Repurposed Shelf Herb Garden Box {Summer Celebration}
Remember that time we sang into our hairbrushes and acted out the part of Sandra Dee to Summer Lovin’?
Oh, wait…was that just me? I confess, that was really yesterday while dancing in my kitchen.
This sunny weather has me completely giddy, and I hope you’re feeling extra sunshine-y lately too. My latest little repurposing project has me doing extra pirouettes. (Olivia joins in too.)
If you haven’t been reading this blog for very long, you should know that I have a wild imagination. Sometimes I bite off more than I can chew in the DIY department because of it. And sometimes it comes in handy when I’m figuring out ways to repurpose items ready for the trash heap.
My mom gave me this old, dusty wall shelf that had been hanging in my parents’ powder room until recently and said, “Here. Do something cool with it.” She’s my bestie, that mommy of mine.
I’d been wanting to make a reclaimed trough centerpiece for months to go in our breakfast area, so this little guy was destined for it. The best part- the carpentry was already done for me! Yay!
If you wanted to make one for yourself, it would be very easy to do.
Instead of making a centerpiece of flowers though, I wanted to make it a bit more functional as an herb garden. And to change out my plants as I needed, I opted to leave the bottom open to hold pots instead.
Repurposed Shelf Herb Garden Box: (Affiliate links noted below by asteriks.)
If you don’t already have a shelf like this, here’s what you need-
- 1×4 cut into two long pieces and 4 shorter, connecting pieces (whatever size you want)
- Brad nails
- Mouse sander*
- Coarse grit sandpaper
- Computer printer
- 2 sheets of printer paper
- Large craft brush
- Sharpie
- Tape
- Scissors
- Spray sealer*
- Planter pots
- Herb plants of your choice
- Chalkboard stake labels* (optional)
I removed most of the dark stain with my mouse sander first to give it a weathered wood crate effect.
Since this was a shelf, I removed the sawtooth hanger on the back with a hammer too.
I could have just sanded it, sealed it, and called it a day, but I wanted to give my herb crate some character.
This method is so easy and you can use it on so many things. I’ve used it on wooden signs before.
I typed my crate wording (herboriste) into a blank design on Picmonkey and saved as a JPEG. Before printing, I flipped my word horizontally in the print setup to mirror it like a stamp.
On a Mac, open your image, click “Tools” in the upper toolbar, then “Flip Horizontally”.
PCs can flip images in the print setup.
I cut out my flipped word leaving enough room to tape to the side of the box so that the printed side was face down.
To transfer the ink on the paper to the wood, I dipped a craft brush into some water and swiped it on the letters, just enough to wet the paper not soak it. I did this and the next step one letter at a time.
Using the cap of a Sharpie, I rubbed the wet letters just enough so the paper wouldn’t rip.
Once I peeled up the paper, I had a faint stamping effect.
The stamp was still too faint for me, so I outlined and filled in the letters with my Sharpie.
I gave the ink a minute to dry and distressed the letters with a piece of coarse sandpaper.
I wanted to make sure the wood was protected so I could water my herbs and gave all sides of the box, in and out, two coats of the spray sealer.
As the box was drying, I scurried off to pick up a few herbs and terra cotta pots. I’d stear clear of basil and rosemary since they grow very fast and bushy.
My wooden box craft cost me absolutely nothing thanks to supplies I already had (and a rockin’ mom for the shelf). The herbs, pots, chalkboard stakes, and saucers (to protect any water from leaking onto my table) cost about $20. My kitchen table sits right in front of two big French door windows, so they get some sun.
I’m so excited to finally have some herbs to jazz up some of my summer dishes! We’re already using some of that mint in our sweet tea. Because really…what’s summer without plenty of sweet tea around here?
Aren’t those little chalkboard stakes adorable?
The fresh greenery really helps soften all of the industrial pieces I have going on in here.
And the smell of those herbs together is absolutely heavenly. Smells like summer. Ahhhhh. Makes me want to break into song all over again.
What do you think? Would you attempt this one? I really hope my black thumb will magically turn green to keep these lovelies alive.
If you liked this little project, here’s more fresh, thrifty goodness: (Just click the image.)
I’ve had so much fun teaming up with this very talented group of 17 bloggers for the third annual Summer Celebration! Be sure to check out all of their beautiful summer-inspired projects.
1. Making Home Base 2. House By Hoff 3. Life on Virgina Street
4. Everyday Enchanting 5. The Happy Housie 6. Tell Love and Chocolate
1. Rain on A Tin Roof 2. The Blissful Bee 3. The Turquoise Home
4. Just A Girl and Her Blog 5. View From The Fridge 6. making it in the mountains
1. Bless’er House 2. Delineate Your Dwelling 3. Maison de Pax
4.Up to Date Interiors 5. The Wood Grain Cottage 6. Migonis Home
You can join us in the Summer Celebration by using the hashtag #summercelebration on Instagram! Happy summer!
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