Newspaper seed pot maker with tutorial/photos

[Roger Bullock]

Seen a post yesterday on making newspaper seed pots that are used for starting seedlings. Thanks Leo Van Der Loo for the photo and information. Since I had some time this morning and the LOML has been after me to get some seed pots started, I went out to the shop and whipped one up.

I've made seed pots in the past by wrapping newspaper around a turned dowel but the bottoms always lacked a crisp edge and some would come apart. So to solve this problem, I turned the pot maker and added my own twist by also turning a press block to fit on my drill press to add pressure when making the pots.

Here is the turned parts to the pot maker. I put friction polish on all parts to help the paper slip off easier and to protect the wood from swelling due to wetting the bottom section of the paper.
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View of the pot maker under my pressing dowel on my drill press.

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I wrap the newspaper around the top section and then soak the bottom about a 1/4 inch above the bottom of the pots bottom.
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I then fold in the bottom, set in the bottom section of the pot maker and use the drill press to apply pressure which forms the bottom.
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And here you have the finished newspaper seed starting pot.
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My finished pots are 2 inches in diameter x 2 1/4 inches tall (distance from bottom to groove). The recess is approximately 1 inches x 3/16 inch. I made mine out of scrap maple and red oak for a base.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Nice Roger, these are good seed starting pots that you can plant right into the garden, the roots from the plants will grow through the paper wall and the pots will become part of the soil.
I used a rubber mallet to get the bottom folding in, the drill press should work well also.

[Roland Martin]

A win win situation Roger. The LOYL is happy that you are taking care of her seed pots & you get to engineer & turn! Pretty neat.