Tutorial: Rustic Herb Box

Well, hello again.
Has it been that long?
Back just in time to welcome spring with an rustic herb box tutorial.
Nothing is better than a wonderful home-cooked meal and fresh ingredients make a big difference in a dish. And what better way to add some flavor to your favorite foods than growing them yourself!

Supplies:

1. Two pieces of wood cut 5.5" x 20" {long sides}

2. One piece of wood cut 5.5" x 18" {bottom}

3. Two pieces of wood cut 5.5" x 5.5" {short sides}

-Finishing nails

-Flashing tape

-Sandpaper

-Wood glue

-Paint

-Paint Brush

-Potting Soil

-Herbs of choice

-Hammer
-Pencil

{Optional Supplies: clamps, cardboard or material of choice, sharpie/marker}

{{Don't forget to also use something to cover your work space. I used a large trash bag to cover the table I worked on.}}

I chose to work with Olympic exterior flat paint for the box. I chose "Pitter Patter" as the color for this box. Next I'll be using the "Raspberry Rush" and "Forsythia Blossom" for other box planting projects. 

 Sand the edges of your cut wood to just enough to remove any splinters or roughness, but take care not to round them.

You will begin lining up the pieces like so:

One of your long sides will lay flat against your work space, the shorts sides and bottom piece will sit on top to create two corners. {The cut edges of the short sides should touch the long side piece.}

Notice that you will have a slight overhang on the side. Choose the wood dimensions to your preference if you do not prefer the overhang.

Next, to ensure accuracy before applying wood glue, line up the four pieces to be center and straight. Trace along the edges of the pieces with pencil or pen.

Apply wood glue liberally to add security to the pieces before nailing them together.

Next, you will use finishing nails to secure the pieces glued down at this point.

Allow your glue ample time to dry before inserting the nails.

Start by nailing the bottom piece to the short side pieces.

Continue to nail pieces together.

Once you have nailed these four pieces together, it's time to attach the last long side piece to make the box complete...

Once again, use the wood glue liberally and place the remaining side piece down, carefully aligning it with the bottom board. Allow ample time for glue to dry.

Once the glue has dried, the box should be even, without any major gapping.

Nail the final piece to the rest of the box structure.

Box complete!

Now it's time to line the inside of the box to avoid any water damage or leakage...

You will use flashing tape to line the inside of the box.

Cut three strips approximately 21" each.

DO NOT REMOVE BACKING! {yet}

Place the first piece along the inside of the box, with backing attached, and make an impression with your fingers on either side of the ends. 

Fold one piece "hamburger style", silver sides together, and cut one square inch from the side up to the impression line you have created.

Next, fold the top of the tape over along the line of the cut you have made.

WITHOUT REMOVING BACKING, place the tape in the box like so, to ensure proper fit before permanently placing. 

Create your corner first, by adhering one flap to the other.

Continue carefully peeling the backing away and adhere your newly created corner to the inside corner of the box. 

Continue until you have placed the piece along the first side of the bottom.

Repeat on the other side of the box.

From there you will be left with a open area between these two pieces. 

The third piece of tape will be used to cover any exposed wood remaining. 

The tape will simply be used to avoid water damage to your box, so it doesn't necessarily need to be super pretty.

Next, comes the fun part...

PAINT.

I happen to have an affinity towards Tiffany Blue.

Pretty...

Begin painting the interior of the box and the tops.

Continue until the sides and bottom receive their complete first coat. Repeat coats as desired and allow your box ample time to dry.

In between coats, keep your paint brush tightly wrapped in plastic {it will prevent it from drying out.}

While the paint is drying you can create herb labels with your choice of materials. I chose to recycle an old birchbox into label stakes.

Lastly, add your choice potting soil and herbs to your box...

I chose Basil, Rosemary, Cilantro, and Thyme.

Add water, lots of sunshine, and watch them grow!

Happy Planting!

Fall 2012 Color Inspiration

I have been super inspired by all of these beautiful hues lately. I am loving all the chartreuse, grey, navy, and fuchsia combos. Transitioning to fall from summer does not mean losing love for color. It means embracing rich shades and discovering new textures.  

Sewing for fall is all about comfort and versatility. It's my favorite season to go out and explore, try something new, and spend time enjoying the little things in life. 

What are your favorite color combinations for fall?

Shabby Apple Giveaway!

I'm a girl who loves putting on a dress with a pretty pair of earrings. I love wrapping a comfy scarf around my neck and pairing it with my favorite pair of jeans. I love having a mixture of pieces with different textures, colors, and memories to go along with them. 

This is why I love Shabby Apple! Even more, I love what Shabby Apple represents: getting back to what makes women truly beautiful and celebrating that beauty...

And I am so excited to be offering you all a chance to win a 

$50 Gift Card to Shabby Apple!

