Easy Craft Project - Make Your Own Garden Signs

Create Stylish Identification Signs for Flowers, Herbs, and Plants

Aug 13, 2009

Tomato, Basil & Rosemary Placards in Plants, Gretchen Martin

Turn your nursery into a learning garden by identifying botanicals with these sweet, reusable placards made from recycled empty gift cards and chopsticks.

Starbucks gift cards are often given in surplus over the holidays so that every co-worker, family member and friend carries a minimum of three cards in their pockets until they are all depleted. Then there are the Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s, Home Depot and millions of other gift cards given every holiday of the year. What to do with these plastic remains of credit depleted? Fortunately, for creative and eco-friendly types, this green can have even more worth in a recycled incarnation.

Estimated Project Duration

20 minutes

Skill Level

Beginner

Materials List

Gift cards with zero balances
Chopsticks, plastic
Krylon Chalkboard spray paint
Krylon Fusion for Plastic® Flat Black spray paint
Hot glue gun
Hot glue
Chalk
Newspaper

Project Instructions

1. Lay cards and chopsticks on top of newspaper. (*Hint: use rocks to hold the newspaper down on its edges when spraying outdoors.)

2. Using light, even coats, spray gift cards and chopsticks with Krylon Fusion for Plastic® Flat Black spray paint, letting dry between coats.

3. Flip cards and chopsticks over and repeat, spraying the other sides.

4. Remove chopsticks from newspaper and set aside.

5. Spray gift cards with Krylon Chalkboard spray paint. (Krylon Fusion for Plastic® Flat Black spray paint acts as a primer for superior adherence to plastic.)

6. Flip cards over and repeat, spraying the other sides.

7. Glue gift cards to thick ends of chopsticks using hot glue and a hot glue gun.

8. Write the identifying names of plants on chalkboard surfaces with chalk.

9. Poke narrow ends of chopsticks into dirt or inside planter soil alongside associated plants.

Crafting Tips

While both depleted gift cards and chopsticks can be found for free, a dollar store is also an inexpensive place to find supplies. If plastic chopsticks are not available, try wooden chopsticks, which are usually abundant after too much Chinese take out. Barbeque skewers, made in both wood and metal, also make nice alternatives for this project.

In lieu of plastic gift cards, try other recycle options by using your imagination. Old miniature frames can be converted into fancy placards by spraying the glass with chalkboard spray and reinserting into frames. Or try empty candy tins—you can even hide seeds inside!

Enhance this project by using colorful chalks or decorating the exteriors of the cards by gluing on embellishments. Try different paint colors. Turn your gift cards into a gift for someone else!

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