How to Make DIY Clay Plant Markers For Garden Beds
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Spring will be here before we know it, which means it’s time to start those spring seedlings! One of the most rewarding hobbies, cultivating a garden and seeing those little green shoots sprouting in the warm spring sun brings such joy and a sense of new life. As you probably know by now, I always have my hands busy with projects, pups, or kids. With a full plate, I can never stay organized with the plant names of the seeds I start in my vegetable garden. I decided to try to keep my plants neat and tidy this year by making my own DIY clay garden markers!
DIY plant markers are always a good idea for keeping your garden beds all sorted out! Even if you don’t have a garden bed outdoors, these DIY garden markers will work great for a potted herb garden in a windowsill. It makes a great rainy day project when you’re dreaming of the spring sunshine. Making this craft is also a great way to get your little ones excited about gardening and the spring season. These garden markers also make a great gift for your family member with a green thumb.
There are many creative ways to make your own garden markers. You can craft them from clay, stamped metal, or even something as simple as a wood craft stick and a chalk marker. Last year I used something as rudimentary as permanent marker and laminated paper, but nothing is quite as durable as polymer clay garden markers or ceramic ones. Making garden markers is a great way to use up some leftover clay and doesn’t require many materials at all. This project is very versatile and can be done with polymer clay, pottery clay, or even air dry (although I’d recommend using pottery or polymer clay for durability). I will cover how to use both polymer clay and pottery clay in this tutorial. If you’d like to make your own clay garden markers, follow along with this simple tutorial. If you prefer learning from videos, I have included a short video tutorial as well. If you guys like the video tutorials, I will try to incorporate more video tutorials in future projects. Grab the materials below, and let’s get started!
Materials:
-Sculpey Premo polymer clay (or other oven bake clay) in the colour of your choice OR your favorite pottery clay
-straight edge
–craft knife ( a butter knife will work in a pinch)
-optional* cookie cutter in the desired shape of your garden marker
-acrylic paint or permanent marker (for writing plant names) OR
–set of small alphabet stamps (for stamping the plant names)
–outdoor mod podge for sealing
-baking sheet
-home oven
Polymer Clay Garden Markers
Now it’s time to get started! Grab your package of clay and your rolling pin. Sculpey Premo is always my oven bake clay of choice and is what I’m using here. I opted for the terracotta color because it really gives that earthy garden feel. Find a clean, flat surface and roll out your slab of clay in a uniform thickness. Cut out the shape of your garden marker. You can do this using a straight edge and craft knife like I’m doing below. I like to cut a long rectangle shape with a point on one end so that it can easily be staked into the dirt. Another option is to get a cookie cutter in your desired shape and use it to cut out the silhouette of your garden marker. Taking a damp finger, smooth out any rough edges or imperfections.
For this next step, we are going to write the names of a plant onto our garden markers. It’s pretty straightforward- choose what plant name you want, take your letter stamps, and press the plant name onto the clay. If you would rather carve the name freehand, you can do so using a clay carving tool. Another option is to paint the name on using acrylic paint or write it using a permanent marker. If you’d like to go that route, it will need to be done after you bake your clay.
Prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. It is very important to always line your baking sheet. If bakeware is used to bake clay without a parchment paper lining, it will no longer be safe to use for food preparation. You can always find an old secondhand baking sheet to dedicate to clay baking should you decide to go that route. Polymer clay is typically nontoxic, but we still don’t to ingest any clay residue.
Preheat your oven to the appropriate temperature specified on your package of clay. For Sculpey Premo, it requires a temperature of 275 degrees. Place your garden markers on the prepared baking sheet. Put your garden markers in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Allow your garden markers to cool.
If you stamped or carved your garden markers, you are ready to seal them. Take a paintbrush, dip it in the outdoor mod podge, and coat your garden markers. Allow the mod podge to cure. if you are writing or painting your plant names onto the garden markers, now is the time to do so. Once the paint or marker dries, coat your garden stakes with the mod podge like described above. Allow your plant markers to dry. Here is the finished product! Your plant markers are ready for your garden beds!
Pottery Clay Garden Markers
If you decide to make your garden markers out of pottery clay, the process is pretty similar. Follow the steps above to roll out and stamp your clay. Then, allow your garden markers to fully dry out while covered in a layer of light plastic. This usually takes about a week or so. Bisque fire your garden stakes in a kiln according to the clay temperature specifications (cone 04,etc). You can write the plant names in underglaze if you didn’t stamp them on. If desired, glaze your stamped garden stakes in a thin glaze (if desired) or leave them unglazed if you used underglaze to paint the names on. Do your final fire according to your clay specifications (cone 6, etc). Allow your kiln to cool down completely. Now they are ready for the garden!
Making your own clay garden markers is such a fun, easy spring project. It adds a touch of love and organization to any garden, and is the perfect craft for kids and adults alike. I hope you enjoyed making these with me! You can find more clay projects HERE or handmade home tutorials HERE. Happy crafting!
