Paint Reusable Plant Markers with Replaceable Name Tags
A color band makes it easier to spot a plant marker among crowded May pots. Instead of painting names permanently on the wood, tie on a small plastic tag that can be replaced when a pot changes crops. These short markers suit containers with loose potting mix rather than hard garden ground.
Supplies for six markers
- Six smooth wooden craft sticks about 15 cm long and 18 mm wide
- About 2 teaspoons of exterior-rated water-based craft paint, a small brush and scrap cardboard
- Six 2 by 5 cm rectangles of flexible plastic cut from a clean, opaque container with scissors
- Hole punch, outdoor permanent marker and six 25 cm lengths of polyester cord
Paint the stick and prepare the label
Brush a thin band of color across the top 4 cm of each stick, painting both sides and letting one side dry before flipping it. Follow the paint label for drying, recoating and curing. Keep the portion that goes into the pot unpainted. While the sticks dry, round all four corners of each plastic rectangle with scissors. Punch a hole centered across the width, about 6 mm from one short end.
Write the name on the plastic with the tag lying flat. Keep the letters away from the hole, where cord can hide them. Let the ink dry. Wrap a cord twice around the upper end of a stick, cross the ends and pull snug. Thread one end through the tag and tie the ends into a firm bow. Aim for the tag to sit close to the stick rather than swinging freely.
Set the marker where it can be read
Press the bottom few centimeters into loose mix near the pot rim, away from the stem. If the cord slips, tie it again with a tighter wrap or add a third turn. If the ink beads on glossy plastic, use the matte side or switch to a write-on nursery tag. Untie the label when rotating crops, and replace any stick that softens or splits.
