We get a free community newspaper where I live, so paper pots are my go-to. The pots last 2-3 seasons, so they are well worth the effort!
1. Fold the newspaper down (toward you) in half;
2. Place a travel mug (like you would use in the car filled with your morning coffee), so that there is about 3 inches below the bottom of the mug.
3. Loosely roll the paper around the mug into a cylinder shape.
4. Flip your mug around and fold the bottom edges in (like a gift) to create a bottom for your cylinder. Use a small piece of scotch tape to hold it in place.
5. If you wrapped loosely enough, you will be able to slide the mug out easily.
6. Set the cylinder on its newly folded/taped bottom and then fold the cylinder's top down about an inch at a time to get to the desired height for your finished pot. This rolling down of the cylinder gives its sides the strength to withstand watering and root growth.
Fill the cups with dirt or peat, plant your seeds and water as normal.
Harden off seedlings before planting and they will slide right out of your pot, leaving it ready to re-use for next season.
Hope this helps strengthen your paper cups!! Sure is nice to save money where we can
