I wanted to share an easy Summertime Edible DYI gift idea with you. I gave this gift to my Uncle yesterday as a belated birthday gift. Funny story, the gift and celebration was belated by almost 6 months because my Aunt kept trying to plan a 70th birthday party for him, but she kept choosing dates she couldn’t be there – this happened 3 times! Since we always gather at their house for our town’s Memorial Day Parade, they decided to celebrate it yesterday. What a perfect day to sit outside and eat Strawberry shortcake! Much better than celebrating in December. And, my gift would not have worked in December either so for me it was a win win.
Edible Summer DYI Gift Idea
Recently, I went to an Edible Garden presentation and the speaker mentioned how many of us (me included) grow cilantro, but can’t use it because it grows so quickly and goes to seed. The mature plant makes the leaves taste bitter. Her tip was to treat cilantro like micro-greens lettuce. Keep cutting the plant back to keep it short and bushy. This got me thinking of my Uncle who loves cooking Mexican food and leads me to my birthday gift idea.
I decided to plant cilantro seeds in a container for him. I think I put 10-12 seeds in a 12″ container (more seeds than the recommended one seed per 12 inches). This way he can use what he needs, while keeping the plants short, never going to seed and getting bitter. The container will also look great as a summer meal centerpiece and his guests can cut cilantro as needed – a twist on farm to table.
This gift will also make a great summer hostess and Father’s Day gift too, feel free to switch up your herbs: basil, mint, parsley, oregano……… You could also give a pair of scissors with the gift too.
I looked at a few stores for a “perfect” container but didn’t want to spend a lot of money and I wanted the container to be light. Finally, I had an “ah ha” moment while in Home Depot and thought of a metal painter’s can. The cost of the can was only $4.99. If your container doesn’t have drainage holes, you will need to create some. Put some painter’s tape on the bottom of the can (to help keep the cut edges smooth) and hammer a nail into the bucket a few times to create some drainage holes. Easy.
Inside view.
Another gardening tip is to use a coffee filter to cover your drainage holes. The water will drain out but the dirt will not!
Fill your container with good potting soil,
spread the seeds, add some water and sunshine.
I was hoping to show you a picture with the seedlings growing, but the seeds didn’t have enough time to grow (I planted them on Thursday). My Uncle loved his gift and is very excited to add fresh cilantro to his cooking.
A close up view of the tag I made. Since we were celebrating his birthday on Memorial Day, I decided on a Red, White & Blue color scheme. I embossed with white embossing powder onto Night of Navy and Basic Gray card stock. I used the Apron of Love Stamp Set and Dies. These two items are retiring. You have until June 3rd if you would like to order them before they are gone. The product links are below. I used the “Let’s Celebrate You” from the Broadway Birthday Stamp Set that is not retiring.
View of the back side of tag. I cut a blank Navy apron and sandwiched a wooden skewer between the two, same with the bottom tag. I used the “happy birthday” and “belated” from the Happy Birthday Gorgeous Stamp Set, a favorite set of mine. This set is also retiring and available until June 3rd.
These are the links to the supplies I used for making the tag:
If you would like these or any retiring items, you will need to order them by June 3rd.
Click on the individual links or this main Shopping Link to access the entire Online Store where you can find all products: current, retiring & clearance.
I hope you enjoyed this easy Summertime Edible DYI gift idea. I think I may be making some more for summer cookouts.
Click on these links to see other Apron of Love Project Ideas:
