This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

Who wants to hang onto summer just a little bit longer? Granted, it's been a weird one but nothing beats lazy mornings, pool time, and summer fare. I don't have much of a green thumb but I grew basil this summer and really enjoyed it. I plan to carry that into fall, only this time, created a pretty, hanging herb garden with some of our favorite herbs we use all year. Plus we spend a lot of time on our patio in the fall and they also serve as a bug repellant. That's what you call a win/win people. I recently received a Cricut Maker - cue excited squeals- and thought it would be the perfect way to embellish my hanging herb garden by creating clean and modern labels for the pots. Here's what you need to replicate this project!

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Project Labels

Cricut Maker

Vinyl Starter Kit - it includes vinyl, transfer tape, weeder, scraper, and more

Planter Hanger

-Any hanger will do. Just make sure you can see the label. This one is a similar ring style to mine (sorry, my specific hangers are sold out!) and comes with pots, but smaller. If you use a smaller pot you may need to resize the labels in design space.

Cup Hooks

Planters

Herbs

This was my first time using the Cricut Maker so these instructions are literally written for someone with zero knowledge/skill! And as you can see, my project is pretty simple too. You can do this!

But first, a bit about the machine. The Cricut Maker is an amazing smart cutting machine. Listen- this thing cuts leather, fabric, basswood, craft foam, denim, light chipboard...the list goes on. I love that it's so versatile because it means the possibilities are literally endless. In my opinion, that's one reason it's worth the investment. Besides what you can do currently- emboss, engrave, create perforations, etc, Cricut will continue to expand the suite of tools to add even more options. Lastly, as a first-timer, I can say the hardest part of this machine is simply getting over my fear of using it! It can be intimidating but is really easy to use. I suggest reading through the materials to get over the hump of feeling like you don't know what you're doing! Even reading the instructions that come with the Vinyl Starter Kit was so helpful. I also love that during the initial set up, it prompts you to cut right then and there which quickly gets that first time using it out of the way. I highly recommend not skipping that step! Okay back to the project-

DIY Hanging Herb Garden Tutorial

First, place your planter in its hanger and make a light pencil mark where you want your label. For my project, I marked just under the ring and then added about an inch.

You can find the labels I used here. Once you've opened the project, follow the prompts in Design Space to cut.

Once the machine is finished cutting, cut the excess vinyl off (cutting the labels apart from each other*) and then used the weeding tool to gently pull back the backing, starting in the corner and keeping the image as straight as possible.

Next, gently apply transfer tape over the label, slowly taking the backing off by peeling up the transfer tape.

Finally, place the transfer tape on your planter using your marking as a guide and use the scraper tool. Slowly peel the tape off. If the vinyl comes off with it, simply press it back down, burnish again, and try again. Take your time!

Repeat for each label.*

*For the rosemary label, I cut it in half and applied each side separately. Since the planter is round I found the label was slanting. You may want to cut it into 3 pieces.

I love how it turned out! The smell of mint feels like summer and I'm eager to make my smokey turkey shepherd's pie with fresh rosemary.

Make sure to check out a variety of projects here on the Cricut blog- there you'll find weekly home renovation project inspiration and tutorials! So many fun ideas await!

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