Grosgrain: Herb Heads for Mom by Kids

The girls and I made these for Mother's Day but this can be an all round idea for a mother's birthday or just to give in the summer. It's so simple and the kids will enjoy creating them while moms will enjoy using them.

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. I also spend a lot of money on grocery store herbs that I would rather get free from a garden. This project serves as a great Mother’s Day gift because it’s one that Mom will actually use! The kids can have fun painting and planting while also seeing Mom use their gift on a daily basis.

If you’re a mother and want to make this project with your kids it also works well to give to grandmothers and other friends who are moms. In fact, I enjoyed making these with my children for myself. Now, the next time I have a recipe that calls for sweet basil I won’t have to spend 20 minutes of my day driving to the grocery store and back again. That alone is priceless.

You could even have your child water them as part of their daily chores. It’s a nice way to turn the gift into an experience. Rather than making something that you will eventually pack away in a memory box, these can stay on your kitchen window sill indefinitely and will last as long as you water them. Of course, that can be the most challenging part of all. Wink, wink!

Materials Needed:

6 Terra cotta pots

Pencil

6 Acrylic paint colors of your choosing (recommended: pink, red, white, blue, brown, yellow)

6 Paint brushes for each color

6 Potted herbs

Potting soil

Potting shovel

Ribbon and bow

Instructions:

1. Take one terra cotta pot and have your child draw a face on the front in pencil. Remember not to draw the top of the head. That is what the herbs are for! Terra cotta pots are inverted which makes painting tricky especially for a child. Using a pencil beforehand might save you from wasting a pot because of a painting mistake which are harder to fix.

2. Once the face is drawn it’s time to break out the acrylic paints! This is the best part. Have your child fill in the face with the paint brushes and various colors.

3. Let the pot dry for about one hour.

4. Now that your pot is dry you can help your child add the herbs which will serve as the hair of the head. First fill the pot with a little fresh potting soil. Remember, when the plant is placed in the new pot it shouldn’t be any deeper than it was in the original container.

5. Take the herb and help your child remove the plastic outer shell from the roots. If you have an herb with a recycled compost shell have them peel away the outer layer on their own. It’s fairly easy and it’s okay if the roots are jostled.

6. Let your child gently loosen the root system on the bottom of the herb being careful not to rip the roots from the plant.

7. Place the herb in the new pot. While your child is holding the herb upright, backfill the empty spaces with fresh potting soil. This is a little difficult so it might be something the adult chooses to do. Once the herb can stand on its own have your child press the soil down to compact it. Then keep adding soil until the pot is filled and the dirt is tight.