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There’s something about having fresh herbs at your fingertips that can make all the difference in a meal. An easy DIY Mason Jar Herb Garden is an easy way for growing herbs in mason jars that will give you delicious fresh herbs, like aromatic garlic chives, rosemary, or basil to use in your tasty savory dishes.

And even though wintertime is one of the most challenging times to keep fresh herbs around the house or garden, you’ll be covered! There are some hardier varieties such as parsley, oregano, or rosemary (in certain zones) that can survive outdoors, but what if want some useable herbs and table decor also? I’ve got you covered with this DIY Mason Jar Herb Garden. 

Herb Planter in a Crate

I had noticed these mini crates in the craft section of Wal-Mart and thought they were cute. I believe they’re a perfect size for cd’s, but not many of us still keep cds around anymore, so I searched for a use for the mini-crate.

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Of course, I’d already purchased it at this point because I knew I’d use it for something. (Raise your hand if you have a stash of craft or garden supplies that you just knew you’d use at some point! Me, too!) I’d already purchased one of the larger crates as a book box for our youngest gardener, so I knew it was easy to paint and pretty versatile. 

At the time I purchased the crate, the girly gardener was making and selling jars of homemade Cinnamon hot chocolate mix so she could send money to our sponsored child in Kenya. He really wanted a bike, and she was hard at work earning the money for said bike. (She did end up raising the full amount!) 

I noticed though during this time that in between batches of hot chocolate mix, she was storing the extra jars in the mini-crate. This got me thinking about what I could store in the jars and also have as a functional display piece on our table. The answer: herb planter.

DIY Mason Jar Herb Planter Supplies

Here’s everything you need for this fun project. The glass jars don’t have to be Mason or Ball brand, but you’ll want to make sure that they fit in the crate, or if you’d like to forego the crate, simply use a wooden board of some kind as a display. Here are the supplies:

• Small wooden crate (From Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, or other craft stores.)
• Spray Paint of your choice (I used Rustoleum.) 
• 3 Pint Mason Jars (I used regular mouth, since that’s what I had, but the wide mouth would be even better!)
• River Rock (or rocks you have laying around)
• Brass name tag holders
• Herbs of choice (I used rosemary and garlic chives;  avoid the ones from the grocery store)
• Gorilla Glue (optional, see instructions below)

Now that you have your supplies in place, let’s move onto the next step, which is putting it all together!

DIY Mason Jar Herb Planter Instructions

1. Take your small wooden crate outside and use your spray paint color of choice to paint all over and inside the crate. Let the crate dry, then apply a second coat. 

2. Once the crate is dry, gather the rest of the supplies together. Begin by affixing the small brass labels to your box. Using a ruler, measure the front of your box and determine how far apart you want your labels. (Mine were 1 1/2 inches apart.) Use a pencil to mark where each label will go. The labels did come with small screws, which you can certainly use, but since the screws would have come through the other side of the wood pieces, I opted to use Gorilla Glue to adhere my brass labels. 

3. While the labels are drying (if you use the glue), go ahead and begin preparing your mason jars for planting. Take a handful or river rock or small stones and place them in the bottom of each Mason jar. This is to give adequate drainage for your plants. 

4. Then take your chosen herbs and remove them from the plastic containers they came in. You’ll want to gently break apart excess potting mix that won’t fit into the jar and get down to the root system of the plant. Gently push the plants into the jars and add additional potting soil where needed. 

5. Create labels for your brass label holders by cutting small slips of paper from card stock or index cards. Label them with a Sharpie or other permanent marker and slide them into the holders. 
6. Add your mason jar herbs to the crate and display on a tabletop or kitchen window sill! Keep your herbs watered (but not drowned), and be sure they have at least six hours of sunlight.
7. Snip and use your own herbs as needed and watch them continue to grow!

Variations on the DIY Mason Jar Herb Garden

Don’t want to create your little herb gardens just like the one above? No problem, here are some helpful variations:

• For a temporary display, choose herbs that you will then be able to take outside and plant in the garden (weather permitting). Any perennial herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano would be perfect for this.  
• Use this for a fun centerpiece for your spring dining table or any table setting, swapping out the type of herbs as needed. 
• Once herbs are used, you can repurpose this Mason Jar Herb Planter into fun storage for pens, pencils, and markers, or even for cutlery during a cookout or dinner. Simply rewrite the labels for whatever you are storing.
• Consider using the indoor mason jar herb garden for growing your own herb seeds. 

Although I am an avid gardener, I don’t always have the touch for indoor plants. So, I love it when I find an easy way to grow plants indoors, and have a fun way to display them like my DIY Hanging Succulent Planter. I’d love to know if you try this project and what herbs you decided to try! Comment below and let everyone know what tasty and fresh herbs you’ll be using. Have a great week and happy gardening!