Garden Markers From Mini Tart Pans

10 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Medium

Fanciful and practical, I designed these hand-made metallic markers to stand up to all sorts of rough weather. And they are not very hard to make.

If you need plant labels that will not fade, etch them onto metallic tape as I do, and your words will last season after season. 

I usually attach my labels to plastic stakes, but here's how to take it up a notch and make them decorative with mini tart pans, metallic tape, and old cutlery. This is really easy to do without pattern, but if you'd like patterns, I have a PDF on my home website here.

Mini tart pans are so pretty, but there are two shapes that work the best for this craft:

Round and oval mini tart pans work best! (I like American-made pans because otherwise your craft may rust very quickly).

If you use other shapes other than round or oval, your markers will need to be snipped in order to flatten properly. You will also need to file the edges because otherwise they will be sharp! Use caution when you make shapes that have to be snipped. Here's an example of what snipped pans may look like when complete, shown on the left and right above. A round pan was used to create the smooth edged marker in the center … no snipping or filing needed for these.

Here`s how to make the round and oval markers: place a tart pan inside the layers of an old towel or drop cloth. Strike with rubber mallet against a firm surface until pan is mostly flat around the center.

Remove the pan and use a tack hammer to refine and flatten around the center.

Time to make the etched labels! Roll out a bit of aluminum duct-work tape. Use a template the same size as the label you wish to make.

I used the top of a salt shaker to mark the outline of my label which was 1-1/2 inch in diameter. You can also make paper templates (or use mine at the link on Step 2) … which are very helpful when you want your markers to look just right .

Etch your outline and designs into the surface of the tape using a pencil. Add words, designs, a picture … whatever you like. Trace through a paper pattern to get yourself started, or wing it!

I often start with a simple hash-mark border as shown above. Inside the hatch marks, I am making a bumble bee design.

This next step is optional … rub on a bit of chalk paint with a cotton swab. Rub it off again to emphasize your etchings with a bit of color.

Glue your marker to a piece of cutlery and allow it to dry. To make the flower marker shown above, etch a happy face label for the inside a round mini tart pan. Attach the label, then glue the pan to the center of a flattened round tart pan. Make leaves from an aluminum pie pan bottom etched with leaf details on top (download my leaf pattern from Step 2). Glue finished leaves to the back of the flat pan and when dry attach to cutlery . 

Here's a practical marker to accessorize my rosemary plant glued to a large fork which I flattened with the rubber mallet. If you enjoyed this craft, I hope you'll visit my web site with more of my original designs to help you fly high with new ideas. Click here for my home page.

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Stephie McCarthy
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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3 of 4 questions
  • Shirlei Shirlei on May 11, 2019

    What is a tack hammer?

  • Sara Sara on May 11, 2019

    What kind of glue do You Use? These are too cute!

  • Maria Maria on May 11, 2019

    Where do you find those adorable little tins?

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