DIY Chalkboard Label Kitchen Herb Garden

Makeful
by Makeful
2 Materials
COUNT back to all the times that you've been midway through creating an amazing recipe, and then realize you forgot to go get a fresh batch of rosemary to make your dinner even more amazing. Just think about how a trip to the grocery store while you're in the middle of cooking could have been avoided if you had a fresh batch of your specialty herb handy? With this easy and quick DIY, you'll be able to have your own herb garden right in your kitchen!
Spring has sprung and it's the perfect time to try your hand at growing something green! This simple to make and easy to care for DIY indoor herb garden is the perfect spring refresh for your kitchen.
We decided to roll up our sleeves and use our green(ish) thumbs to use some chalkboard paint and some fresh plants to repurpose this popular storage solution from Ikea as an indoor herb garden. Fresh pesto comin' right up!
Create an open band in the middle of each bucket by taping off a ring around the top and bottom. You can line the buckets up next to each other to make sure the bands are all the same size. You can do this project with terra cotta pots from the hardware store or nursery, but if you're using Ikea's Fintorp utensil holders, there already exists a groove around the top of the bucket that acts as a handy guide for the tape. Brush on one coat of chalkboard paint (it goes on thick!), let dry, then add a second coat.
When the paint has completely dried, carefully peel back the tape to reveal your chalkboard label. You can use this to label and mark everything from utensils, to pens and pencils, to cutlery; but in this case, we're labeling our fresh herbs. Use a chalk paint pen for that super clean chalk look (rather than a traditional stick of chalk which can get dusty and messy). A nice perk? You can erase the chalk at any time and re-label later if you decide to switch it up.
Time to pot your plants. We bought herbs in 4-inch pots and they fit absolutely perfectly without having to add additional soil to the bucket. The utensil holder even has a small drainage dish included in the bottom of each bucket which works perfectly so the herb's roots don't get too soggy. Pro Tip: A trick for potting plants? Squeeze around the entire plastic plant container, then flip the whole thing upside-down. The plant usually slides right out of the plastic and you can easily transfer it into your new pot.
Attach the small designated hooks for the Fintorp rail and mount it to your kitchen wall. Align your hooks and hang your buckets. Now, all you need to remember is to water them regularly!


This kitchen hack adds such a lovely touch of green to the kitchen and not only that, it adds a breath of fresh air. We are so inspired to cook with our fresh herbs from our DIY indoor herb garden, we can't wait to whip up some rosemary potatoes, lemon thyme chicken, basil pesto! Mmmmm...


More pictures in our post on bemakfeul.com- just click the link!
Suggested materials:
  • Ikea Fintorp Series: Hanging storage solution   (Ikea)
  • Fresh 4" potted herbs   (local nursery)
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  • Melissa Merrill Snyder Melissa Merrill Snyder on Mar 14, 2018

    For those of your readers that have a die cutting machine, adhesive chalkboard paper can be bought and used. And white outdoor vinyl can be used with erasable markers.

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