This is a trick that I learned from Senior Moderator Deborah Wheat. If you're ever in a situation where you're desperate to start seeds but don't have a lot of fancy stuff on hand like peat pellets, soil, peat pots or anything else, try this! I promise it works. I sprouted nearly everything I grew this year this way.

Take a paper towel. Moisten the towel. Don't let it be soaking wet....Wring out some of the excess water. Lay the towel down flat. Fold it over in half. Place your seeds in the center of your square. Fold the sides over so that you have a neat little packet. Place the seeds in a plastic baggy. You can put several packets of seed sprouting paper towels in one baggy. I like to keep different types of seeds separate. I don't mind putting all of one thing in a baggy -- if they are merely different colors. I don't however like to mix different types of flowers or veggies. Make sure that you've labeled each packet so you know what you've got.....You can stick a slip of paper in each packet to tell you what it is...Write it down with a permanent Sharpie or marker. Otherwise it will bleed and be illegible. Put your plastic baggies filled with seeds in a bright and warm location and wait for them to sprout. In most cases, your seeds will sprout in a week. Some seeds are slower. Just keep checking on them and making sure that the paper towels don't get dried out. When they have sprouted, plant them where you might. If they stick to the towel a bit, don't worry....I usually just plunk the entire towel with the seeds that have stuck to it right in the dirt....paper is, after all, biodegradable!