I made these cute little chalk paint plaques for an Earth Day project this past sunday. I wanted to make something that would involve recycling and that would also save me money.

I planted a hanging herb garden (I posted the project tutorial over at smallgardenlove) in old tin containers that I had lying around. The cilantro and parsley, and basil and mint were looking to much alike. So I made these chalk paint plaques to be able to label them. I like the fact that it’s not permanent, so if I decide to move things around I can easily relabel everything.

Chalk paint is kinda expensive, plus depending on which brand you buy, you only get one color. But It’s surprisingly easy to make your own at home. And you can make as little as you need (I made a tiny amount) in any color you like.

Supplies needed:

• White non-sanded grout
• Acrylic paint (any color)
• Measuring spoon
• Plastic cup and spoon
• Chalk
• Brush

The jute and wood pieces were specific to this project. BTW, I got the grout (5 lb box $4) and the jute at Home Depot, and the chalk, acrylic paint and wood plaques at Michael’s.

I had to do a bit of calculating, I got the original recipe here. It called for 1 cup paint and 2 tbsp grout. It was way to large a quantity for my three little wood pieces. So I reduced it down evenly, you can do the same depending on how much you need.

Here’s my mix:

• 1/8 cup acrylic paint
• 1/4 tbsp grout

Instructions:

Mix the paint and grout in a plastic cup until smooth.

Paint it on your surface using a brush, give it a couple of coats of the chalk paint. Letting it dry in between coats.

Then when fully dry  you can prime it; this will make it smoother and better to write on. You prime it by taking a piece of chalk and using it sideways. Just rub a light coat on the whole surface and then erase it with a dry cloth or eraser, if you happen to have one.

I used pieces of jute to tie the chalk paint plaques to the herb tins.

I love my new herb garden, I’ve been cooking with herbs all week!