Paper potter: making your own pots for sowing

What is paper potter?

As its British name suggests, the “Paper potter” is a small item highly valued by our English neighbours. It is also found under other names, such as “paper pot maker” or “potter maker”, which can be translated as “wood press for paper pot”. It allows you to make biodegradable pots for sowing using newspaper.

Making your own biodegradable pots with newspaper is both eco-friendly and economical. No need to buy plastic pots, which often end up cracked over the years. Additionally, we reuse newspaper instead of throwing it away, thus reducing our waste for the planet’s well-being.

Once your sowing has germinated and the seedling has reached the ideal size, you can plant it directly with its paper pot into the ground. This avoids stress to your young plant and even breaking its roots during potting. The roots can easily pass through the newspaper, which will decompose quickly.

And what a space saver! No need to keep piled up plastic pots of all sizes and shapes! No more cleaning plastic pots each year to prevent the seedlings from melting! Moreover, it is quick to use and making the pots is very easy.

The ‘paper pot maker’ is made from beech or oak wood certified by FSC, depending on the manufacturer. Generally, it consists of 2 pieces:

• A wooden handle, which allows you to wrap the paper and shape it into a pot.
• A wooden base, also called a stamper, which presses the base of the paper pot and makes it stable.

Note: there is also a version sold with several handle sizes, allowing you to make pots with diameters of 3 cm, 4.75 cm, and 6 cm.

How to use paper potter?

1. Unfold a newspaper and cut strips 8 cm high along the length, approximately 57 cm long.
2. Extend the handle of the Paper Pot Maker over the end of the strip, ensuring that 2 to 3 cm of paper hangs over, then roll it with the paper.
3. Fold the excess paper over the handle to close the bottom.
4. Press the handle firmly with the paper onto the base.
5. You can remove your paper pot from the handle. Your biodegradable bucket is ready! All that’s left is to fill it with potting soil to sow your seeds!

Tip: You can try creating your paper buckets with another cylindrical object, such as a glass bottle, a vase, or a glass (be careful not to use a conical object). However, your buckets will be much less stable at their base than with the ‘paper pot maker’. To keep them upright, place several against each other in a tray.

To go further

• Discover all our vegetable seeds varieties and our flower seeds.
• Find our composts for sowing and potting.
• To succeed with your sowing, check out our tutorial: sowing in buckets.