

Though my thumb is far from green, I look forward to planting my garden each spring. In the early stages of a garden, most of us need a reminder of what is planted where. I’ve never seen markers in my grandpa’s garden, but I am far from that point in my own gardening skills. This year, I wanted to add a few punches of color among the dirt and early sprouts, so I created little marker flags. I found a bag of quilting pieces at a flea market for $1, and since I am not a quilter, I used the beautifully aged fabric (and latex to make it waterproof) to mark my garden. — Ashley

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

Materials

small pieces of fabric

rubber latex (found at craft stores, usually in the model section)

paintbrush

small dowel rods

craft glue

scissors

Sharpie or waterproof marker

Instructions

1. Coat the top side of the fabric with the latex rubber. You want to saturate the fabric, but be mindful of not gluing it to your surface.

2. Let the top coat fully dry. You can gently move the fabric around to prevent it from sticking to your surface.

3. Coat the bottom side of the fabric with the latex rubber. The latex will make the fabric waterproof, but be mindful that latex sticks to latex. You want to place the top side of the fabric (that has already been coated with latex) on a fresh surface when painting the underside. Let the fabric dry completely.

4. Once the fabric has completely dried, trim the edges and cut into your desired shape.

5. Glue the fabric to the dowel rods. I recommend starting with just the edge of the fabric and letting it dry. Once the edge is attached, begin wrapping the fabric completely around the dowel, gluing as you go. Use clothespins to hold in place while drying.

6. Use a Sharpie to write your vegetable and fruit names.

YOU’RE DONE! As your garden grows, the flags will disappear a bit among the leaves but will still add a little colorful whimsy to your garden.