How to make seedling pots out of toilet paper rolls!! Go Green, & Reuse things!

So, today while I was checking out this paper pot maker on Etsy which is really cool..
My mom decided to look up such things on youtube..
Where she was then inspired to make these from a collection of toilet paper rolls she had acquired for one of my nieces school projects that never quite happened..

If you're anything like us, you'll love these free and easy to make biodegradable things!
And if you have a big family like our little tribe you can get everyone to collect them and make them together.

So here it is step by step

You Will Need

Scissors
Toilet Paper Rolls
and if you're OCD maybe a ruler
and if you want to create the last step I'm going to show you raffia, or twine..

First you flatten out the roll each way

To make a Square

Then Pinch the corners of the square shape so

To make the shape more square like this

Then you cut a little off the top

Or a lot, I like to give the plants more room to grow before we have to re-pot them!

Then at the bottom, cut each corner to form box like flaps

Then fold the flaps one after the other

And tuck the last tab under the first one

Now... Fill it with Dirt and Add Seeds!!! 

Or tie many together to make containers like they sell at the store!

I tied these together with raffia

Measurements

 

Keeping Cats out of the Garden & Plants

Last week I got an email from a friend asking me how I keep my cats out of my plants and the garden beds..
I told him that I always teach all the animals (even the new ones) that certain things are mine and they shouldn't mess with them. And that when I started gardening, I also began telling the animals that the plants belonged to me and weren't to be touched. And occasionally they get a small squirt of water and a face to face conversation about leaving my things alone.

Now, I'm well aware this will not work for everyone else.. As he pointed out his rescue cat listens to most anything, but this issue... So beyond the idea of putting non appealing cat things (my idea was mainly sticks in the dirt protecting the plant roots) I had pretty much nothing and decided to Google it

Among the comments on one post I found this
"Easiest, cheapest, and least harmful is apple cider vinegar sprayed where you do not want cats, dogs, or other critters. I live in the country, have nice gardens all around the yard. I spray apple cider vinegar mixed with water every where I do not want animals to be. It works, it is cheap, and non toxic to animals, plants, or self."

Another Idea I seen in the comments of a posting
"rose or barberry trimmings, pieces of chicken wire laid over freshly dug soil will keep cats out."

I am especially found of this posting in comments
"Remember, cats will be cats, and it is unfair of us to blame them for being what they are
and how nature intended them to participate in this world.
After-all, we praise them when they catch mice or rats or other creatures we deem to be 'pests'.
* amonia soaked (corncobs, etc) 
* aluminum foil * bamboo skewers 
* black pepper 
* blood meal fertilizer 
* bramble cuttings 
* Carefresh - "recycled" wood pulp * catnip - donated into your neighbor's yards (so they'll stay in their own yards) 
* cedar compost 
* chicken wire (metal or plastic)
* cinnamon 
* citrus peels 
* citrus spray 
* cocoa bean shells 
* coffee grounds -fresh & unbrewed, not just a light sprinkling (highly recommended by MANY Gardenwebbers!) 
* dogs 
* electric fence for animals 
* essence of orange. essence of lemon, lime (citrus essential oils) 
* fresh manure (highly recommended by MANY Gardenwebbers!)
* garlic cloves 
* gumballs from the Sweet Gum Tree
* gutter covers 
* hardware cloth 
* heavy bark mulch 
* holly leaves 
* keep the area damp, they like dry soil 
* lavender 
* liquid manure (good for your garden too) 
* motion sensor sprinkler 
* pennyroyal 
* pinecones 
* pipe tobacco 
* plastic forks 
* predator urine 
* red wine vinegar 
* river rocks over the exposed soil 
* rocks, crushed 
* rose bush clippings 
* rue, an herb (Ruta graveolens) (highly recommended in plant form only) 
* short twigs throughout the planted area about 6" apart 
* six-inch bamboo skewers (pointy side up) 
* Spray on your leaves (not the cat): fill a spray bottle with 1/2 t chili powder, 1/2 t cayenne pepper, 1 t dish soap and water 
* squirt gun with water 
* talk to your neighbors 
* tansy 
* thorny berry, lilac, hawthorn, rose clippings 
* toothpicks 
* upside down vinyl carpet
* vinegar sprayed on areas where they roam 
* water bottle on "stream"

NOT RECOMMENDED:
*** chili powder, red crushed pepper, cayenne pepper (NOT recommended), it gets on the cat's paws then they wash themselves and they get it in their eyes, beware cats have literally scratched their eyes out because of this. Even if it's one cat out of 500 infected in this way, that's one too many for me.

*** Don't ever use mothballs or flakes. Those little toxic waste pellets destroy cats' kidney function, could seriously harm people who handle them, and yes, contaminate your own garden soil. Their packaging even warns against using them this way."

And these are the links I got the tips from and other links

http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Cats-From-Using-Your-Yard-As-a-Litterbox

http://www.multcopets.org/10-tips-keeping-cats-out-yards-and-gardens

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pests/msg0921190323068.html