A savvy gardener shared a way to use the plastic lids from store-bought cake containers to save trips to the store for produce later. They shared their go-to trick in the r/Gardening subreddit, showing how the clear lids can double as mini greenhouses for seedlings.
The scoop
"What's your pre-game gardening trick?" the Redditor asked in the post. "Mine is plastic cake lids."
"I just reached out to my Buy Nothing group asking for plastic cake lids," they explained. "I know it sounds crazy but these things make the best mini greenhouses for seedling that outgrow the seed starter trays."
The ingenious hack creates individual microclimates for the seedlings, trapping warmth and moisture. The upside-down plastic cake lids mimic the effect of pricier greenhouse domes and are easy to stack and store when not in use during the off-season. They're also lightweight and easy to rinse, saving space and money over time.
How it's helping
The original poster's gardening trick is a win for anyone looking to expand their garden on a budget. Mini-greenhouse kits can cost anywhere from $10 to $50 or more. That can add up quickly, depending on your needs. Plastic cake lids, on the other hand, are essentially free. If you get them from other people, like the OP did, you don't even have to pay for the cake.
Using plastic lids also has an environmental benefit. Repurposing keeps them out of landfills and oceans. By giving these throwaway packages a second life, users help reduce waste and ease pressure on the community's trash systems.
The OP's hack is part of a growing movement to minimize waste pollution by taking actions like creatively reusing household items, turning clutter into savings, and making money on old clothes. Reuse-forward brands, like ThredUp, also encourage people to rethink what they toss and see what still has value. That includes finding new ways to repurpose containers and packaging before they end up in the trash.
What everyone's saying
The post sparked instant camaraderie among a few fellow gardeners.
One commenter shared an image of their similar DIY setup with the plastic lids: "I always reuse whatever I have. The big ones were from Thanksgiving. The small ones are from my cinnamon roll addiction!"
"We are kindred spirits!" the OP responded. "I hate to throw things away that can give a new occupation to."
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Cost 💵 Another offered a different approach: "Gallon water jugs cut in half for direct sowing. Or 2L soda bottle."
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