C is for Crafts: Strawberry Box Greenhouses
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My family loves strawberries! Earlier this spring when strawberries were on sale often, we were buying 2-3 boxes of berries a week. I could not bear to put all those plastic containers right into the recycling bin. I just knew that they had projects in their future. I have endured some eye rolling and head shaking from my husband, but I have a lovely little collection of these boxes in my craft closet now. I have several ideas of how to use them. My first project was making strawberry box greenhouses with the girls in order to grow some flower seeds. They turned out so cute and our seeds sprouted right away. Here is how to make your own strawberry box greenhouse:
Supplies
2 plastic strawberry containers
Potting soil
Seed packet
Paper towel
Hole punch
Scissors
Twine
Instructions
Wash out your recycled strawberry boxes and dry them off gently. Using your scissors carefully cut the lid off of each container. Save one lid to use as a saucer under the box.
Punch a hole in the end of each box in the middle just under the rim. You will use these holes to tie the boxes together.
Fold a piece of paper towel to fit in the bottom of one box. This will help prevent the soil from falling through the slots and will hold moisture in the soil better as well.
Scoop your potting soil on top of the paper towel filling the box about 3/4 full. Next sprinkle your seeds in. Gently cover the seeds with a layer of potting soil. Water lightly.
Turn the other strawberry box upside down to create the lid of the greenhouse. Lace a small length of twine through the holes on each end and tie together to secure the lid to the base. Don’t worry if they don’t line up perfectly. A little gap just allows more air and water to circulate around the seeds.
Place your greenhouse on one of the lids you cut off earlier to catch any dirt or water that might leak out and place in a sunny spot. Water occasionally and watch for the seeds to begin to sprout. I never took the lid off to water – I just watered right through the slots in the boxes. When your plants reach the roof of the greenhouse, remove the top and prepare to transplant them into a pot or directly in the ground.
We grew zinnias this time as I was looking for seeds with a short germination time. The seed packet will tell you how many days to expect. Zinnia seeds sprout in 5-10 days so the girls didn’t have to wait too long to see results. We are planning to try shasta daisies and morning glories next. Veggies would be fun too. What would you grow in your strawberry box greenhouses?
We have had so much fun with our simple little greenhouses. I hope you will give this fun little project a try. And stay tuned for more strawberry box projects in the future. I just knew these strawberry boxes were worth saving! Happy planting, my friends!
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