Any idea for a toilet paper roll?! What is the best way to repurpose them?
Whenever I sat in the bathroom, they stared at me. Besides creating a beautiful ornament…What else can I possibly create with them?
After a week of intense thinking (on the toilet), the answer was to make them into planters for my seed starter kit!
In this article, I’ll show you how to make toilet paper roll planters.
What you need
- toilet paper rolls
- scissors
How to make toilet paper roll planters
Step 1: Cut toilet paper roll
First, cut roughly 2.5cm off one end of a toilet paper roll. It eventually gets inserted into the finished planter to strengthen the bottom, so save the cut-off piece aside.
Step 2: Cut slits
Next, hold the toilet paper roll (the main part) and cut a few slits for easy folding. You need to roughly space out 1.5cm between the slits. Also, each slit should be roughly 1.5cm deep.
Don’t worry if it’s too shallow or too deep, we can always fix it or start from scratch with a new roll.
Step 3: Fold up the slits
When you finish cutting the slits, fold them inward. You might want to push them all inside gently, then use your finger to gently adjust them back into place. This will be the bottom of the planter.
As you can see in the picture, they sometimes interlock themselves nicely – but not always. The planter will be sitting in a container, so don’t worry if it doesn’t lock-in.
Final Step: Cut & Insert
Next, grab the end piece from the first step and cut it to create an opening. Instead of straightening it, curve it in the opposite direction.
Finally, insert the piece into the planter to hold the soil. Without the piece, the bottom may easily open. Some may not sit flat, so I used a container to give some support to the planters.
Toilet paper roll planters in action!
First, fill the toilet paper roll planters with potting soil. Then make a little hole for seeds and cover them with soil. When it’s done, use a spray bottle for watering.
Finally, place the planters in a seed starter kit for quicker germination. In just a week, this is what I saw (the picture below)!
Mission Accomplished!
Like many of you, I usually recycle or compost the toilet paper rolls. By the way, composting them is a fantastic way to maintain healthy soil for your garden!
When seeds sprout, all you need to do is prop them into your veggie garden. Eventually, the planter gets decomposed and provides nutrients into the soil – easy peasy lemon squeezy!
After all, creating a planter was one of my experiments for sustainable gardening. Instead of buying, why don’t we use what we have? Join us for a daily practice of Reduce Reuse Repurpose!
Now, it’s your turn to create some planters…maybe with your young gardeners! When you see the baby sprouts, send us a picture!