If, like me, you love gardening but aren't a huge fan of all the plastic pots that seem to multiply in corners and pop up wherever plants need transporting, then chances are you'll love these DIY coffee bag planter pots as much as I do.
Coffee bag pots are fantastic for so many reasons. They're made from recycled material, biodegradable, weather resistant, lightweight, they're flexible so plants have room to grow and best of all you can make them yourself in less than half an hour.
What You Need
Materials
Coffee Bags (also known as Hessian bags or burlap bags)
Scissors
Equipment
A sewing machine or needle and thread.
Instructions
1. Cut the coffee bags in half lengthways. You could cut it into thirds to make smaller pots for seedlings.
2. Stitch the edge to create a sleeve.
3. Cut the sleeve in thirds or to create longer pots for plants with deeper roots cut a longer, customized length.
4. Stitch the base of the bag to create a sealed pouch.
5. Roll the top of the bag over to create a grip point. Fill the bag with soil and pot like you would a pot plant!
Additional Notes:
You can use the pots like you would any other pot, water them, move them, reuse them and if you wanted to you could even plant them. If you wanted to you could do a way with plastic pots all together.
(Re-edited from a post originally published on 7.15.2011 - CM)
(Images: Sarah Starkey)
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Can you water these just like regular pots? Burlap isn't waterproof and it's a fairly open weave, so I feel like water would just leak through.
cool, this IS a great solution.
i love the idea, but wont it get moldy and gross underneath the bag? i guess you could set it in a big tray....
@omoriala: I've lined those clementine boxes with multiple layers of burlap in the past, and after a few waterings, the burlap absorbs the minerals from the soil and hardens up to form a crust. It took like a week or so, but the burlap hold the soil from eroding. The only problem a pure burlap "pot" I can imagine would be evaporation from the soil, which is why I always use plastic pots without drainage holes in my climate.
I don't recommend doing this with soil as anything other than temporary. The bags will burst.
If you are growing potatoes in straw, then go for it!
How cool!
I agree with MaryWynn...burlap bags will eventually breakdown and won't really serve as a good planter any more. I ordered bulk potting soil this spring and thought storing it in burlap bags from my local coffee shop would be a great idea, but now I have a pile of potting soil and no more burlap bags. Just something to keep in mind!
Couldn't you just stick the pot into the burlap bag, maybe with some pea gravel to give it shape?
Yes, I agree than this seems like a temporary solution. Plastic pots are far from the only thing to plant in though. I use terra cotta ones which look beautiful, especially as they age, and more importantly, they will not disintegrate or allow roots to grow through them...
If you were to sew in a plastic liner (like tarp) with holes poked in the bottom, would that help preserve the integrity of the bag?
This is such a great idea! Not only it looks good but it works too! Great post! Here are a few tips on how to make your home more eco friendly. Enjoy!
http://www.eieihome.com/blog/how-to-make-your-home-eco-friendly.html
very nice idea!
Will this idea work for herbs as well? and when you water each plant...wouldn't the water seep through the burlap material?