Manageability – Pretty Basic, in Theory.
I don’t have a green thumb, ok? I love plants, and I can usually keep the thick/sturdy ones alive and my root veg are thriving, but I don’t know, herbs hate me. They die. They die a sad death.
Despite my curse, I saw an idea for an herb planter made out of a pallet, and I crushed it (eventually). The directions seem pretty easy, right? Just cut a pallet in half, stain it, paint it, place the wall planter hooks, and lace the lights around it! Bingo bango bongo. But to be honest, this was more of a pain in the ass than I anticipated.
First of all, it was surprisingly difficult to find a half-pallet. Home Depot only sells them if they have one from the end of a shipment of cement bags or whatever, and even then you’re a beggar and not a chooser. When you can find one, you still need to cut it in half. I live in Chicago, ok? I don’t have a table saw in the tool shed.
Next, staining and painting this thing was kinda obnoxious. Pallets aren’t nice, even, smooth pieces of IKEA furniture. They’re raggedy ass, splintery jerks of wood things. It’s a real turd of a time trying to get paint and stain into every nook and cranny of this thing. I wish I could just dip the whole thing into a vat of paint.
As far as the pots, the ones I found were too shiny for my taste. I tried to give them a more weathered feel by soaking them in a salt/peroxide/vinegar mixture, but I let one of them soak a liiiiiitle too long and it messed up the side (see below). Whatever, I just turned it around. Like flipping a couch cushion.
I did cilantro, oregano, mint, sage, rosemary, and parsley. Now if only I could keep these damn plants alive.
Shout out to my sister Alissa for the dress! Check out her Etsy, To the Birds Boutique on Etsy. She makes masks too!
Required Items
- Pallet, cut in half longways (hot dog, not hamburger)
- Stain
- Paint, brushes
- Metal planters
- 4 strands of soft round bulb lights
- Screws, driver
- Metal round holders
Directions
- Find an old pallet, hopefully one with a vintage feel because that makes it better.
- Cut that sucker in half long-ways.
- Stain pallet color of choice
- Paint (I used chalk paint and a light brushstroke to get the weathered look)
- Place the planter hooks on the pallet, staggered so the plants have room to bloom, or “bloom room”.
- Drive the planter hooks into the wood.
- Lace and intertwine the lights throughout, so they’re nice and even.
- Go buy some herbs, and get to growin!