Spoon Rack to Herb Rack

If you grow your own herbs, you know the need for a place to dry them.  Last summer, mine were draped over every surface I could find, so when I found a spoon rack at a little shop last fall, I knew exactly what to do with it.  

Let me begin by saying it wasn't nearly as nice as this.  When I found it, it was outside in a pile of junk, exposed to all the elements.  I started to clean it but stopped myself for a picture.

Pretty gross, huh?  I used Murphy's Oil Soap and a blue scrub pad to get the layers of dirt off of it.

I left it in the sun to dry and it was looking better already!

Next came a little sanding and filling.  The cracks and gaps were filled with wood putty but those cut-outs for the spoons were pretty rough.

I do have a Dremel with some of those handy little sanding attachments, but I was working outside and that meant I'd have to go to the basement to get it.  So I went 'old-school' with some sandpaper wrapped around a pencil. I even used my fancy pencil with the 'gem' on it!   

I was done in no time at all!

Filled, sanded, and ready for paint!

Fortunately the wonderful folks at the American Paint Company had sent me some paint to try and I thought this was a great project to do just that.

The color I chose was Home Plate - a 'not quite white' color.  This paint is very thick and the company recommends mixing some water with the paint in a separate container to the consistency of pancake batter. I did that and the paint went on like a dream.  Here it is after the first coat:

Since I did not use a primer, I applied 2 more coats to get the coverage I wanted.

I really like this paint due to the fact that it is non-toxic and eco-friendly - safe around children and pets!  Since it's winter around here, I did this project in my craft room and there was absolutely no smell.  The clean-up was also a breeze, just a little soap and water and my brush was paint free. 

I distressed the edges and was ready to add a title. To do that, I cut a stencil using my Cricut Maker and some dollar store contact paper.  Once it was in place, I used a stencil brush and dabbed a tiny bit of paint on the stencil.

My trick for preventing paint bleed with stencils is to start with an almost dry brush, dab gently, and as they dry, build up the layers until you have the look you want.

Soon it was done.

The entire rack was sealed with Clear Top Coat from the American Paint Company.  This sealer went on smoothly and dried quickly. 

I had some sage from my garden that was still drying, so  I added it to the herb rack for a photo shoot!

This rack came a long way from a junk pile outside, to an herb rack in my home. 
Thank you to the American Paint Company for the paint used to complete this project.  

*Disclosure: This product was received as a sample. The reviews and or opinions on this blog are 100% my own. No monetary compensation was received and I was not required to write a positive review.

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Over the Moon