I found out how to do this from a book I found in a free bin at a local bookstore, and it turned out to be a lot of fun and successful too!
Paper pots are exactly that-pots made from paper. They are made out of newspaper and they are used as starters for flowers or veggies, or whatever you desire I'm sure. You can make flatts of anything and begin them indoors weeks before you need to plant them, and then once they have grown you simply plant the whole thing in the ground!
It's very simple and requires minimal supplies. In fact, I bet you have everything you need laying around your kitchen.
Supplies:
Newspaper
A soda can (I found that full ones work the best, but empty is fine too.)
A small bowl of water
Potting soil
Seeds of your choice
Begin by getting a section out of the newspaper, and cutting it in half so you have two pages. Each page needs to be cut into strips of three (vertically, not horizontally). *Now, I tried using one sheet at first, but the pots that I used two strips at once for turned out much better and lasted longer.
Take your one (or two) strips of newspaper and roll it up around the soda can with about half an inch to an inch sticking out past the bottom of the can. (The book says you can simply roll and fold, but I couldn't get it to work so I got the newspaper slightly wet by using a damp washcloth or paintbrush to make it hold better.) Once rolled, fold the extra paper at the bottom to the center of the can, so it resembles a cup holder.
Once folded, press the can down (so that the folded paper is on bottom) so that makes a sort of crease in the paper's bottom. If you gently slide the paper off, you should have a paper pot ready to be filled!
If you are like me and want to make a bunch and then fill them all at once, I suggest filling the pot half way with soil so that it will maintain it's shape.
After you have the amount of pots you want, place seeds in the pots and cover with soil. Place all of the pots in a container such as an actually flatt container, or plastic pan. I used paint tray liners and those cheap plastic baking trays from the dollar store.
Now to water them, you simply pour water into the containers-not on the plants. The newspaper will suck up the water in the container and keep the plants watered.
My plants grew rapidly and robustly, and seem to be doing extremely well in their pots, waiting to be transplanted into the garden.
I'd love to hear how your's turn out if you try this, and see if you found it as enjoyable as I did. I just love how easy and relaxing it was, and I love using them as green gifts for friends and family.
If you'd like to use them as gifts, here is a trick I'm using. If you have a Starbucks or a local coffee shop that has those cardboard sleeves, you can slip your paper pots into those to transport them to give as gifts!
Nothing like a gift that is green and keeps on growing!
I hope you enjoy this project, and I hope to hear how it turns out for those who try it!
