This tutorial for homemade seed tape is an awesome DIY money-saving gardening hack. This seed mat project is so easy that even anyone can plant tiny seeds like carrots, lettuce, herbs, or spinach.

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A garden is nothing more than the belief in tomorrow. But a combination of lack of patience when planting small seeds, and an inability to appropriately thin plants makes for crowded and unproductive garden beds.

That ends today my friends because today we’re taking control and making homemade seed tape or even seed mats for square foot gardening. For those about the sow – we salute you!

What is Seed Tape?

Seed tape is a tool that gardeners can use for making sure that seeds are planted appropriately. It prevents waste from overly-zealous sowing.

The seeds are already pre-spaced out, and easy to plant. Seed tape will never result in someone yelling “I give up” after 10 ~~seconds~~ minutes of trying to sow itty bitty little carrot seeds. It also keeps you from having to thin them later in the season.

They are perfect for accessibility issues too! If physical restraints keep you from spending a lot of time in the garden, you can prep your tape ahead of time in your own home. Come planting time, you’ll be done in a flash.

Supply list for Homemade Seed Tape

2.5 tsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp water
Scissors
Toilet paper
Marker
Ball-point pen
Chopstick
Seeds! I mainly use Territorial or Baker Creek Seeds

How to Make Homemade Seed Tape – Step by Step

Measure your garden boxes or planting area to figure out how long you need the tape to be. Place a measuring tape on a flat surface, and unroll your toilet paper to the appropriate length. I recommend doing a bunch of these at once so you have a ready pile of paper to work with.

Fold the toilet paper down the middle the long way. If you were ever in my mom’s second-grade class at some point, you’d know this as folding it “hot dog” style. 🙂

Grab your seed packet and look at the “thin to” information to find the appropriate placement for your seeds. When you plant them at a distance that doesn’t require thinning, later on, you get to save yourself an annoying step. Unfold the toilet paper, and working on one side of the line, use a marker to make dots based on the spacing information.

Mix flour and water into a paste. It shouldn’t be runny, but you also don’t want it to be so thick that it won’t come off the chopstick easily. Dip your chopstick in the paste and dab some of it on the dots on the toilet paper. It is easiest to do the whole roll at once.

Carefully place one seed on each paste dot. If grabbing small seeds is challenging, dip a toothpick into the paste and then use the tip to grab the seed.

Fold the toilet paper in half over the seeds, pressing lightly over each seed to “seal” the toilet paper sandwich. Using the ballpoint pen, label one end of the toilet paper with the name of the seed, and what kind of plant it will be.

a piece of completed homemade seed tape on a table

Sitting back to pout after securing the seeds is entirely optional but highly recommended.

Lay the seed tape where it will be undisturbed for a few hours to completely dry. Once dry, roll up and secure using paper clips or clothespins.

How Do You Plant Seed Tape?

When it is time to plant, simply check the seed package for appropriate planting depth, dig a trench, place the unrolled seed tape in there, and cover with soil. If you’re planting things such as carrots that barely need to be covered with soil, lay the tape on top of the planting area and simply sprinkle loose soil on top.

Water just as you would normal in-ground seeds. Laugh while the crows that were watching you plant are unable to dig up the seeds the second you turn your back. Haha, we’re twice as smart as you are birds!

Pro tips:

You can use non-toxic school glue if you have any on hand.
Need seed mats for the square foot gardening method? Use napkins or paper towels.
This works best for teeny tiny seeds like herbs, greens, and carrots. For heavier seeds (beans, peas, watermelon, etc.,) it is best to just plant them directly into the ground.

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