DIY paper pots for seedlings

Learn how to make your own pots to plant seedlings at the start of the growing season. Paper pots can later go directly in the soil when it's time to plant the grown seedlings in their final spot and will decompose.

It's a fun activity and very low cost. We don't need fancy equipment to grow our own vegetables.

What will you learn?

We will use origami to fold newspapers.

Some advantages of making your own seedling pots from newspapers:

- Save money. Reuse and do it yourself instead of buying.

- Save the planet. Plastic pots create garbage that can take thousands of years to decompose. Even biodegradable pots take lots of energy to produce, ship, and market.

- Plant the whole pot in the ground and avoid disturbing the roots of your tender seedlings. The paper will quickly dissolve and the roots grow through it. (Most newspaper ink nowadays is non-toxic)

We will also recycle toilet paper rolls for quick and easy pots, and you can compare how the two designs perform.

What Will You Take Away?

There will be seeds and soil available so you can bring home your own planted pots, ready to be placed in a sunny windowsill. Your tomatoes, salads and other easy to grow vegetables will be ready to be planted in the soil outside or in a larger pot after 3 to 6 weeks.

Bio of Facilitator:

Lenara holds a Permaculture Design Certificate and specializes in designing open-source, low-tech solutions for sustainable living. With a passion for creative and ecological approaches to urban gardening, she develops innovative solutions for green spaces. Based in Berlin, she stewards both a balcony and an allotment garden, where she prototypes and tests her creations. She also shares insights on urban gardening at: www.lenara.com/urbangarden/