Creative seed starting

I love starting seeds in doors.  Watching them grow every day.  Unfortunately I have a very hard time hardening those beautiful veggie.  I work full time during the day.  So hardening plants off the way it's supposed to be done is all but impossible.  Last year I learned of a short cut. You can put your plants out in overcast weather for 3 days, and this is supposed to do the trick. So I gave it a try. On the second day the clouds cleared up and it was a beautiful sunny day. By the time I got home most of my seedlings were burned beyond repair.
So even though I love starting seeds inside, and will start do some I have been searching for alternatives.  

Direct seeding is always best. Most of the time I have very little pest problems. For some reason The first seeds of the year really take a beating. I planted a lot of peas. I just couldn't figure out why nun of them were germinating. Then I noticed a bunch of little naked stems. Something is eating everything that comes up.  I replanted today. I covered all the seeds with some plastic things I got at work. They came in hat's to keep the shape during shipping. They were going to throw them away. I'm pretty sure they thought I was a total nut when I wanted them.  But they work quite well.  I also used a. Plastic container some veggies came in.

I have some glass that was a door to a TV stand my nefuew was throwing away. I put it on top of a plastic bin. It wasn't quite big enough, so I used a scrap piece of wood. I put some of the extra seedlings in it. I was surprised how warm it was in there even though it isn't sealed.  I put a couple of pot with seeds. The plants aren't growing as fast, and a couple didn't make it, but I put everything in the bin on top as often as I can so it's used to the sun and wind.  The seeds are germinating.  It's a super cheap fast and easy way to make a cold frame/greenhouse.

I'm always going to try starting some seeds in a milk jug.  

What are your seed starting hacks?  I would love to hear them.

That's really neat Jen! I've used milk jugs before to direct sow in the ground. We get a lot of wind. Sometimes they blow away in the spring.

Sometimes I have noticed the seeds grow when they are ready. It can be tricky if you are in a place such as us, where a late winter storm can freeze them. For example, we always have tomatoes that reseed. They produce good, and manage the change in weather all by the themselves. Maybe tomatoes, could be directed seeded?

The plastic hat things are cool! Looks they wouldn't blow away in the wind easily. Great finds. Starting seeds is one of the early joys of spring.

Out here, growing zone 6b...folks plant the corn about an 3/4 inch deep in April. Bu May they are growing just fine.

I wish I had a hack for hardening off. I've been taking my trays and trays of plants out in the morning and bringing them in in the evening each year until they are ready to plant, but that is a lot of work.
I don't have much luck starting most seeds in the ground, but there are a lot of plants that are not frost-sensitive that I can start in cell trays or soil blocks and put them on my back porch to germinate. Those are naturally hardened off.:)
For the plants I do direct sow (like peas, beans and nasturtiums), I've had good luck with putting row cover over the seeded ground and weighting it down on edges, then leaving it there until the plants are 2" tall. If I don't do that, the mice and the birds will eat everything!