How to Make Paper Seed Pots

Planting a garden is a great way to stretch the dollar of a household on a tight budget. Seeds are inexpensive, but the supplies for gardening can add up. Make paper seed pots to grow your seeds in and when they are ready for transplant, simply plant the entire pot in the ground. These pots are made from old newspapers and will easily break down, allowing the roots of the plants to expand and grow.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old newspaper
• Yardstick
• Scissors
• Vegetable or beverage can
• Masking tape

1. Pull one layer of your newspaper away from the rest and open it.You should have a right hand side and a left hand side. Cut the paper down the middle. Each piece should be approximately 13 3/4 inches wide by 23 inches long. All newspapers may not have the same measurements, so you may need to measure and experiment. It does not need to be exact, but close to that measurement. You will need one newspaper piece for each paper seed pot. You will want to make several pots to fill a plant tray.

2. Fold the paper in half, matching the 13 3/4 inch top edge with the 13 3/4 inch bottom edge. Crease at the fold. The folded paper will measure approximately 11 1/2 inches wide by 13 3/4 long. Fold the paper down again, matching the folded edge with the two raw edges. Crease the fold. Your paper will now be approximately 5 3/4 inches wide by 13 3/4 inches long. One 13 3/4 inch long edge will have a folded layer and two raw edges and the other 13 3/4 inch long edge will have one fold. This four layer thickness will help the seed pot keep it's shape through repeated watering, while still allowing good drainage.

3. Fold down 1 inch of the 13 3/4 inch edge with one fold. Crease the fold. This is the top rim of the paper seed pot. This fold will make the short ends of the folded newspaper 4 3/4 inches wide. Lay the folded newspaper on a table with the folded rim side of the paper face down. Lay the vegetable can with it's bottom, 2 inches above the bottom 13 3/4 inch long edge of the folded paper. The vegetable can will extend off the top rim edge. The can is only the mold, it will not be completely covered.

4. Wrap the short edges of the folded paper around the vegetable can. Insert one folded rim over the other folded brim. This will serve to lock the paper seed pot sides together. Fold over the 2 inches of newspaper at the bottom of the seed pot, closing the bottom. Place a 1 inch piece of tape over the folds at the center bottom of the paper seed pot. Press down the paper along the bottom edge of the pot to crease. This will help it keep the shape. Remove the vegetable can and it will stand on its own.