Having fresh herbs available can really take meals to the next level. Unfortunately, not everyone has space for a garden. Weather you are restricted by limited space or you just need a place to start your herb garden, check out this thrift flip that transforms a bookshelf into a plant stand. This balcony herb garden idea is a quick, affordable and attractive way to display any plants.
I highly recommend checking out the video tutorial.
Thrifted Bookshelf to Herb Garden
First, I picked up this bookshelf from the thrift store for a few bucks. It works great as a plant stand because it is solid wood and has an open concept style. I could tell from the beginning that this shelving unit would be a great landing spot for plants.
Next, I gave the shelves a slight tilt so the plants could have better sun exposure. This was easy to do using the screws that were included with the shelves. I simply drilled a new pilot hole two and a half inches above the original and then reattached the back of each shelf.
Adding the tilt will will also require some sort of stopper to keep the planters from sliding to their death. I remedied this by attaching 1x2x12 strips to the edge of each shelf.
After my bookshelf was tweaked for it’s new life as a plant stand, it was time to create the planter boxes for my balcony herb garden. I picked up an armful of six foot fence pickets from the building supply store costing only $2.75 each. With these pickets I was able to put together the boxes for a bargain. To further protect them from the elements, I ended up giving them a coat of stain.
Since outdoor life can be a bit harsh, I also coated the bookshelf with a few layers of exterior paint. This little nook on our back porch seemed like the perfect place for my balcony herb garden.
The planter boxes seemed a bit plain so I decided to whip up some labels. To make these, I used some wood rounds and a paint pen.
The Finished Plant Stand
Finally, we were able to plant our herbs and set up our balcony herb garden. I can’t believe how easy this project was.
I love having these fresh herbs right outside my kitchen window where they look nice and inspire me to cook.
The tilt in the shelves not only gives the plants more light, but offers more headroom for growing, happy herbs.
Find More DIY Inspiration on the Blog
