Reasons why this is a great idea:
- It's cheaper and tastier than buying dried herbs - I just bought a mint plant which cost me eighty pence. Far cheaper than a pot of dried mint, and perfect for the summer. I use it to make lemon and mint salad dressing, to freshen up a glass of Pimms or to garnish salads and it is far more effective than the dried variety that lives in the back of you cupboard.
- It looks pretty - I live in an apartment in the centre of a town so there's not much greenery about. Having some nice potted plants helps to cheer the place up and creates a lovely scent.
- It's a great way to start a new hobby - When I was a child, I used to love growing things in my parents garden but as I got older, busy schedules have gotten in the way and it's easy to forget how much I enjoyed the simple pleasure of helping things grow. It gives you a real sense of achievement! Some examples of low maintenance plants include Rosemary, Mint and Sage. These are great plants to start with if, like me, you're a little rusty or new to plant care.
- You can be creative - I love searching Pinterest for ideas on how to personalise things around the home. I went to a store that renovates old vintage items and bought a little pot for £3.00 to replant my mint into. Originally, I wanted to write straight onto the metal finish but I tested it underneath and it didn't work very well (always test an idea somewhere unnoticeable before you carry it out) so I decided to make a little sign instead.
- A small amount of thread and a needle
- A piece of card (I used the price tag off a shirt)
- A sheet of paper
- Some pens
- Sellotape
- A cocktail stick
- Soil
So here is how you do it:
- You need to source a new pot for your plant because those ones the come in won't provide much space for it to grow. Great places to look for something a bit different is a farmer's market or a shop that renovates vintage items or, if you're lucky, a charity shop will have just what you're looking for. I got this pot from an antique revival store for just £3.00:
Tip: Drainage is important for your plant. If the pot you choose doesn't have a
hole in the bottom, add some gravel to the base before you add soil. - Cut the piece of card to your desired shape. Mine was already in a sort of "gift tag" shape, so I just cropped it to make it a little smaller. Once you have done this, use the card as a stencil to cut out two pieces of identically sized paper.
- Design your label on one of the pieces of paper. It might be worth browsing the internet (Tip:again, Pinterest is a great place to look) for some TYPOGRAPHY examples if you want a quirky font. I drew my font in a big bold marker to make it stand out and then I hand-sewed some read thread around the edge of the paper only.
- Punch a hole in one of the edges of the card and paper to feed through a piece of ribbon (Tip: I keep all the ribbon off of Christmas and birthday gifts and put it away for these sorts of projects). I chose to tie mine in a simple knot but a bow can look nice too. The ribbon will then hold the paper and card together.
- Attach a cocktail stick to the back of the card to use as a stand for the sign. I chose to spray-paint my cocktail stick first as I had some lying around, but it looks good without.
If you're rubbish at sewing, like me, it doesn't matter!
It just gives it a shabby chic effect. - Laminate the sign in sellotape. This will protect it from sunlight and from getting wet when you water the plant.
- Take the plant out of its original pot and place it into your new pot. Remember: If your pot doesn't have drainage you must add gravel first. Then fill the remaining space with fresh soil, give the plant a good drink and watch it grow in your new chic windowsill garden!
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| Ready to be re-potted! |
Total Cost: £3.80
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