Build an herb box with just one board!

We recently built the herb box below to display the garden markers we sell at local craft fairs. Many of you have asked us to share instructions on how to build one, so we created a design you can build from a single board. It’s a great afternoon project… really, just a couple of hours! (Writing this blog post took way more time than making this herb box.) If you have a saw, paint, and some nails lying around, it will cost you less than $10 to make!

Materials:

1″x6″x8′ pine board
Saw (handsaw, jigsaw, circular saw, miter saw, etc.)
Drill (optional)
Hammer and nails
Glue
Dark stain
Paint and brush

To begin, cut 3 pieces 24″ long for the bottom and the sides. Cut 2 pieces 4.75″ long for the ends.

Drill holes along one side of two of the longer boards. Pre-drilling the holes keeps the boards from splitting when you use your hammer and nails to build your box.

Spread glue along the edge of the bottom piece.

Line up the board with the holes over the edge with glue. Hammer in 3 nails along this edge. Repeat this step for the other side of the box and the ends… using glue and nails.

Sand the edges smooth with 150 grit sandpaper.

Stain the box a dark color. Use gloves to protect your hands. Wipe off any excess.

After the stain has dried, use some white paint and an old brush to get a rustic look. Put a very small amount of white paint on your brush and swipe along the sides and edges. Your brush should be very dry (hardly any paint)… you can always add more later.

Notice how dry my brush is… hardly any paint.

Find a hand lettering style you like on Pinterest and print it out. Using a pencil, write “herb garden” or your favorite saying on your box. If you need to change, adjust or fix it, just erase!