Hanging herb basket

Mark Rayner turns an old aluminium kitchen colander into the ideal hanging planter for a handy clump of herbs near the kitchen window.

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You will need: A 5mm snap hook, 3mm galvanised chain, clean cloth, an old aluminium kitchen colander, fine sandpaper, pliers, paintbrushes, including an artist’s brush and a polythene planter bag to fit the colander (ours was a pb 6.5), latex gloves, Selleys multi-purpose Knead it, good-quality potting mix and 3 parsley plants (other herbs such as coriander, chives and thyme could be used as well), Resene Concrete Clear, Resene Quick Dry, Resene Smooth Surface Sealer and Resene Testpots in Resene Alabaster, Resene Riptide and Resene Wild Thing.

Top tip: If your colander doesn’t have a handle, simply drill three equidistant holes around the edge and hang with galvanised wire or chain.

Step 1 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 1
Make a small upward bend in the centre of the wire handle of the colander using pliers.

Step 2 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 2
Lightly sand the colander with fine sandpaper and remove any sanding dust with a clean cloth.

Step 3 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 3
Wearing latex gloves, mix a little Knead it epoxy putty, following manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 4 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 4
Form the Knead it into a row of daisy shapes around the top of the colander, firmly pressing on to the surface. Allow to cure for an hour.

Step 5 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 5
Apply one coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer to the colander and allow two hours to dry.

Step 6 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 6
Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry to the daisy shapes and allow two hours to dry.

Step 7 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 7
Apply two coats of Resene Riptide to the inside and outside of the colander, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step 8 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 8
Paint the daisy petals with two coats of Resene Alabaster, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step 9 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 9
Paint the centre of each daisy with two coats of Resene Wild Thing, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step 10 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 10
Apply one coat of Resene Concrete Clear to the hanging basket and allow two hours to dry.

Step 11 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 11
Fix the chain to the handle with the snap hook.

Step 12 how to make a hanging herb planter

Step 12
Line the hanging basket with the polythene planter bag, folding over or cutting the edges to fit. Fill the hanging basket with good-quality potting mix and plant with three parsley plants.

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