DIY: Plant Tags

Here are three quick, easy, fun ways to make plant tags for marking your garden plants or giving as gifts. None of these will last forever, but they are great for remembering what is planted in a row while waiting for the seeds to emerge or for use at plant sale fundraisers to add a touch of whimsy to your offerings.

These plant tags are a great project to do with children on a rainy day. They can be customized further by using stencils and ink stamps.

You Will Need:

• wooden shape pieces
• blue painter’s tape
• foam craft brushes
• chalkboard paint
• acrylic paint
• craft sticks
• old wine corks
• craft glue or glue gun
• clothespins
• paint stir sticks
• wooden skewers
• permanent garden marker
• acrylic sealer

Mini Chalkboards

Take a rectangular wooden craft piece and paint a base coat of acrylic paint of your color choice or leave it raw wood – your preference. Next, mark off a border about ½-inch around all the edges with the blue painter’s tape. Then paint in the center with 2 or 3 coats of chalkboard paint. Let dry a few hours between coats. Finally, glue on the back of the piece either a craft stick or a clothespin. Stick it in a plant pot. Write or draw a message on it using white acrylic paint to simulate a chalkboard.

Paint Sticks

Collect a few paint stir sticks from your last painting project that are already dipped in paint and dried or get new stir sticks from your local paint store. Paint them with a few coats of acrylic paint of your color choice and let them dry. (Red is a great option as it is easy to find and locate in a garden.) Next, write your plant’s name on the stick with a permanent garden marker and decorate it as you desire. Finally, stick it out in your garden to mark a new row of seedlings. If you want your stick label to last a few seasons, be sure to coat it with an acrylic paint sealer.

Cork Sticks

Gather old wine corks and write your plant’s name with a permanent garden marker and decorate them as you desire. Stick a wooden skewer in one end and then place the label into a plant pot. You could make a bunch of these and present them as a gift with an herb garden container.

These instructions are just a guide – take them and run with your creativity. Add glitter, stickers, and other fun decorations to your plant tags as you like.

By Kathy Jentz