How to Reuse Toilet Paper Tubes for Planters

Overview

You can buy starter seed pots from most garden supply stores and nurseries. They're not wildly expensive, but frugal, creative gardeners can make their own by simply saving the paper tubes from inside toilet paper rolls. Paper is biodegradable. It's an easy chore to turn the tubes into clever planting pots that are environmentally friendly and work just as well as the commercial variety.

Step 1

Flatten a toilet paper tube with the palm of your hand.

Step 2

Turn the flattened tube so that the crease is up and flatten again. Return to shape. Your tube will now be a rounded square instead of a perfectly round tube.

Step 3

Flatten along the previous folds and cut the tube in half with your scissors. Return each flattened half to shape. You'll now have two shorter tubes that are rounded squares.

Step 4

Cut one-fourth of the way up each crease of one tube with your scissors.

Step 5

Fold each of the four cut flaps inside the tube. Use your forefinger to lift the flaps up into the interior of the tube.

Step 6

Turn the tube right-side up and push each flap back down. The four flaps will come together to form the bottom of your planting pot.

Step 7

Repeat the process for the other half of the tube, and you'll have two potting plants.