There's really no need to go out and buy seed starter containers given the amount of perfectly good crap you can dig out of the recycle bin. Seriously. Save yourself a little dough by dumpster diving in the safety of your own home. (Common sense, safety gloves, and eyewear recommended.) My favorite seed starters are free—because I'm crafty... and cheap.
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ODE TO A TOILET PAPER ROLL
I always hated the fact that t.p. roll tubes got tossed (or recycled, whatever) when the roll was up. For a long time I tried to figure out cute ways to upcycle or reuse the tubes in a designerly fashion. Spoiler alert—once a cardboard t.p. tube, always a cardboard t.p. tube.
It didn't matter if I cut them in strips and glued them into a huge tree-ring-like circle to use as a trivet, or created wall art out of pinched circles and craft paint, or even macerated 'em and made dirty grey sheets of paper—there was always the essence of toilet paper tube about it.
And please (please) don't think you're fooling anyone by folding and cutting them to make pillow-boxes for gifts. All you'll get for your effort is the recognition that you're the one who wrapped your presents in toilet paper tubes that one time. Seriously, there's no amount of glitter or bejeweling that can disguise them. So back away slowly from the glitter. (s-l-o-w-l-eeee.)
The best use I've found for those annoying & ubiquitous tubes is as seed starting pots. They'll hold enough soilless mix to get your seeds started and when it comes time to plant in the garden, you can plop the whole thing in the dirt and the cardboard will eventually become part of the compost. Best of all, the glitter can be saved for fancier projects.
Besides that, it's terribly easy.
1. First step, get yourself an empty toilet paper tube. If it's not empty, put it back & wait. Maybe offer to refill everyone's tea.
2. Next, lay it on it's side, and before it rolls away... flatten it!
3. Now pop it back up, so it's not flattened, and fold it again, with your previously creased sides meeting at the middle. When your done, instead of a round tube, it should now be rather square-ish.
4. You can now flatten it again and cut it in half, so you'll have two little square tubes. Or not. Whatever.
5. With your scissors, cut up each of the creases (along the bottom edge) about 1 inch.
6. Fold your new little flaps inward to crease them.
7. Now fold the flaps, tucking one edge under the previous flap—like you do with boxes when you're too lazy to find the tape.
If it sticks out at the bottom, just push the center, where all the sides meet, up into the the roll. You're essentially making an outie into an innie.
8. Fill your little seed pot with soilless mix and plant your seeds. Keep the dirt moist and wait for your seedlings to pop up. Then all you have to do is not kill them. Easy peasy.
This trick is *so* versatile that it works for paper towel tubes too. I know, crazy.
For plants that like deeper roots (I'm thinking tomatoes and peppers), don't cut the toilet paper tube in half—just use the whole megillah. The roots will thank you.
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