Introduction: Sweet and Simple Decorative Herb Jars

Herbs: not only are they awesomely healthy for the mind, body, and spirit, they are also super useful in creative projects such as these. You can craft cosmetics with them, hang dry them for home decor, or simply put some in a cute jar for kicks; herbs can do it all!

So I was getting the itch to do something crafty when I noticed I had two adorable empty jars and a truckload (exaggerating, indeed) of dried dandelion leaves, parsley, thyme, Nepalese black tea leaves, rooibos tea, and blood orange tea peels. What's an artsy-type to do with all those wonderful materials? Start a project with them, of course! And after an hour or so of carefully doing the deed, these bad boys were made.

It's as easy as pouring herbs into jars, but it depends on how you'd like to fashion them. I ended up making a pattern out of one of the jars with herbs of opposing colors in the efforts to jazz it up! So make this your own and decorate as you feel, especially if you have other beautiful, aromatic herbs laying around. Go wild and have fun!

Step 1: Gather Materials

Luckily, there aren't many to use for this! All you need are:

1. Medium-sized craft jars (however many you'd like) that can be purchased at your local arts & crafts store.

2. At least 5 different types of herbs, preferably ones with unique colors, textures, and smells. It would be best to have 4-6 ounces of each herb, if possible.

3. A regular sized spoon for scooping and pouring.

4. A towel to be placed underneath your project space in case you're persnickety about mini messes.

5. A sense of adventure!

Step 2: Place Herbs Into Jars

Using your spoon, scoop up the herbs of your choice and spill carefully into the jar. You can play it by ear, but it's recommended to do about a half an ounce at a time, especially if you want to create a pattern out of them.

Step 3: Add Some Spice!

The herbs themselves will look spectacular, but why not add a little somethin' somethin' more? I was fortunate to have some leftover dried cherry blossoms from the Spring, so I placed them in the jar with the green herbs (the dandelion, parsley, and thyme) to give it a terrarium-type feel.

For extra measure, pour about 6-10 drops of your favorite essential oil on top of the herbs in the jars. I used patchouli and lemongrass for the green herb jar and sweet orange and cinnamon for the orange patterned one. That almost makes it into ultra pretty potpourri!

And to be a total show off, tie a ribbon or some lace around the neck or body of the jar. I did just that and couldn't be happier with the extra embellishment!