This is the first of five projects featured in the Seattle Goodwill SPEED.I.Y ad campaign. I had 5 minutes to run through the store and find as many items as possible to repurpose into fun DIY summer projects for gardening. See the main post and videos here and check out the Seattle Goodwill DIY page for lots of projects and resources!
Who can’t use an herb garden?! And it’s so easy to make! Really, all you need are some mason jars and herbs and you’re on your way! I wanted something colorful that I’m excited to use every time I see them in their little spot by the window, so I added a little acrylic paint to the equation. I decided a tray would be helpful too so I can carry them all to the sink or to the kitchen counter to cut herbs I need for dinner. And brunch. And lunch. 😉 And dessert (because I couldn’t pass up lavender!).
Materials
- Mason jars at Goodwill (they’re 20 cents each!)
- Metal, wood, or wicker tray at Goodwill
- Acrylic paints (I recommend FolkArt or Martha Stewart)
- Foam or paintbrushes
- Painter’s tape (I love Frog Tape)
- Clear spray varnish
- Soil and herbs, Home Depot
Basic Idea
MASON JARS
Find your mason jars at Goodwill! There are all sizes, from small and petite to the larger ones you see at the grocery store full of spaghetti sauce.
Paint the jars. You can find enamel paint for glass, but I had better luck with regular acrylic paint. It left a matte finish and dried quickly between coats. The enamel paint was shiny and took forever to dry. You’ll need 2-3 coats depending on the color.
Spray each jar with clear varnish. Let dry.
HERB GARDEN TRAY
Look in the metal and wood section at Goodwill for a solid, well-made round or rectangle tray. Make sure it’s in good shape because it needs to hold four jars full of dirt. Tip: try wicker trays!! There are always a lot of sets of those wicker trays that are used as bases for flimsy paper plates at picnics (I found a pack of 4 for 99 cents).
To create the border of color: tape off the tray to create a cross and then tape around the edge on the inside of the tray.
Paint the sections opposite each other different colors. Let dry.
Remove the tape and reapply to section off and paint the remaining two sections. Let dry before removing tape.
Design ideas: solid color, stripes, half-and-half, polka dots. It would be super easy to paint all four trays quickly and use them all over your house or for your summer BBQs and picnics!
Plant herbs. Add rocks to the bottom of the jar for drainage. The herbs shown are oregano, lavender, rosemary, and Italian cilantro.
Write the name of each herb on a wooden craft stick and insert into jar, or use twine and a tag to wrap around the mouth of the jars.
I can’t wait to use my herbs! The whole dining room smells delicious!
Planter lover like me? Check out other planter DIYs: DIY planter roundup, triangle gold foil planter, washi tape planter.
Did you make a project with items you found at Goodwill? Tag @SeattleGoodwill (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) and use #GoodwillDIY for your DIY projects! We’d love to see them! xo
