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Home / Garden Projects / Cheap And Easy DIY Plant Markers

Cheap And Easy DIY Plant Markers

By Amy Andrychowicz | 19 Comments

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For years I was terrible about marking the plants I have in my gardens. More than once, I would see something starting to grow in the spring and wonder “is that something I planted or a weed?”. Well, I’d finally had enough of the surprises. A few years ago, I vowed to myself that I would mark every plant in my garden.

Cheap and easy DIY plant markers

Now for my dilemma: what material could I use to mark the plants, that won’t become brittle or fade in the sun? I’ve tried so many plant markers before that did not work (including those lovely pre-printed tags that come with plants).

Most of them were completely faded by spring or became so brittle they didn’t last more than a year or two. (Perhaps this is why I never bothered taking the time to mark everything before.)

The Hunt for Durable Plant Markers

So I set off on a mission to find durable plant markers that won’t fade or crumble – without breaking the bank! Well, the search wasn’t easy because I didn’t find many suggestions. What I found were mostly posts from people asking for a solution to the same problem I was looking for.

But I didn’t give up and after looooots of searching, I finally came across an idea that is cheap, easy, holds up to the elements, and recycles old junk! Vinyl mini blinds and a plain old pencil. How simple is that?

Cheap and easy DIY plant markers

Cheap and easy DIY plant markers

The vinyl is durable and won’t become brittle or crumble. The pencil won’t smudge or wash off and most importantly, it won’t fade in the sun! Plus the plant markers are reusable, simply erase the pencil and use the plant markers over and over.

I use these easy DIY plant markers for everything, The vinyl mini blinds are super easy to cut with scissors, and you can cut them to any length that you want. I cut them long to mark the plants in the garden.

That way I can stick the markers way down in the dirt and they won’t blow or wash away. I cut them really small for marking my seed containers.

DIY plant markers used in seedling trays

DIY plant markers used in seedling trays

I also use them to mark all of my houseplants, and I can cut them the perfect size for every pot! If you don’t have any old vinyl mini blinds sitting around at home, they are very easy to get for FREE! People are throwing them away all the time.

Related Post: Beginners Guide To Gardening On A Budget

DIY plant markers used in house plants

DIY plant markers used in house plants

Tips for Using Mini Blinds as Plant Markers:

  • Don’t use ink to write on the plant markers, it will fade away in the sun. Even permanent marker will fade to nothing very quickly in the sun. Pencil works the best.
  • Use light colored or white vinyl mini blinds. The pencil won’t show up on the dark colored ones.
  • Don’t use metal mini blinds, the metal will just rust.
  • Check websites like Craigslist and Freecycle to find free mini blinds. You can also find them for free at garage sales and on garbage days. Check with friends and family too.
  • If you can’t find them for free, check your local second hand store for very inexpensive mini blinds.
  • Visit the window coverings department at your local department store. Many of them trim vinyl mini blinds, and the trimmings just end up in the trash.

Of course, if you don’t want to make your own plant markers you can always buy some like these 6″ plant markers – they work great for marking houseplants, vegetable and annual plants. These 4″ plant markers which work great for small pots and seedlings. Or if you prefer the t-shaped plant markers, you can buy those here.

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  • How To Make A Raised Garden Bed Using Concrete Blocks

Have you made your own a cheap and easy DIY plant markers? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

About Amy Andrychowicz

I live and garden in Minneapolis, MN (zone 4b). My green thumb comes from my parents, and I've been gardening most of my life. I’m a passionate gardener who loves growing everything from vegetables, herbs, and flowers to succulents, tropicals, and houseplants - you name, I've grown it! Read More...

Comments

  1. Robin says

    July 1, 2018 at 11:23 pm

    Thanks for hints and education. So glad I found you on Pinterest. I will watch for your posts and follow your blog. I need a lot help as my thumb has not turned green yet. LOL. Robin

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      July 6, 2018 at 9:44 am

      You’re welcome, glad I could help! It can take some practice, but you’ll get that green thumb in no time. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jamie says

    June 6, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    What a great idea!! Now you can reuse something that you normally would just throw away!

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      June 7, 2016 at 8:19 am

      You’re welcome, thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. Marie says

    May 31, 2016 at 4:12 pm

    Omgosh, what a super smart way to recycle mini-blinds! Thanks so much for sharing this idea.

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      June 2, 2016 at 2:42 pm

      You’re welcome, thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  4. christy says

    May 30, 2015 at 6:09 am

    i save my 32 oz yogurt containers…the inside is usually white. using a heavy duty scissors, i cut around the top to remove the lip of the container. then i cut every 3/4″ or so down to the bottom. then around the bottom, about 3/4″ up, i cut on a slant halfway to the middle of each marker, going first one way, then the other. this makes the point and removes the marker from the bottom of the yogurt container. i like using a permanent black garden marker (not a sharpie)…the ink doesn’t fade with these and it’s easier to read than pencil. i write the name and planting date. the markers are stiff enough to penetrate the soil easily…i also use these in my seedling containers. by harvest time, i have a record of what i planted and when and transfer the info in my garden journal. a good project to do while watching tv, i have done this for about 5 years now and never run out of markers.

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      June 4, 2015 at 2:10 pm

      Great idea!

      Reply
    • Christie says

      February 19, 2019 at 7:18 pm

      I love this idea, since they’re yogurt containers, you know the plastic is food grade! Definitely trying this out. Thanks

      Reply
  5. Daiva says

    March 14, 2015 at 11:16 pm

    I love pencil suggestion, but not so sure about using the blinds – vinyl contains lead, and I just don’t want it leaching into my soil. That said, ready made plastic markers probably also contain chemicals -I bought one set from amazon and had to throw them out -they were so stinky. I like idea of using upcycled spoons (and using metal stampers to permanently write the names), but of course they are not as versatile.

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      March 22, 2015 at 2:52 pm

      It’s so hard to find a good, durable plant tag. I’ve read that lead was only used in older vinyl mini blinds, and they stopped using it. Hopefully that’s the case, you just never know these days.

      Reply
  6. DON OCONNELL says

    September 23, 2014 at 7:27 am

    EXCELLENT IDEA

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      September 25, 2014 at 8:27 am

      Thanks Don! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Amy says

    September 21, 2010 at 10:55 pm

    Hi Lindajo!
    Welcome to my blog! Wow, thanks for the nice things you've said about my blog. I'm so glad you like it! Please don't hesitate to ask me questions you may have about winter sowing or anything else.

    Amy

    Reply
  8. LBullock says

    September 21, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    I love your blog! Such great information. I can't wait to winter sow my seeds. I am new here so I have many old posts to read. What fun! Thank you! Lindajo

    Reply
  9. Amy says

    September 12, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    Hi Remy! Great to see you, glad you found me too. Thanks for you compliment about my blog! 🙂

    Reply
  10. Remy says

    September 11, 2010 at 12:44 am

    Hi Amy,
    I had no idea you had such a nice blog!
    Glad I found you : )
    Remy

    Reply
  11. Amy says

    September 10, 2010 at 10:34 pm

    Hi Merjhlin,
    It depends on where you live. Here in Minnesota, it's too cold to grow any vegetables in the winter. I'm guessing you must live in a warmer climate. Let me know what area you live in and I'd be happy to give you suggestions.

    Amy

    Reply
  12. merjhlin says

    September 10, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    What vegetables I can plant during winter? I hope you could help me.

    Reply

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Amy Andrychowicz is an author, and the creator of Get Busy Gardening. She is devoted to helping new gardeners learn through guidance, encouragement, and advice that is easy to understand.
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