Hi, Laura from Left on Peninsula Road back to share another easy DIY metal stamping project.
Do you have a vegetable garden? It’s on my very long list of things to do/try, but my sister has a beautiful garden and she’s been hoping for some new garden markers for a while now:)
Here’s what you need to make some for your garden:
- 10″ Zinc Garden Markers (I found mine at our local Bachman’s garden center.)
- 18-gauge wire (or thickness to fit your beads)
- Assorted Glass Seed Beads (size 6/0 “E”)
- Decorative Silver-toned Beads (Butterfly & Dragonfly from Michaels.)
- Metal Alphabet Stamps (I used 1/4″ stamps for the garden markers in the photo.)
- Hammer, small pliers/wire cutter, pencil, tape, pencil, and ruler.
- Acrylic Sealer – optional
Start by stamping your labels. You’ll need a hard durable work surface. If you have a steel bench block, great. Otherwise, find a concrete floor or patio. Masking tape works great as a guide for letter placement. These metal markers are pretty soft and thin, so I only needed a few taps to get a good impression.
I usually find the middle of my word and stamp those letters first working out from the center. (And apparently it’s harder to spell working backwards, go figure! So take your time.) I found that 10 letters (maybe 11) was about all that will fit on these zinc markers without moving to smaller stamps. (I’ll be looking for a smaller alphabet set before tackling “Strawberries.”)
After you’ve stamped your marker, string assorted beads on the wire to a beaded length of 5 1/2 or 6 inches. I worked with my full wire roll rather than cutting it. I had less trouble with beads sliding off the other end that way. To shape the beaded wire, wrap around a pencil 3 or 4 times. Carefully slide the coil off the pencil.
Attach the cut end of the wire to one corner of the marker. (See photo below.) Loop once around the wire frame then wrap the wire around itself 2 or 3 times. Cut.
Now cut the other end of the wire leaving a long enough tail to fasten to the opposite corner of the garden marker. Repeat the loop and wrap process to finish. Shape the wire coil as desired.
Depending on the beads you used, a coat or two of acrylic sealer might give you some added protection from the elements.
These stamped and beaded garden markers went together really quickly, but I’ve got a few more to make before my sister’s whole garden is labeled. You could also use these to label specimen plants in your landscaping or maybe even make a cute miniature “Welcome” sign for a Fairy garden.
If you make some of your own, I’d love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram, ok?
Thanks for stopping by today!
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More posts for Summer:
Sunny Summer Slush | Quick Flag Jars | Daisy Photo Printable
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