My mom and I were thrift shopping a few weeks ago (big surprise, I know!) when she found a wooden toolbox that she loved and wanted to turn into a planter.
Well, a few days later she showed up at my house and told me that it needed to say “Herbs” on both sides and would I please paint it on for her. She agreed to buy the elastic that I needed for my $10 Christmas Challenge in exchange for the painting, so it was really a win-win situation.
While I was at it, I figured I would show you how I went about doing the lettering. I touched on this technique in my Darth Vader Lamp post, but now I can show you step by step.
1. Pick out what you want to paint
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| A Plain Wooden Toolbox (Those pots were not coming back out without a fight!) |
2. Pick out what you want to want it to say. Type up the word or words you want, pick a font, and size. Print it out and cut it down to size if necessary.
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| “Herbs” in Harrington Font |
3. Make sure you it fits well and looks just right, then flip over your paper and rub chalk over the back. Don’t be stingy with the chalk or you won’t get a good transfer. You can also use a pencil, but stray marks are a little harder to remove. (Yes, you can use carbon paper for this if you happen to have some, but I tossed mine before the move.)
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| Rub chalk on the back of your pattern to make a transfer |
4. Now, flip it back over and position it just the way you want it. Then tape it down. Painters tape works very well for this.
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| Ready to go! |
5. Using a pencil, pen or something else with a point, carefully trace all the letters, making sure to press down enough to transfer your pattern. Don’t be afraid to lift up an edge and make sure it’s working. You may need more chalk or more pressure if it isn’t.
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| Now our words are transferred and ready to paint! |
6. Depending on the size of your words and what you are doing, you can either now fill this in with paint and a brush or a paint pen. To me, a paint pen is easier and will work just fine for this project, so that is what I used.
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| Fill in with paint brush or paint pen |
7. You are all done! If you need a more permanent finish, spray it with a coat or two of clear spray paint, but other that, you are all set to enjoy your new hand painted sign!
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| The Finished Product Hand Painted Herb Planter |
Shared on the Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Craft Showoff Party and Throwback Thursday!
This turned out so cute! I love growing herbs and want to get some inside again. Thanks!
Thank you for the tutorial! The planter looks GREAT! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
This is very cute. I love herbs and to have them inside year round is wonderful…this planter really showcases them well! Thanks for posting! 🙂
The chalk is a very clever tip! Thank you for linking up with the Clever Chicks this week; I hope you’ll join us again!
Cheers,
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com
I forgot to mention that I will be featuring you on this week’s blog hop! Please feel free to grab my Featured Button and display it proudly. 🙂
Kathy
What a great ides!
This is a really cute idea, Heather! Thanks for linking this us at Throwback Thursdays.
xoxo
Denyse
I’ve always wanted to try this method. Thanks for reminding me about it!
I’m so happy that you shared your project at Throwback Thursday!
Paula@SweetPea
http://www.virginiasweetpea.com
I’ve got to try this!
Thank you!
Laura
Harvest Lane Cottage
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/257690409902154983/
Love this! Just in time to whip up a few gifties for the holidays, too. This herb box came out so adorable and that is the perfect font! Thanks for the technique and inspiration! xoxo