Thursday, April 26, 2012

DIY Plant Markers

Thanks for joining us today for the
Made for Mom Blog Hop!!

If you've come from Sandra at Sweet Pea's Card Creations, you're in the right place.  If not, please jump back to Jenny's Blog to start at the beginning... you don't want to miss a stop!

This is a fun trash turned into treasure something useful project. This is a wonderful project for yourself, but my boys and I are making them for all the garden loving Mom's in our lives for Mother's Day!! 
We could have used a number of things as markers – the stamped spoon idea is so cute, but I don’t have any extra spoons. Tongue depressors or Popsicle sticks – they just aren't cute. I could have went to a garden shop and bought some, but Mom's love handmade!! So I looked around the house and found these items and went about creating something wonderful.
Wire hangers (from the dry cleaner), orange juice can tops and bottoms, and a few beads from my collection.

Before

After

Cost: Nothing Time to Complete: about 15 minutes
They are very easy to make. The hardest part is waiting until you have collected enough OJ cans to make enough markers for all the plants you want to mark in your garden.
1. Pull the wire part of the hanger from the cardboard tube. One on each side. This will be the hook on the top of the stake.
2. Untwist the hook part of the hanger.
3. Open up the hook, by spreading the two wires apart.
4. (Parent's job) Cut in the center with wire cutters. You have just created 2 stakes to hang the OJ lids on.
5. Press the smaller hook end back a bit with your fingers so that it is closer to the wire behind it.
6. Mold the bigger hook end with your hands so it resembles the ones shown in the photo below. This end will go into the ground, so it does not have to be perfect. It will give the stake support.
7. Optional: Spray paint silver to match the OJ lid. Being a gift, we painted them, when I make some for my own garden, I'll most likely skip this step.
8. (Parent's job) If you have a drill – punch 2 holes in an OJ lid – one at the top and another at the bottom. Make sure the bottom hole is close to the edge of the lid so you will be able to thread a jump ring through it. I placed mine right in the lid’s groove. If you don’t have a drill, an awl and a hammer or I later found out my Crop -A- Dile also works to punch a hole.
Jewelry For Your Garden
9. Add some pretty beads to a jump ring and attach to the lid. I was going for an all green look so the markers would look nice, but would blend in with the garden at the same time.
10. The idea is that the lids can be labeled with a permanent marker. Skip this step if these are going to be gifts... here are a couple we labeled to give you all and idea of how to use these markers.
11. Push the larger hook end into the dirt and never again forget what you planted. The beads and the lids move in the breeze and jangle a bit- it might scare the birds and other animals who may decide to make a feast out of your garden.

Each of the Moms in our lives will get a set of ten plant markers!! I've been saving juice lids for a while now, I just didn't know why until this re-purpose idea came to me. :)


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a $20.00 gift card to either
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Drawing will take place on Monday, April 30th, 2012.



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15 comments:

sarah said...

OMG!!! what a great idea for the garden..thx.. for the share..
texasgrama7@gmail.com

Shannon Leffew Keith said...

love that idea. now i need to srart buying juice cans lol shannleffew2@yahoo.com

teachdanz said...

that is a great idea Cheryl!! we just planted our garden and we go through frozen juice concentrate rather quickly:-)
ikennic at q dot com

Kristi said...

Such a cute idea, I was thinking, "How many of those hangers do we have, what besides oj lids can I use?" See my wheels are a spinning!
kidshomelove at yahoo dot com

Migdalia said...

Great Idea!Its a money saver!I usually plant parley,basil and other herbs and do not know what's what so I will lable them with this.TFS
http://craftingwithcreativem.blogspot.com
mrodriguez860@hotmail.com

CRAZY4 CHRIST said...

Very cool recycling idea!! Very creative! Thanks for the chance to win!!
Kristan
sierrababy08 at hotmail dot com

Chriss America Real said...

What a cute idea! I am going to mark this page so I can come back and make these! Now, If I can just find a neighbor that makes frozen orange juice...

Hugs,

Chriss
http://chrissandlou.blogspot.com/
america57@comcast.net

Heidi said...

What a very creative idea! I could so use these in my garden this summer. Going to start saving those tops now! Thanks for such a wonderful idea! live4scrappin at gmail dot_com

Carol Ric said...

Great idea! You are so creative. TFS!

missstamper said...

Great idea!

missstamper (at) yahoo.com

Unknown said...

very unique! Great idea!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Arcy Scraps said...

Awesome idea! I would definitely love to try this one day! Thanks for the picture tutorial, very helpful :)

Kathie ~ Beary Wishes said...

Fantastic project! Such a wonder idea! Love it!

patti said...

What a great idea!! pjseagers at hotmail dot com