transplant.
Pingback: The HomeAcre Hop #8
Hi Susan! I’m featuring this post on The HomeAcre Hop! Yes, I know…that’s 2 posts being featured today
Because they are so great I want to share them!
How cool is that!!!!!
I saw this post a few years ago and it’s still great! I’d love to have you share this at What to do Weekends Party also. It’s the perfect time of year for this. In fact, I’m going to start my seeds in these myself! Love ‘em. Take care, Linda
http://www.craftsalamode.com/2013/02/what-to-do-weekends-8.html
Pingback: Small Footprint Friday - A Sustainable Living Link-Up!
Pingback: Healthy 2day Wednesdays {week 92}
What a great idea. I used the cardboard egg cartons to start mine in this year. This is my first year of starting seeds for a real outdoor garden, instead of just doing container gardening.
Pingback: Biodegradable Pot For Starting Seeds | 1 More Than 21 More Than 2 | Creative Ideas for Daily Living