Southern Sweet Tea Container Garden

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

I always have a long list of home improvement projects, big and small, but during the summer months, the garden gets top priority. I love being able to walk outside, grab some fresh herbs, or sit on my patio and enjoy the colorful flowers. And I like to add a bit of whimsy and personality to the gardens, if possible.

This year, I created a Southern sweet tea container garden because here in the South, we love our sweet tea. It’s part of the porch sitting, tea sipping way of life … and sometimes it’s the only way to survive the intense Texas heat!

I love unsweet tea, sweet tea, and tea with all kinds of fun flavors and fresh herbs muddled in. My lemonade mint iced tea is a favorite among family and friends and I’ve experimented with other fruits and herbs many times. Even if you’re just serving regular sweet tea, adding a sprig of rosemary or muddling in a little fresh mint really takes it up a notch. And if you’re a hot tea drinker, herbs are delightful in warm tea, too!

I planted my favorite herbs in container pots on the back patio and created some super cute garden markers with my Cricut Maker! {If you like these garden markers, be sure to check out the other wood veneer herb markers and upcycled knife garden markers I also made with my Cricut.}

Why I Love the Cricut Maker

The Cricut Maker is the ultimate cutting machine and the best way to quickly add some personality to any home improvement or renovation project.

It cuts over 300 materials, including delicate materials like crepe paper and fabric, medium thickness materials like plastic and cardstock, and thicker materials like basswood, leather, and chipboard.

With many tools that fit into the adaptive tool system, the Cricut Maker allows you to score, draw, deboss, engrave, perforate, and cut, both in straight and wavy lines.

The Cricut Maker creates all kinds of different looks. You can mix and match pens, vinyl, cardstock, or iron on with all sorts of different backgrounds. Iron on can be used on wood rather than just on traditional fabric and pens can be used to embellish vinyl or iron on.

I’m always trying to think outside the box when it comes to different ways to use my Cricut and it’s truly my favorite crafting tool! Whether you’re planning a party or updating your home, the Maker allows you to easily create projects that have a big impact.

Supplies for Sweet Tea Container Garden Markers

To make your own sweet tea or herb garden markers, you’ll need the Cricut Maker, the deep cut blade and the regular fine point blade, natural wood veneer in the maple color, a strong grip mat, masking tape, permanent vinyl in colors of your choice, a standard grip mat, transfer tape, polyurethane, wooden skewers, and a glue gun.

If you haven’t used wood veneer before, it’s definitely a fun medium to experiment with. I’ve used both the Cricut Maker and Explore Air 2 to cut it and there are so many possibilities including wall decor and table decorations.

Garden Marker Design

Use the file I created {you can find it in Design Space} or make your own.

If you want to use the file I made but have more herbs, simply select a letter, duplicate it, and then edit it to become the letter you need. Do the same thing to create the words.

How to Make Sweet Tea Garden Markers

When you’re ready to create the design, send it to the Maker. Select natural wood veneer for the material and then you’ll be prompted to insert the deep cut blade. {Don’t you just love the new machine tool organizer? It’s the perfect way to store all the tools together.}

Attach the veneer to the strong grip mat and hold it down on the edges with tape. I’ll admit, I don’t always use the tape but, for best results, it is recommended.

The Maker will automatically do multiple passes to cut completely through the wood veneer. You can change the default setting, if needed, to apply more pressure.

Once the wood veneer is cut, cut the vinyl, making sure you remember to change the material on Cricut Design Space and attach the regular blade.

Weed the vinyl and carefully lift the wood veneer from the mat. Use a spatula to get under it and be really careful to lift it gently to avoid breaking the wood.

How to Assemble the Garden Markers

Once the materials are fully weeded, use transfer paper to adhere the vinyl to the wood veneer pieces.

Using hot glue, stick a wooden skewer to the back of each garden marker, then pop them in the garden next to the herbs.

If the garden markers will be exposed to the elements, it’s best to coat them with polyurethane before you pop them in the garden.

Sweet Tea Garden Marker Variations

There are so many ways to customize these garden markers.

You can paint the wood veneer, dye it {a koolaid dye is a fun and permanent idea}, or color wash it.

Instead of using vinyl, you can create the text with heat transfer iron on vinyl {you can apply iron on directly onto wood} or use pens to draw the text directly onto the wood veneer.

Customize your garden markers to suit your own home decor style.