I Always Turn Old Gift Wrap Into a Clever Seed and Garden Planner – Here’s How
Don't throw away your old gift wrap! It could be the best solution for planning your garden (particularly when it comes to seeds).
Every year, once the holidays are over, I find myself staring at all the old gift wrap and thinking, “There has to be a better use for this than tossing it.” The answer? Turning it into a seed and garden planner, of course (if I get to it before my kids snatch it for arts and crafts, of course).
I know: planting seeds and leftover wrapping paper feel about as far removed from one another as polar bears and the Saharah desert. But, honestly, it's a gamechanger – so long as you have the right kind of gift wrap to hand.
I'm talking about the sturdy type with a faint grid printed on the back, that's been specially designed to help with straight cuts. Because that simple grid? It is absolutely perfect for mapping out seed plantings and raised beds with accuracy.
How to Turn Old Gift Wrap Into a Seed Planner
My husband is the kind of person who can sketch out a garden plan from sketch on a blank sheet. Me, though? Words have always been my strength, not pictures. And I find it infinitely easier to use old gift wrap to create a scale map of my beds (particularly now we've unexpectedly inherited a veg plot in a community garden).
The trick is to keep it simple: one square equals a foot, so I can work out spacing for rows of lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, or anything else I want to grow. It's the best way, I've found, to visualize exactly how many plants will fit, which rows go where, and how to rotate crops from season to season.
This method is wonderfully flexible – so much so that you can stick to using your old gift wrap for seed planning or expand it into a full garden layout. I suspect it would be great for figuring out flower beds, deciding where paths will go, or even planning out your companion planting schemes, too.
The simplest way to do it, though? Draw your beds directly onto the paper, mark spacing for each crop, and you'll be able to see at a glance how everything will fit. With that in mind, then, it's good to focus primarily on rows, spacing, and plant density.
Along the margins, it's also a good idea to write planting dates based on USDA hardiness zone and whether seeds need to be started indoors or sown directly, as this will turn your old gift wrap into a one-stop reference for the entire season.
Simple, free, and eco-friendly? It's a triple threat, quite frankly.
Seed Shopping Essentials:
Keep your seedlings warm and increase germination with heat mats. As a bonus, they also keep houseplants happy!
Burpee's seed starting mix is made from recycled coconut husks - plus, coconut fiber improves nutrient absorption.
Humidity domes essentially create a mini greenhouse for seeds, trapping in moisture and boosting germination.
I guess what I'm saying is this: old gift wrap isn't magic. It is, however, able to provide such a clear representation of your beds that you can prevent overcrowding your seedlings, ensure you get them in the ground at the right time, and give each plant the space they need to thrive. Which leads to a higher success rate when sowing seeds. Which, in turn, means we're back to it feeling like magic again.
The best part? Other than the fact it makes spring planting less stressful and more organized, I mean? It turns something you were literally about to throw in the trash into something useful again.
Honestly, seeing your seeds laid out clearly on the page makes the season ahead feel a little more achievable. But, if your kids beat you to it and use the old gift wrap for their latest art project, that's fine, too. Go forth, then, and upcycle!
