Reuse Tea Tins For An Indoor Herbal Garden That'll Add Charm To Any Kitchen

You may have heard that you can repurpose used tea bags around your home, but did you know the tea tin they come in can be reused, too? That's right, you can upcycle empty tea tins to make a charming, indoor herb garden that will bring delight to all of your guests who pass through your kitchen. You'll love this craft because the process can be done in a few, simple steps with minimal items.

Plus, you can customize your herb garden in a number of ways; one way being which tea tins you choose to use for this eco-friendly hack. They come in a number of shapes, sizes, and colors, so you can select tins that match your style, or decide to switch them up with a coat of paint. There are also a few tips to follow to ensure the lifespan of your tea tins so they don't rust or chip. You can use this DIY to easily put those beautiful tea tins you just don't want to throw away to good use, and also bring some green into your life.

To begin making your indoor herb garden, first select the tea tins you'll be using. Once your tins are selected, you're going to focus on the drainage component of your tin. This could be done by punching holes in the bottom to allow the water to drain out, or by placing small rocks, horticultural sand, or other drainage materials at the bottom of the tin. When watering your herbs, the amount of water should be just enough to moisten the soil without drenching it.

Next, add potting soil on top of the rocks or sand. If you opted to add drainage holes to your tin, you can just add the soil. Once the soil is in, add your transplants into the tins making sure to put enough soil so it covers the roots and the entire tin. If you're growing herbs from seeds, you can add those on top of the soil. Basil, parsley, and thyme are some of the best indoor herbs for your kitchen garden.

However, if you want to actually eat the herbs you are growing, you want to be aware of rusting, as some tea tins are made of material that can rust. If you don't want to worry about rusting, before filling your tin with soil, place a plastic storage bag, like a Ziploc bag, inside the tin. This way, the plants can more easily be removed from the tin if rusting occurs.

If you want to give your herb garden more visual variety, you can choose to use tea tins that are different from each other. However, if you prefer a little consistency in the style of your herb garden, you may want to select tea tins that are either the same size, same shape, or same color.

To create an herbal tea tin garden that's as unique as you, consider painting the tins. To begin painting your tea tins, first wash them with soap and water, and dry. Then, apply rubbing alcohol to the surface of the tins. Doing this will help the paint adhere more. Next, apply three coats of spray paint to the tins and allow it to dry. Additionally, to prevent your painted tins from chipping, you can apply a protective top-coat to keep the paint intact for many herb plantings to come.

Painting may take a while, so if you don't have the patience to allow the paint to dry completely, consider skipping the paint. Instead, you can create a rustic planter look for your herb garden by placing the tins on top of a wooden tray. This adds personality to your garden display compared to just putting them on top of your kitchen counter or windowsill.