How I Make A Toilet Paper Roll Pot

15 years ago

Several people have asked me how I do this. I finally figured out how to #1, get hubby to take pics and #2, I learned how to post these pics. Here goes....

First, I flatten out the roll...

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Then, I bring those first folds together and make it somewhat square...

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Then I flatten it again, and clip the center creases about an inch or less, then repeat, clipping the other set of creases. This makes four flaps, like a box would have.

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Then, I fold in the flaps, the same way you would close a box if you didn't want to use tape. Fold in each flap and tuck in the last one.

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In order to use these, they should be completely planted in soil. Kitty litter boxes are great, lasagna pans are just a bit shallow so you'll need to cut off about a half inch. It was too much work... plus the kitty litter boxes, with holes drilled into them are better for saving for year to year.

In order to get the tp rolls planted, I put them in the container empty and in rows. I hold them together, one side at a time, and fill the sides of the container first to hold the rows in place. I pack the soil mix in the rolls and the sides as much as I can, covering the rolls as best I can. This helps hold moisture in.

When everything is full of soil mix, I check drainage by "over-watering" using the sprayer on my kitchen sink. I let that drain for a while. Then I use a butter knife to slide my lables in between the tp rolls. I sew as few seeds as I can in each roll. I try for 2 or 3. When it's time to plant out, I use a bulb planting tool to pop out a plug of garden soil and drop in the whole roll.

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Comments (10)

gramadea
15 years ago
Thanks Nancy for taking the time to show this technique.
Blessings,
Dea
token28001
15 years ago
See, that's inventive. As a single guy, I don't go through as much toilet paper as most, but since my mom is already saving soda bottles, I doubt she would mind another thing not to have to throw in the trash. :)
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I don't know if this will be of any help. I plant my daylily seeds in a mixture of 2 parts of peat moss, 1 of vermiculite and 1 of perlite. I add water and soak it overnight before filling the cups. I buy the big bale of peat moss, so it cuts down on the cost. I punch holes in the bottoms and around the bottom edge of styrofoam cups, and fill them with the mix. (16 oz plastic drink cups will do, too.) I set them in aluminum foil roasting pans, and fill the pans with water. Once the seeds get their second set of leaves, I start adding one scoop of Schultz's Expert Plant Food to a gallon of water, and keep them in that solution until I am ready to transplant them. It is easy to slide out the plants, "soil" and all when ready to transplant. I just recently bought a mini green house, which is actually 4 shelves, with a zippered plastic cover that fits over it. It was only $30. It holds the pans of cups perfectly. You could also get some inexpensive plastic storage bins at Wal-Mart, drill holes in the bottom and set them in the aluminum foil pans. Just a few ideas for you. Don't try and move the pans if they are full of water and cups, as they will bend on you. I remove the cups, throw out the water every few days, put the cups back in and refill with fresh water.
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Well........... I think Claire has a certain Flair...... and I also had a nice smile ---- Calire ---I carve my pumpkin in the same fashion as the one in your pile---weird !!! Stay warm LLoyd ---- don't forget to bring in the brass monkeys tonight !!---JB
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Around here, 4# bags of sugar are common. I noticed the peanut butter jars that used to bulge outward now have an hourglass look and bulge inward! Haven't checked to see how many ounces they cut. Years ago I started buying Scott paper products. Excellent value. I'm amazed they don't sell better. Considering one roll of Scott equals about 5 rolls of the others, do the math on the fraction of the cost. Although I have to say, being a little narrower, if it is, doesn't bother me. The width doesn't affect the use here. I did notice some of the paper towels being narrower though and that affects how it's held on the paper towel holder. I understand the cutting sizes, but what annoys me is the other things like adding water to meats. That annoys me.
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I agree coleenoz. BM lives few blocks away and from us original plan was she stays at moms, just comes here to check on a cat. Especially since it is holidays and she does not see much of her mother it is logical that she visits her mother. But she does not like to stay at moms though because it is filthy there and both mom and her BF are nutsg, so she stayed here. SO said she can only stay if she keeps the house clean. I have to say she didn't trash the house like she did in the past, the house stayed clean but still she did not do what she was supposed to do: didn't clean the litter and looked for something in my stuff. Even if she takes nothing, it is annoying she goes through it. Every time it happens she says she thought it is older SD's. Older SD is married and lives out of state for over 8 years, she can't possibly have her clothes in our house! And my clothes certainly cannot look like SD's. I am short and small frame, SD is tall and big bones. Just for comparison I wear 6.5 size shoes and SD wears 9.5. I am in mid 40s and she is is late 20s. You can guess we cannot wear the same style or size clothes. Oh well, i am glad she did not trash the house. last summer she stayed in our house for few days, SO was on a business trip and I went to see my DD, when i came back the house was trashed so bad that it took me a week to clean it. I told SO and he had long conversation about it with SD, so this time she improved. I just think at 22 one should be more responsible. My DD is also messy, but she does not touch anyone's stuff and certainly takes care of the pets.
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just1morehosta
15 years ago
Thank you Nancy for posting these pictures,as i,too, was wondering how in the earth this was done,i will certainly give this one a try.
Carol
dirtbert
15 years ago
Well I've been stockpiling tp rolls, paper towel rolls and wrapping paper rolls. Wasn't quite sure what/how I was going to use them. NOW I DO!
Thanks so much!
monkey665
15 years ago
Nancy,

This sounds wonderful. However, when you put them out what kind of plastic coating do you use. THe typical clear plastic sandwich wrap is thin and I would think that It would not last all winter.

THanks

Linda
nancy_drew
Original Author
15 years ago
Monkey, I don't use any kind of plastic wrap on them. As long as they are in a container burried in soil, snuggled up against one another, they are fine. By the end of winter, they kind of turn a bit soft and mushy, but they hold together long enough to keep the seedlings separate, and then they go in the ground with the seedling and decompose.
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
15 years ago
I only tried this once some several years ago. The toilet paper rolls I used all came unrolled as soon as moisture was added so the whole thing failed. Perhaps they have change the way toilet paper rolls are made. Perhaps one should try one roll before accumulating two dozen as I did.
just1morehosta
15 years ago
Nancy,
You don't make a mini greenhouse over them?
Carol
monkey665
15 years ago
Thank you for clearing that up Nancy. I will add this to my bottles and jugs outside.

Linda
nancy_drew
Original Author
15 years ago
Albert, they don't come apart when they are completely planted next to each other and under soil. You can't use them as self-contained pots! If you look at the last picture on the first post, you can see them in the lasagna pan and kitty litter box. There is no way for them to fall apart.... that is until you take them out to plant. Then they might, but by that time you're done anyway!

My husband built me a cold frame out of PVC pipe. Inside the cold frame, I have a couple of skids/pallets to keep the containers up off the ground. (A couple of years ago I had my containers on the patio and some slugs found their way inside! The nerve!!) The total cost for the cold frame was about about $20.00. It comes apart for easy summer/fall storage.

Living in a condo, the neighbors wouldn't like to see me set up my old recyclables in full view on my patio. I have to at least try and be descrete... well somewhat anyway! (complain to me, they WILL be rewarded with a w/s plant)

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How I Make A Toilet Paper Roll Pot

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gramadea

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How I Make A Toilet Paper Roll Pot

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