How to Enter:

*Leave a separate comment for each of the following entries:

Required Entries:

Follow Kill Them With Craftiness= 1 Entry

Like Shabby Apple on Facebook= 1 Entry

Visit Shabby Apple's Website and tell us what item(s) you would love to add to your collection= 1 Entry 

Extra Entries:

Share this giveaway via facebook or twitter (leave a link or twitter handle)= 1 Entry

Subscribe to Kill Them With Craftiness via E-mail or Bloglovin= 1 Entry

That is 5 possible entries per person! 

Please leave your e-mail in at least one of your entries so you can be contacted once the Giveaway has ended.

You can use this format: ktwcraftiness {at} gmail {dot} com

Remember, leave a separate comment for each entry.  The lucky winner will be chosen via random.org
Giveaway ends August 25th at 11:59 pm EST. Please no entries after this day. 

*Giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY*

Shabby Apple has also offered KTWC readers 10% off at their shop with code:

killthemwithcraftiness10off

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED***

...

And the winner is...

Jenny over at Modern Modest Beauty! 

Thanks to everyone for entering! 

Be Brave for Love.

{via}

Be Brave For Love.
Unfailing love.
Love that redeems.
Love that conquers all.

I'm about to share some things that have really been put on my heart lately for to those of you lovely folks who are gracious enough to follow my blog, or those of you who simply stumble upon it by coincidence. I also acknowledge that not all my followers are Christian women, but know that I love and adore all of you. And whether, you are a follower of Jesus or not, I still hope there is something here that will move your heart as well. 

You can blame it on the season finale of "The Bachelorette" if you wish, or princesses and fairy tales we watched unfold in Disney movies growing up, but every girl has a dream. That dream is love. 

Sometimes I think girls are too afraid to be honest with themselves abut what they are looking for, because they think they will never find anyone. Instead they settle on "companionship," or "maybe he'll change," or "I'm just being unreasonable with my expectations."

But, ask yourself: Wouldn't you rather find "The One" instead of just "someone?"

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will. 

Romans 12:2 {NIV}

One of the biggest struggles in the search for love and passion {and all of those amazing things we hope to find some day} is the waiting. And sometimes more waiting. And some more. Because really, we know what we should wait for but don't always choose to do it.

And then we end up in the same cycle as always, trying to find our way out of a situation that doesn't really reflect who we are or what we stand for. 

We spend an awful amount of time looking to the wrong things for that inspiration of what "Love" looks like. But we don't need to look to movies, or television, or magazines, or even other people when we seek the person we hope to spend the rest of our life with... Where we need to be looking is in God's Word. Where we need to be seeking, is in the Bible. 

It's all there.

Because, here is what God said about you and me: He said we are worth dying for. He said we are cherished and loved. He said we are precious and worthy. 

For you know that is was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 

1 Peter 1:18-20 {NIV}

A huge aspect of this struggle, is the woman who doesn't think she is worth it. The woman who believes her past should define her future relationship. The woman who needs to look to Jesus and know that He has paid for all of that. The woman who needs to know that Jesus loves her, and all of her flaws. That woman is deserving of God's best. 

She is not broken. 

She is redeemed. 

She is loved. 

When we pray {yes pray} about the person we hope to have in our lives, you have to remember that this is not a selfish act. God wants us to ask. He wants to provide. He wants to do wonderful things in our lives. But, we must pray for God's best, not what we think we may want. And He will provide. 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in 

Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:4-7 {NIV}

It comes down to the simplicity of this: If you are a Christian woman, and you ask yourself "Is the relationship I'm in glorifying God?" and your answer is anything but "yes," then you shouldn't be in it. Because God did not create you and me to live a life apart from Him, nor did He choose a person for you that would allow that to happen.  

So, be brave for love. 

Be patient. 

Be mindful of the great things at work behind the scenes. 

Because He knows, He always has, and always will. 

And He has His Best waiting for you. 

Best Days

{via}

I always think of that silly Taylor Swift song, "Best Day" when I think about my Dad.
And now that I've grown up, and have ventured out on my own, I can say that those really were some of the best days.

I am blessed with an amazing father.
A man who has always believed in me and has always been on my side.
A man who has taught me that good things come through hard work and perseverance.
A man who has given me everything I have ever needed.
A man of incredible faith.
A man who has always encouraged me to shine.
A man that has shown me that I deserve the world and nothing less.

Around the time I was 5 years old I was learning to swim on my own. I wouldn't go into the water without my Mom or Dad first securing my "swimmies" on my arms. I had taken swim lessons and loved the water, but I still refused to do it on my own. One night during our family vacation, while we were walking back from the beach to our hotel, my Dad pushed me in the pool as we walked past it. At first my little heart was shocked, but quickly that feeling turned into joy as I realized that I was swimming all by myself.
My Dad just stood there with a smile on his face.
Because he has always seen in me first what has taken time to see myself.

You have been my greatest teacher, Dad.
And the best part is, I'm not done learning.

I've seen some of the best days with you, but I also know there are plenty more of those to come.
And I can't wait.

I love you.