DIY Balcony Herb Garden

My husband and I have a really small porch. Great for a view, terrible for...just about anything else. But we knew we wanted to have our own garden so we came up with a space-saving solution that worked! To create something similar, here is what you need:

• From the Craft Store:
• Aluminum cans—Michael's sells them if you're not a canned food person
• Large popsicle sticks
• Sharpie
• Spraypaint—We used Valspar's "Devine Color" Paint and Primer in Devine Apple

• From the Home Improvement Store:
• Twine
• Potting soil (optional)
• Transplants—These were a little over a dollar each at Home Depot. They're easier than having to nurture seeds, and already have leaves you can use. Ours came in peat pots, which don't have to be removed when you plant. Get whatever spices work for you of course, but here's what we picked up: sweet basil, parsley, greek oregano and cilantro.
• Hammer and nail
• Small garden trowel (optional)

We started by hammering three holes into the bottom of each can for drainage and two holes on either side for the twine. Then we spraypainted them with our paint+primer, which is great because it only takes one coat (and costs $6 at Target). If you're buying regular spraypaint, I recommend coating first with a white and then with your color, otherwise you're going to be starting with a gray base. Since our transplants were a little big, we carefully removed the peat pots and pushed them into each can. If your transplants come in a plastic pot, try not to force it out. Put your hand over the open end and and flip it over. Tap the bottom and sides to loosen it up and it should then slide right out. This protects the roots and stems from breaking. If you have small transplants, you can always add a little potting mix to the bottom of your aluminum cans to raise them up. After that, all there was left to do was tie the twine around the cans and railing and violà!

We had just enough space to add some regular pots too, so we threw in some Marigolds (because they repel bugs and, well, they're pretty!) and some jalapeño peppers (but my husband can have those...). Also, these pots are great because they're lightweight, come in fun colors and have a self watering disk at the bottom. 

Well there you have it!

Wooden Spice Rack Upcycle

In case you don't remember, here is the spice rack I bought recently, and this is what it originally looked like:

These are the materials that I used: craft paint ('bright red', 'ocean breeze', and a white for the base coat), a paint brush, a brown fine tipped pen, and some stick-on labels from the wedding section of Michael's. I started by covering everything in white. Then I painted the outside red, and added blue to the inside of the drawers. I hand-drew the names on the labels, based on a font called Archer. I'm debating whether or not to paint the bottom of the shelves blue to tie it together, and I have yet to put on a sealer, to keep the paint from chipping (I'll probably go with Mod Podge—it's great to use as long as you don't mind brush strokes. Otherwise, use a spray on like Shellac.)

Adding Some Flavor

I really haven't been able to post as much the past few days because I've been working a lot, so I thought I would share this really cute spice rack that I found at an estate sale not too long ago. I am excited about touching it up with a little paint and designing my own labels to go around the bottles (and when I finally do get around to it, I will definitely post!). I love the old bottles though; they're my favorite part. With a little elbow grease and graphic designing, I'm sure they will be beautiful again in no time! :)