I have recently taken the plunge into creating a vegetable garden and made my first post about that: The Veg Patch Diaries: Entry 01. I fully intended to spend the weekend planting seeds, but the weather had other ideas. We are experiencing a bit of a cold snap, hopefully, the last of winter before we are fully into spring. As such I decided to hold off on planting seeds as I didn't want them to suffer the cold. While no frost was predicted for our particular area, areas of the country were getting snow, so I didn't want to take a chance.
However, I am still pretty hyped up and excited for this gardening adventure and decided I would do something indoors that I could make use of in the vegetable patch. Plant markers!
My DIY Popsicle stick plant marker on the left
The Why
That one is pretty easy. I have a lot of different seed types that I would like to plant out. Being a bit forgetful, especially when many of the pots I have look exactly the same, I know I will not remember what seeds I planted in which pots. Which might end up being a disaster later when trying to determine the position for sunlight and how much water I should be giving a particular plant.
And because I am still very much an amateur gardener, I could use all the help and hints I can give myself.
The Supplies
I have a non-existent budget, aka, I can't go out and buy things right now. Luckily for me, I do actually have a lot of craft supplies that I can make use of. It didn't take long for me to come up with an idea, given I had done a similar process for bamboo clothing pegs. But more on that later.
The supplies I used are as follows:
- Popsicle sticks
- Acrylic or craft paint
- Paint brushes (one broad one fine tip)
- Varnish (hard setting, high gloss, non-yellowing, water-based)
I already had all of these things available to me from other crafting projects, so why not make use of them?
The Process
I started off by painting the Popsicle sticks with the craft paint. Of course you can use whatever colours you happen to like. I chose white and green as the colours I wanted to use.
I painted both sides of the Popsicle sticks and all the edges using the broader brush. It takes a little bit of patience as you need to let one side dry before painting the other. You can see in the photograph where I was holding the green one at the bottom while painting it. Once it was dry I went back to paint that spot too, holding it on the other side. I gave each stick two coats of paint as I wanted the colour to be even and vibrant.
Painting the Popsicle sticks!
Once the base coat of paint was dry, it was time to paint on the names of the seeds I intended to plant. I used a fine point brush for this part. I couldn't decide exactly how I wanted the letters in terms of rotation, so I did the lettering different on either side of the Popsicle stick. One with the letters reading left, one with them reading down. That way I would be able to see from either side of the stick what was in the pot.
Side note, the lettering reading down took up more space.
Once all the paint is dry (I usually leave it overnight to be super sure) it is time for what is probably the most important step if you want these markers to last, varnishing.
Varnishing the Popsicle sticks!
Back to using my broader brush, I varnished each of the Popsicle sticks. Again, some patience is needed. The varnish takes longer than the paint to dry. It is extremely important to make sure you haven't missed any areas, not only on the front and back but all the side edges as well. I applied two layers, which I suggest as the minimum. In the above photo, you can see the difference in the sun between a varnished marker and an unvarnished one.
Why is this step so important? Well, your plant markers are going to be sitting outside in the elements, the varnish will protect them from damage and decay. Popsicle sticks are wood and I am sure you are aware of what happens to untreated, unprotected wood when left outside in the sun and rain. Not to mention, the paint might get damaged as well. So you want to make sure you seal it well with the varnish to prevent any moisture from getting in and to protect it from UV rays.
The Inspiration
The idea for how to make these plant markers was inspired by a different craft project of mine. I have a (bad?) habit of leaving pegs on the washing line. I know a lot of people take them indoors and take them out only when using them. But I am lazy and forgetful. Yes, I have misplaced my washing pegs before and then I get frustrated when I can't find them while I have washing to hang. So I started leaving them on the washing line.
As mentioned above, untreated wood left outside doesn't do well long term. So I decided to run a craft experiment for myself. I got some bamboo pegs, painted and varnished them in the process above and left them alongside some untreated ones.
My bamboo washing peg experiment
The untreated peg on the far left and the red one have been out on the washing line outside for a year and a half. Through sun, rain and whatever else the weather throws at them. The difference is quite spectacular. Though there is a bit of weathering on the red one, it's hardly noticeable. The varnish even prevented the wire from oxidizing. The far right blue one has been out there for about 6 months, and it looks like I just finished crafting it.
Not only do the painted pegs last a whole lot longer, but who doesn't want fun, pretty washing pegs?!
Conclusion
Given the above evidence, I am fairly certain my DIY plant markers should last at least a year, possibly even two (or more), provided the dogs don't make chew toys out of them. They are also fun and easy to make, so it's not a huge deal to make them as I need them.
I am looking forward to showing you a post where they are in action in my freshly planted seed pots and trays!
(If you want a mini tutorial on how to make washing pegs like the ones in the post, let me know.)
Thanks!
As always thanks for stopping by and reading my post! I hope you found it helpful in some way.
Credits:
- Photographs by me.
- Canva for helping me make the photos look pretty.
