How to Make a Garden Label Sign

Labels help cut down on confusion between similar plants.

Seedlings of all varieties look very similar. Gardeners need a way to tell their carrot seedlings from their onions. You can buy fancy plant label signs at a garden supply store but they are impersonal and can get expensive. A cheap, fun, personal way to label your plants with signs is to make them with just a few supplies. Have the kids help with these for an even more personal, fun labels.

Things You'll Need

• Popsicle sticks (3 per sign)
• Glue gun
• Black Paint
• Clear waterproof sealant
• Paint in choice of color
• Permanent marker
• Stickers or embellishments (optional)

Instructions

1. Paint the Popsicle sticks. Paint one of them black and the other two in your choice of color. Be sure the paint is a good quality craft paint. Watercolors don't work well for this application. Let the paint dry before the next step.

2. Glue one of the colored sticks to the top of the black stick so that it looks like a T. Glue the second stick under the first exactly the same way. Now it should look like a T with a double horizontal line at the top.

3. Write the name of the plant on the horizontal sticks with permanent marker. Now would be the time to add stickers or embellishments if desired.

4. Paint over the sticks with clear waterproof sealant. This is so that the labels will survive the weather, both rain and sun. Let the sealant dry, then apply one more coat. Let dry before placing outside in the garden.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint the labels a different color for each plant. This allows you to see at a glance which plants they are. Painting them orange for carrots, white for onions, red for tomatoes, green for broccoli or purple for eggplant is a fun way to add some color to your garden as well.

• Always paint in a well ventilated area.

• Children should always be properly supervised when using a glue gun.

References

• The Frugal Life: Popsicle Sticks