DIY Seed Tray: Paper Towel, Cupcake Wrapper, and Egg Carton Methods

October 17th, 2025 | 4:15 PM

Need a do-it-yourself solution for planting your seeds indoors?

Here are three distinct ways to sprout seeds: the paper towel method, repurposing cupcake wrappers into seed trays, and upcycling egg cartons.

For Every Star A Tree - Planting Seeds from Sheffields.com

Our seeds have arrived...and they're sprouting!

Remember when we voted for what to plant in the Tiny Forest?

The elusive Desert Ironwood tree took 1st place.

After an extensive search, I came across a seed company in New York that sold desert ironwood seeds collected in 2024 from Arizona.

I soaked the seeds for 24 hours:

For Every Star A Tree - Soaking Seeds

Then, I transferred them into two distinct mediums:

- DIY Seed Trays (using potting soil + cupcake holders)
- Moist Paper Towels (for sprouting)

I didn't have enough seed trays, so I came up with a cute but brilliant DIY solution: cupcake wrappers as seed trays.

For Every Star A Tree - Cupcake Wrappers for DIY seed trays

Huge thank you to my best friend Eddie, who volunteered to help me plant seeds. Little M has been steadfast in keeping an eye on them so they stay moist.

Happy to share that a significant number of seeds have successfully sprouted! I've transplanted them into an egg carton:

For Every Star A Tree - Egg Carton for DIY seed trays

About For Every Star A Tree

For Every Star A Tree is on a mission to cultivate abandonded, desertified land into regenerative habitats.

The nonprofit inspires collective action to create a healthier planet. Every donation helps fund essential resources like water, seeds, saplings, and volunteer earthcare.

Want to get involved? You can volunteer or gift a tax-deductible donation.

Join our global community helping us bring our eco-restoration work to life.