How to Make Garden Plant Markers - 5 Cheap and Easy Ideas

1. 1

   Step 1: Paint Wooden Stir Sticks With Chalkboard Paint for Plant Markers

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   Paint stir sticks make easy plant markers. Hardware stores often give a few away free, or sell them for pennies. Lay them on parchment paper and brush one side with chalkboard paint or acrylic using a foam brush. Whitney liked the matte black chalkboard paint best. Let the first side dry, flip the sticks and paint the back.

   Tip:

   Paint the pointed end too. Bare wood in wet soil rots fast.

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   Used in this stepblack chalkboard paint 8 ozfoam paint brushes assorted sizes

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2. 2

   Step 2: Write Plant Names on the Painted Stir Sticks With a Paint Pen

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   Once the paint is dry, write each plant name down the stick. Chalk looks nice but washes away in the first rain, so keep chalk for indoor pots. For the garden, use an oil based paint pen. Whitney uses a white Sharpie paint marker and it stands out well on black. Let the lettering dry before the markers go outside.

   Tip:

   Write the name lengthwise in big letters so you can read it from the path.

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   Used in this stepSharpie oil based paint marker white medium point

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3. 3

   Step 3: Center a Wooden Skewer on a Strip of Duct Tape

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   For a waterproof flag marker, tear off a strip of duct tape about 6 inches long. Lay it sticky side up. Place a bamboo skewer or party stick across the middle, standing straight up and down. Leave about an inch of skewer above the tape so the top looks tidy. A straight stick now means a straight flag later.

   Tip:

   Keep the tape off sawdust and crumbs, or the sticky side picks them all up.

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   Used in this stepbamboo skewers 12 inch

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4. 4

   Step 4: Fold the Duct Tape Over the Skewer to Form a Flag

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   Fold one half of the tape over onto the other half so it wraps the skewer and sticks to itself. Line up the edges as well as you can. Press it flat with your palm and smooth out any bubbles near the stick. If the ends do not quite match, that is fine. You are about to trim them off.

   Tip:

   Run a fingernail along the skewer so the tape grips it tightly.

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5. 5

   Step 5: Cut the Duct Tape Plant Marker Into a Flag Shape

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   Trim the loose end of the tape into a point with scissors to make a little flag or arrow. This hides any uneven edges and gives you a neat shape. You can also cut a swallowtail notch like a banner. Duct tape is waterproof, so these flags hold up well in the rain all season.

   Tip:

   Wipe sticky scissor blades with a little rubbing alcohol when you are done.

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   Used in this stepcraft scissors

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6. 6

   Step 6: Letter the Duct Tape Flag Plant Marker With a Paint Pen

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   Write the plant name on the tape with your paint pen. Go slowly. The pen sits on top of the tape, so give each letter a moment to dry before your hand brushes it. Whitney wrote BASIL on her first one. Push the skewer into the soil beside the plant and you are done.

   Tip:

   Silver duct tape with black permanent marker works too, if that is what you have.

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   Used in this stepSharpie oil based paint marker white medium point

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7. 7

   Step 7: Paint Small Wooden Rectangles for Plant Marker Signs

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   Craft stores sell small unfinished wood shapes for well under a dollar. Rectangles, ovals and even birds all work. Brush them with chalkboard paint or acrylic in any color you like. Whitney used black, red and blue. Let the first coat dry, then add a second for solid color and write the plant name with your paint pen.

   Tip:

   Paint the edges too so the wood does not soak up water.

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   Used in this stepacrylic craft paint setunfinished wood rectangle cutoutsfoam paint brushes assorted sizes

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8. 8

   Step 8: Glue the Painted Wood Plaques to Black Craft Sticks

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   Turn each plaque into a small sign. Put a line of E6000 glue on the top of a black jumbo craft stick and press the back of the plaque onto it. Lay them flat and leave them to dry. Whitney's Serrano Peppers and Blueberries signs look like little store bought garden markers.

   Tip:

   Use E6000 in a ventilated room and let it cure a full day before outdoor use.

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   Used in this stepE6000 craft adhesiveblack jumbo craft sticks

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9. 9

   Step 9: Wood Burn Plant Names Into Wooden Shims

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   Wood door shims are cheap and come in big packs at the hardware store. Use a wood burning tool to write the plant name into the thin end. Whitney wrote MINT. It takes a little practice, so try a few letters on a spare shim first. The tip gets very hot, so keep your fingers back and set it in its stand between letters.

   Tip:

   Trace the letters lightly in pencil first and burn over the lines.

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   Used in this stepwood burning pen kitwood shims pack

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10. 10

    Step 10: Stick Embossed Label Maker Strips on Black Plant Markers

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    For the neatest look, use an embossing label maker. Whitney found a vintage Dymo at a thrift store. Dial in each letter and squeeze to punch out the plant name. Peel off the backing and press the strip onto a black craft stick. The raised white letters look crisp and are waterproof.

    Tip:

    Round the corners of the strip with scissors so they do not peel up.

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    Used in this stepDYMO embossing label makerDYMO embossing label tape blackblack jumbo craft sticks

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