Paper Pots
Step by Step
Use a strip of paper and a cylinder
roll it up
squish the bottom
place in a milk carton with holes and label
or place it in a nursery tray
Paper Pots
Make paper pots with your kids and learn about reusing newspaper to help your garden grow! Ages 5+, 30 min+
Reuse newspaper to help get your seeds started in a pot you can make at home with your kids. There is no need to go out and buy small pots when you can get creative with some supplies you already have at home. Here’s what you’ll do:
Cut the newspaper into strips 3x10 inches wide.
Place a newspaper strip on a flat surface, with the short end close to you.
Place the full 5.5-ounce juice can (or wooden potmaker you can order at kidsgardening.org) on this same end of the newspaper strip, leaving about 1 ½ inches of newspaper hanging over the bottom.
Roll the can over the table, away from you, to wrap it in newspaper.
Fold in the part hanging over the bottom.
Turn the can upright and press down on the table so you are creating a strong base.
Gently remove the can, You should have a newspaper pot!
Fill your new pots with potting mix and then place your pots in a tray or small box side by side so they are held upright.
Your pots are ready for seeds! Follow the directions on your seed packets to sow your seeds and then keep them watered and watch them grow!
Once your seedlings are ready to transplant you can remove them from the newspaper pots by peeling the newspaper away. You can also plant each seedling in its pot and let the newspaper decompose in the ground. In this case, make sure you bury all of the newspaper completely, so that it does not wick water away from your plants roots.