How to Make DIY Plant Markers for Labeling Your Garden

2017-09-29
How to Make DIY Plant Markers for Labeling Your Garden
Project Overview
  • Working Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $30
  • Yield: 1 set of plant markers

Say goodbye to the days of little plastic plant tags spoiling your garden aesthetic or planting something sans marker and forgetting what it was. Now you can keep all your vegetables, herbs, and flowers clearly labeled with charming DIY plant markers. You'll need just a few simple tools and inexpensive supplies to let your inner artist loose and turn everyday items into fun, colorful plant markers. Whether you're all about the modern farmhouse look or prefer a more rustic style, one of these five types of plant labels is sure to hit the mark.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

Canning Jar Lid Plant Markers

  • Needle-nose pliers

Colorful Wood Stake Plant Markers

  • Painter's tape
  • Paintbrush

Decoupaged Farmhouse Plant Markers

  • Wood glue
  • Hot glue and glue gun

Rustic Wood Disc Plant Markers

  • Pencil
  • Wood burner
  • Drill and 1/8-inch bit
  • Wood glue
  • Yarn needle

Materials

Canning Jar Lid Plant Markers

  • Acrylic paint
  • Canning jar lids (wide mouth works well)
  • Decorative stickers (try the scrapbook department of your local crafts store)
  • Paint pen
  • Outdoor sealant
  • 16 gauge brass wire, cut to 15-inch lengths

Colorful Wood Stake Plant Markers

  • Wooden garden stakes, sanded
  • Acrylic paints
  • Paint pen
  • Outdoor sealant

Decoupaged Farmhouse Plant Markers

  • Scrapbook paper
  • Outdoor decoupage
  • 2x4 board sliced into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, sanded
  • Paint pen
  • Bamboo garden stakes, cut to 1 foot
  • Jute twine

Rustic Wood Disc Plant Markers

  • Wooden disks roughly 2-1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, sanded if necessary
  • Outdoor sealant
  • Wood glue
  • Bamboo garden stakes
  • Jute twine

Watercolor Polymer Clay Plant Markers

  • White polymer clay (roughly 1 package per 4 tags)
  • Alphabet stamp set
  • Acrylic paints
  • Outdoor sealant
  • .062 armature wire

Instructions

How to Make Canning Jar Lid Plant Markers

  1. Paint Lids

    Using acrylic paint, apply two coats to each jar lid.

  2. Add Plant Names

    Once the paint has dried, apply the decorative stickers and use the paint pen to write your plant names.

  3. Seal Paint

    After the paint has dried, apply 2 to 3 coats of the outdoor sealant and allow to dry.

  4. Prep Wire

    Using the needle-nose pliers, bend a flat coil at the top of a length of wire.

  5. Secure Wire to Lid

    Once the sealant has dried, secure the lid in the flat coil.

How to Make Colorful Wood Stake Plant Markers

  1. Determine Height

    Mark the height you want the paint on your stake and wrap the demarcation line with painter's tape.

  2. Prep Paint

    Dilute a small amount of your acrylic paint with water, roughly a 1:1 ratio. Add more water if you want more wood grain to show through.

  3. Paint Stakes

    Apply paint with paintbrush and allow to dry.

  4. Add Plant Names

    Once the paint has dried, use the paint pen to write on each stake.

  5. Seal Stakes

    Once all the paint has dried, apply a coat of outdoor sealant.

How to Make Decoupaged Farmhouse Plant Markers

  1. Cut and Decoupage

    Cut scrapbook paper into your desired shape and apply outdoor decoupage to the face of the 2x4 pieces to adhere.

  2. Add Plant Names

    Once the decoupage has dried, use the paint pen to write the names of your plants on each tag.

  3. Repeat Decoupage

    After the paint has dried, apply 2 to 3 more coats of outdoor decoupage to seal the tag.

  4. Glue Tag to Stake

    When the decoupage has dried, add a small bead of wood glue to the back of the tag and place the bamboo plant stake along it.

  5. Wrap Twine

    Once the wood glue has dried, place a dot of hot glue on the back side to hold the jute twine, then wrap the twine around the tag and stake in an X shape, securing it with hot glue again on the back.

How to Make Rustic Wood Disk Plant Markers

  1. Add Words or Patterns

    Use a pencil to draw the words and any pattern you wish to burn onto the wooden disks. Then carefully use the wood-burning tool to apply the pattern to the disks.

  2. Drill Holes

    Above the plant name, use a pencil to mark the location of the four holes you will need to drill for the twine. Drill through the marks using a 1/8-inch bit.

  3. Apply Sealant

    Once the holes are drilled, apply 2 to 3 coats of outdoor sealant, if desired, to protect the wood from the elements.

  4. Glue Disk to Stake

    After the sealant has dried, apply a thin bead of wood glue to the back of each disk. Place a bamboo stake along the glue, temporarily securing it with painter's tape.

  5. Add Jute Twine

    Thread a length of the jute twine through the yarn needle, and coming from the back side, stitch an X in the four holes you drilled. This should leave the throw ends of twine on the backside. Tie them off and apply a dot of glue to secure the twine.

Watercolor Polymer Clay Plant Markers

  1. Prep Clay

    Roll out the clay to your desired size and smooth the edges. Take a length of the armature wire and impress it around the edges to make a groove for the wire to rest in.

