Garden Markers

5 Materials
$8
30 Minutes
Easy

Hey! It's Jess from Jessica Welling Interiors. Garden season is in full swing, so today I want to show you how to make easy DIY garden markers out of paint stir sticks. These will add some serious class to your garden... not to mention helping you tell the difference between a hot pepper and a sweet one!

Gather Supplies.


I usually have a ton of unused paint stir sticks in the bottom of my painting bin in the garage. But they cost around 10 cents a piece if you need to buy some.

Set Up


Lay out your stir sticks on a drop cloth or a couple of plastic trash bags.

Apply Spray Paint


Shake the spray paint well, then hold the can about 10" away from the stir sticks. Move the can back and forth, overshooting the edges. The first coat is just a very light covering. Don't try to get full coverage.

2nd Coat of Spray Paint


Let that sit for about 10 minutes. Then come back and apply another coat, this time going for full coverage.


I get the best results when I let it dry overnight before flipping them over to paint the other side.

Apply Clear Sealer


Once both sides of the sticks are good and dry, apply a generous coat of clear coat sealer, using the same technique. When they're dry, flip them over to cover the other side.

Write Labels


Use a medium-tip white sharpie paint pen to write on the markers. The sealer helps the paint pen lines stay crisp, and not leech into the wood.

And You're Done!


Now stick them in the garden, and you're done! These make a nice homemade gift too, if you add a pair of gloves and a trowel!


Next, come check out our DIY vertical garden!

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Jessica Welling Interiors
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • Donna Donna on Jun 06, 2020

    Can you glue them together or staple them and use them to keep tomato plants and peas growing upward?

  • Andreea Andreea on Jun 10, 2020

    how do they survive in the rain?

  • Patty Patty on Jun 08, 2021

    Did you seal it again after painting the names on? We did this with paint pens,and after a year or so,they had faded.

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 9 comments
  • Anna Gregg Anna Gregg on Jun 12, 2020

    I would like to know what size/length of sticks you used. I looked to buy some and there are several different lengths. Thank you, great idea. I am planning to make them!

  • Renee Pfarr Renee Pfarr on Jun 08, 2021

    I love this idea. But it also gave me another idea. While looking at the stirrers lined up, I thought of a miniature white picket fence. Thanks for sharing, and the inspiring ideas.

Next