Up-cycling - Baby food jars to windowsill herb planters

I must have put so many of these jars into our recycling bin over the last few months. As I reluctantly throw them in I always say to myself "next time, I'll do something useful with them". So now I have.

Spring is around the corner and there's never a better time to grow some herbs on your kitchen windowsill  We're lucky to have a south facing garden and a south facing kitchen window and I wanted to make the most of this sunny spot by planting some herb seeds.

What you'll need:
4 x empty and de-labelled baby food jars
1 x 12x3 inch piece of wood
spray paint and spray primer in your choice of colour
hot glue gun
potting compost
herb seeds
Chalk marker (like a Posca) or Tipp-Ex pen

How to:

1. Firstly, wash and de-label your jars. If you soak the jars in water, the labels will just peel off easily.
2. Take your piece of wood and if you desire, sand the edges and corners for a smoother finish.
3. Spray or paint a coat of primer on to your wood. Two coats should do the trick.
4. Spray or paint the wood in your choice of colour. Again, do a couple of coats for a nice neat finish.
5. Lay your jars out on the piece of wood and mark with a pencil where they're going to sit.
6. Take the glue gun and spread glue around the base of your jar. Quickly press the jar in to place and add a little pressure to ensure it sticks well. Repeat for the rest of the jars.
7. Fill the jars 3/4 the way with compost and add a touch of water.
8. Sprinkle your herbs seeds in the top and cover over with more compost.
9. Write the herb names on each jar using your chalk marker.
10. Place on a sunny windowsill and wait for the to grow!

As there's no drainage to the jars, take care not to over water them as many herbs don't like soggy bottoms!

The possibilities are really endless here, you can decorate the jars, decorate the wooden base and even fill the pots with flowers. I'm just glad that these 4 little jars haven't been sacrificed to the recycling plant.