For today’s Thrifty Thursday post, I would like share how I made seed starter pots out of recycled newspaper. I felt there is no need to buy those fancy pre-made starter pots when you can make your own for much cheaper and greener.

We are attempting to create our porch garden for as little as possible. So far we have spent $8 ($5 on seeds and $3 on starter dirt bricks). We are using plastic tubs that we already have as our main planters.

I used the instructions in this article to create cute little pots :) The great thing is that when transplating time comes, you can put them directly in the soil, so no worries about disturbing the roots of your seedlings. I plan to plant on Sunday or Monday. (P.S. Here is a handy article on how to know when to start your indoor seedlings).

All you really have to do to make these is first, mix up a little flour and water paste (mix 1/2 cup flour with water untill it is gooey but not runny). Then lay out your newspaper and roll it one turn around a glass that is about 1.5 to 2 inches wide (I just eyeballed it and then measured to check, because I didn’t read the glass suggestion until later). Thirdly, drizzle your paste mixture in on the unrolled paper and roll again, until you reach the end of the paper. Let the rolls dry overnight and then cut them in to approximately 3 inch sections. Here are the pictures of the process:

I also plan to use egg cartons I have been saving if I need more space. It is amazing how much “trash” is actually reuseable :)