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How to make paper plant pots

How to make paper plant pots

Find out how to make your own eco-friendly plant pots for sowing using newspaper, with our practical guide.

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.
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To do
To do

Do To do in January

Do To do in February

Do To do in March

Do To do in April

Do To do in May

Do To do in June

Do To do in July

Do To do in August

Do To do in September

Do To do in October

Do To do in November

Do To do in December

Making your own paper pots is not only eco-friendly, but will save you money too. Ideal for half-hardy annuals like cosmos, zinnias and antirrhinum, the newspaper pots are completely biodegradable. When the plants are ready to go outdoors, the whole pot can be planted into the soil.

All you need to get started is a pile of newspaper and some cylindrical objects to act as moulds. Try using a bottle and wrapping strips of paper tightly around it, several times, before folding over the base and sliding the paper off. There are also simple, wooden pot-making kits available to buy. If you’re looking for more eco-friendly garden ideas, you could try creating glass jar lanterns or make a home for stag beetles using old plastic pots.

Find out how to create eco-friendly paper pots in just five simple steps, below.

Ideal for half-hardy annuals like cosmos, zinnias and antirrhinum, the newspaper pots are completely biodegradable.

Our paper pot shopping list 

You might already have what you need to get started on making your paper pots. If you don’t, we’ve done the hard work for you with our handy shopping list. 

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You Will Need

  • Newspaper
  • Cylindrical objects, such as bottles (or a pot-making kit)

Step 1

Choose moulds of different sizes in order to make a range of pots suitable for all your seed sowing and plant raising activities.

Paper pots and moulds
Paper pots and moulds

Step 2

Cut strips of newspaper wide enough to fold halfway across the mould base, and roll the paper round to make 4-6 layers per pot.

Using the mould to make a paper pot
Using the mould to make a paper pot

Step 3

Wrap tightly to create firm pots, then start folding the paper over the base so there is no gap for any compost to fall through.

Folding the paper at the base of the mould
Folding the paper at the base of the mould

Step 4

Wooden kits have a crimping block that helps create a crease to hold paper rigid, or just push the base firmly onto a flat surface.

Pushing the pot firmly into the base of the mould
Pushing the pot firmly into the base of the mould

Step 5

Carefully slide the paper pot from the mould. Stand pots in a seed tray, ready for sowing.

Sliding the pot off the mould
Sliding the pot off the mould
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Rest the pots in trays of damp compost. This ensures the paper always remains moist, allowing roots to grow through the sides.

Seedlings. Photo: Getty Images.