In case it’s not on your calendar, tomorrow April 22nd is Earth Day! Last year we featured a fun DIY craft to do with the kids or by yourself and it was so popular we decided to bring it back and show you a different version! And a tad bit more time consuming.

Introducing the DIY Herb Garden + Planter

DIY Herb Planter, Earth Day, Kid Friendly DIY Activities

How to Make the Box:

What You Need

  • Cedar Picket Fence: About 2 pieces found at Home Depot for less than $8 total.
  • 1 piece of scrap wood {for bottom of box}
  • Nails/Screws
  • Saw
  • Sander {optional if you want smooth edges}
  • Stencils {optional if you want Herbs or something else stenciled on the side}
  • Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Provence Paint {optional because you can use any brand of paint}
  • Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Old White (optional}
  • Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Wax Brush {optional because you can use any brush}

Constructing the Box

  • Measure how long you want your box and make a mark along the wood with a pen {We made ours about 2 1/2′ long} and 14″ wide}
  • Saw 3 pieces for your base
  • Saw 2 pieces of your scrap wood to fit vertical on the underneath side of your 3 long pieces {this is to secure the base all together}
  • Screw the scrap pieces of wood into the 3 long pieces
  • Measure your side panels to the length of your base and saw
  • Nail into sides
  • Measure your end panels to the width of your base and saw
  • Nail into ends
  • Sand your ends smooth so that there are no splintery pieces of wood poking out–the cedar pickets are rough so you can send those down as well for an easier paint job
  • Paint your box in whatever color of your choosing. I love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and always have some on hand so this wasn’t an expense for me, but you can use any paint. I went with Provence as the main color and used Old White to stencil the letters. You don’t need a lot of paint on your brush when stenciling, because it will bleed so I recommend having a throw away cup to dab your brush into to ensure you don’t have too much.

DIY Herb Planter, Earth Day, Kid Friendly DIY Activities

DIY Herb Planter, Earth Day, Kid Friendly DIY Activities

Preparing Your Herb Garden:

What You Need

  • Large Recycled Aluminum Cans
  • Drill
  • White Spray Paint
  • Soil
  • Your Favorite Herb Seeds
  • Clothespins

What You Do

  • Our family doesn’t eat a lot of canned veggies so this was an expense for me. I found the cheapest canned veggies that came in a large can, which turns out is Canned Hill Country Fair Yams at 83 cents per can. I started with 8 different herbs in my garden so this turned out to be less than $7.
  •  Empty out the aluminum cans and peel off the paper which might leave you with gold colored cans or aluminum colored.
  • I had some off white spray paint handy so I sprayed them all so that they looked a little more put together.
  • Drill a few holes in the bottom of the cans for drainage.
  • Follow each seeds instructions, but I filled the containers with soil most of the way to the top and then had my 3 year old sprinkle the seeds into the soil.
  • Top the seeds with a little more soil {probably 1/2″ to 1″ thick}
  • Write the name of your herb on the clothespin and attach to your aluminum can.

DIY Herb Planter, Earth Day, Kid Friendly DIY Activities

I know it sounds like a lot of work and while it was an afternoon project, it was fun for the entire family. My husband worked on sawing and constructing the box while my oldest and I worked on planting our seeds. The end result is super cute for our backyard, is fun for my son to watch grow, we will have fresh herbs for our meals, and it’s Earth Day tomorrow so what better way to celebrate than by getting your little one into gardening?!

DIY Herb Planter, Earth Day, Kid Friendly DIY Activities

Are you up for the task of the DIY Herb Garden?

 

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