100% Repurposed Veggie/Herb Garden Markers

When I asked my big brother what he wanted for his birthday this year he said, "vegetable and herb markers for the garden!" I was uber excited as I have been wanting to make some for a loooooong time :)

I decided that I was going to challenge myself by using ONLY recycled and re-purposed materials that I found lying around or things that were destined for the land fill.

I ended up using wooden paint stirrers for the signs, old house paint and old markers for decorating the signs, and believe it or not, one-use bamboo chopsticks from a local Sushi restaurant for the stakes!


I started the project by cutting the paint stirrers into various lengths and painting them white with old house paint. I then "antiqued" the little painted rectangles by sanding the edges and corners down with sand paper (my hands are still sore from that project!).

Please excuse the fuzziness of the pic...my iPhone and I were having a "lighting discussion!"

I then painted little dots on the signs using old Silver Sage paint from our bathroom and a little tube of every day, brown crafting paint. Next, I painted or drew on the names of various herbs and veggies and then I used a hot glue gun to glue the signs to the chop sticks!

**If you plan to use chopsticks (which I highly recommend...I mean they are just going to get thrown away after one little use, right?!) then make sure to use some with flat or square tops. I am afraid that round ones will not stay glued to the wooden rectangles very well.**

Last, they each received a coat of waterproof sealant left over from some project or another.

They were so simple to make, cost absolutely nothing, and are beyond adorable peeking out among the herbs and veggies in the garden :)



**Please excuse the fact that the rosemary stake is chilling next to a lavender bush. Since the signs are for my brother they don't exactly match up with what I have blooming in my garden at the moment!**





I think there will be many, many more of these little garden stakes in my future in various shapes and sizes. I just love how they turned out :)

And, just in time for Earth Day...

Happy Birthday, Big Brother!