https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/heavy-duty-herbplant-drying-racks • Posted by Queen of the Sidhe
I had a heck of a time finding things to make my husband for Christmas. We forage and grow a lot of our own medicinal herbs and spices, and my husband was tired of having to throw part of the dried material out due to mold, etc. This solves the problem, and makes it easier for him. And he loved it! :)
I had a heck of a time finding things to make my husband for Christmas. We forage and grow a lot of our own medicinal herbs and spices, and my husband was tired of having to throw part of the dried material out due to mold, etc. This solves the problem, and makes it easier for him. And he loved it! :)
Using a ruler, draw a straight line with a pencil. Determine how many hooks you want on each "side" of the rack. I don't suggest you use another dowel to draw this line- I did this an that is why some of the hooks are uneven. :)
Determine how many hooks you want on each of the FOUR parts of the rack. Place your hook screws at even intervals depending upon how many hooks you want for each part- use the pencil line as a guide.
Using floral wire, place the wooden dowels in a cross formation. Make sure the hooks are facing down. At the center, wrap the floral wire around to attach the wooden dowels together so they stay in the pattern you put them in.
With a hot glue gun loaded with hot glue, go over your wire wrap with the hot glue. Make sure you get over and under the wire. This will help ensure that the dowels won't come loose and make sure they stay in the cross pattern evenly.
This is what the underside looks like when you are finished with all the steps so far.
Next, when the hot glue is dry and cooled, spray paint the drying racks what ever color you prefer. I recommend that if you do a lot of foraging/growing herbs/spices, that you do a different color for each rack, that way you have them color coded. :) Depending upon the type of spray paint you are using, it will take 2-3 coats of paint to solidly cover the wooden dowels (the wood soaks up much of first coat of paint).
Once the paint is dry, taking hanging wire, and cut 2 lengths for each drying rack. Attach to the end of each dowel, twisting the wire to make it fit tight. Add a crimp clip to ensure the wire doesn't slip out. Go over with hot glue to ensure the wire stays in place.
Before attaching the wire to the opposite side of the rack, run the wire through the 'O' ring. When hanging, the sliding "o" ring will help the rack hang evenly without hanging all lopsided and making the rack fall.