  2. Stamp and Bake

    Use the stamp set to impress the word you want on each tag. Bake the clay according to the manufacturer's directions. Allow to cool.

  3. Prep Paint

    Dilute acrylic paints heavily with water, roughly a 2:1 ratio of water to paint.

  4. Paint Clay

    Apply paint lightly to achieve a watercolor effect.

  5. Apply Sealant

    Once the paint has dried, apply outdoor sealant. Allow the sealant to dry and apply a second or even third coat.

  6. Add Wire

    Once the sealant has dried, wrap a 2-foot length of wire centered around the edges of the clay, and twist it together at the base of the tag to secure.

Related Article

How to Grow and Care for Calathea

How to Grow and Care for Calathea

Learn how to grow calathea indoors successfully. This guide includes essential tips for watering, humidity, light, and fertilizing.
9 Common Houseplants You Might Not Know Are Poisonous

9 Common Houseplants You Might Not Know Are Poisonous

Many favorite houseplants are toxic if ingested, so be extra careful with them, especially around small children and pets.
8 Common Bird Feeder Mistakes You Might Be Making (And How to Fix Them)

8 Common Bird Feeder Mistakes You Might Be Making (And How to Fix Them)

When keeping bird feeders in garden areas, make sure to avoid these bird-feeding mistakes. Instead, keep your winged visitors healthy and happy year-round.
This Front Yard Prairie Garden Requires Almost No Maintenance

This Front Yard Prairie Garden Requires Almost No Maintenance

An Iowa gardener takes cues from nature to create an easy-care wildlife haven filled with colorful native plants.
How to Attract Fireflies to Your Yard for Delightful Evenings

How to Attract Fireflies to Your Yard for Delightful Evenings

Enjoy a natural light show by learning how to attract fireflies to your yard. These enchanting bugs are not only entertaining, but good for your yard.
How to Make a Pallet Potting Bench for Your Gardening Projects

How to Make a Pallet Potting Bench for Your Gardening Projects

Follow our step-by-step guide to make a beautiful and functional pallet potting bench using recycled wood pallets.
Hydrangeas Not Blooming? 7 Reasons Why and How to Fix the Problem

Hydrangeas Not Blooming? 7 Reasons Why and How to Fix the Problem

Hydrangeas not blooming can be a frustrating problem for gardeners. These straightforward tips will promote tons of long-lasting flowers.
Dress Up Your Home with This Foolproof Foundation Garden Plan

Dress Up Your Home with This Foolproof Foundation Garden Plan

Create a welcoming look for your home with this easy-care combination of foundation plantings that will look great around the foundation of your home.
This Extra-Easy Sun-Loving Garden Plan Blooms for Months

This Extra-Easy Sun-Loving Garden Plan Blooms for Months

Try this extra-easy sun-loving garden plan to enjoy tons of color from tough perennials that don't require a lot of maintenance.
How to Plant and Grow Sword Fern

How to Plant and Grow Sword Fern

This guide provides essential tips on how to grow sword fern, a North American native with a big garden presence.
How to Make a Succulent Heart Planter from Concrete

How to Make a Succulent Heart Planter from Concrete

Cement your love of succulents by whipping up this adorable concrete planter that you can hang up.
11 Small Vegetable Garden Ideas for Maximizing Your Homegrown Harvest

11 Small Vegetable Garden Ideas for Maximizing Your Homegrown Harvest

These small vegetable garden ideas will help you make the most of the growing space you have.
Can You Plant Garlic in the Spring? With These Must-Know Tips, You Can

Can You Plant Garlic in the Spring? With These Must-Know Tips, You Can

Even if you missed the fall planting window, here's how you can plant garlic in spring and still get tasty greens and bulbs to eat.
When Should You Aerate Your Lawn to Grow Healthier Grass?

When Should You Aerate Your Lawn to Grow Healthier Grass?

Knowing exactly when you should aerate your lawn will help you revive a struggling lawn without chemicals. Here's how to tell if your lawn needs aerating and how to time it right.
What Is Grass Paint? Plus 6 Tips for Painting Your Lawn

What Is Grass Paint? Plus 6 Tips for Painting Your Lawn

A coat of easy-to-apply grass paint is a quick way to turn a brown lawn green. Get tips for when and how to use grass paint for a lush-looking lawn.
What You Need to Know About Winterizing a Lawn

What You Need to Know About Winterizing a Lawn

Get a jumpstart on a lush, healthy lawn next spring with this guide on winterizing a lawn. Plus, get your lawn mower ready for winter storage.
How to Create Organic Soil for Your Healthiest Garden Ever

How to Create Organic Soil for Your Healthiest Garden Ever

Turn sand, clay, or barren ground into rich, organic garden soil that will sustain plants for years with the right ingredients and these expert tips.
Peach Tree Diseases and Pests

Peach Tree Diseases and Pests

Here's what you need to know about common peach tree diseases and pests and how to fight them.
18 Backyard Landscaping Ideas to Upgrade Your Hangout Spots

18 Backyard Landscaping Ideas to Upgrade Your Hangout Spots

Use plants, hardscaping, and other backyard landscape design elements such as water features, fencing, and arbors to create privacy and beauty.
16 Front Yard Flower Bed Ideas for a Welcoming Entryway

16 Front Yard Flower Bed Ideas for a Welcoming Entryway

These front yard flower bed ideas will add curb appeal and welcome guests to your home through the seasons.