Use a utility knife to carefully cut a 1-inch X shape in the center of the lid.

Cut a smaller X shape in the lid, about 1 inch from the edge, large enough to insert a drinking straw.

Carefully clean the roots of a 4- to 6-inch-tall seedling (cucumber, lettuce, herb, etc.), washing off the perlite or other medium used to start it.

Gently insert the seedling's roots through the large X, then insert some cotton balls between the stem and the hole to protect and secure the plant.

Fill the container with a dilute nutrient solution, then secure the lid. Make sure that the root system, but not the stem, is completely immersed.

Insert a drinking straw through the smaller hole into the solution. Twice a day, gently aerate the solution by blowing into the straw.

Try to keep the nutrient solution pH between 5.8 and 6.5 and the temperature at about 70 degrees. Change the nutrient solution every 2 weeks, using a full-strength mix.