Crafty Kids
Coffee Can Planter
By Amanda Branham
S
pring—the garden season has officially commenced—and is the perfect time to turn one of your old coffee cans into an herb planter. This is something you can do with your little sidekick to teach them about sustainability and growing their own food. Let your child pick out and water the plant—and then watch it grow!
Supplies: a plant, a coffee can (big enough for your plant), a sharp knife, some rocks or marbles, soil and chalkboard paint. This can holds 33 ounces of coffee, so it’s perfect for herbs. You can use a smaller can if you are planting succulents or anything that doesn’t need a lot of room to grow. Remove the label by finding the seam and pulling it apart. Next, it’s time to paint. This is where your child’s artistic side can come into play. We used chalkboard paint that we had left over from another project. The can took four coats of paint until it was heavy enough to write on. You can have your child write the name of the plant, or just go wild decorating it!
Finally, it’s time to plant! You can use rocks from the backyard to cover up the holes so that the soil won’t fall out but the water can still trickle through. You can also use marbles or aquarium rocks. Put some soil at the bottom and fill it about half full, then place your plant inside and add more soil. You want to make sure that your plant is far enough above the can that it will get all the sunlight it needs. Let your helper fill the can with soil and place the plant inside. This simple, inexpensive container garden is a fun teaching tool! ch ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amanda Branham is a crafter, gardener, baker, and momma to a beautiful baby girl. She writes about her adventures in domestication on her blog fromhousepartiestohousewife.com
Now, take a sharp knife and poke some holes in the bottom that are big enough for the water to drain but not too big that everything will fall out.
24
Childhood
Spring 2014