I must admit that at 6 & 8 the boys are not always interested in mom crafts. They LOVE watercolor painting, drawing comics, woodworking, tools, paper airplanes, building things...but 'lets make some garden markers!' Um, not really. So I usually get supplies for things that I know we need, but keep it simple and just ... start. Somebody comes over to help. Somebody picks up the supplies and starts doing it too. Every time.
I needed some garden markers. Not as much for the traditional plants that are very easy to recognize, but for the medicinal herbs that seem to always look like the odd 'weeds' growing thanks to the resident chipmunk burying all the bird seed throughout the beds. So markers keep me from pulling it all until it is big enough to recognize.
My first thoughts are *always* elaborate, but really, it is a garden marker. I found some shaped wooden sticks which had enough room to write on. Perfect. I always have indoor/outdoor acrylic paints. I always want to reach for the neutral colors but remind myself I won't find them once the plants start growing if they are not BRIGHT!!! So we painted bright cheery colors as a base layer.
Once dry, I wrote in perm. metallic marker right on the stick. And then painted over with a coat of water based varnish (test it first on your metallic marker to be sure they are OK together and don't smear). Really easy. Really quick. They look good. The boys helped happily (and giggled HYS-SOP, HYS-SOP, HYS-SOP over and over and over and over!). And they were quick and inexpensive enough that I won't care if I lose a few in the garden this summer!
And of course since the paints were out...the boys were on a roll with their own creations! That involved hiccups and other bodily sounds. ;)
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12 comments:
Very cute! I love how kids just like to get involved in what we're doing. They don't want to be told what to do; they just want to be where the action is. ;)
hahaha! what good is making garden markers if you can't enjoy bodily sounds? pssht. :) glad to see that the markers are being made ready -- that means the green stuff will soon be peeking out!
That's how it works often times here too. I'll just get out the supplies and start *doing*. Layla and Aelyn will usually come over to check things out and then want to join me. If not, that's fine too, but that is rarely the case. I love how your markers turned out. So simple but still elegant. :o)
Those are some really cool garden markers. At 9 and 10, my boys don't even notice what I am trying to interest them in, so I will probably have to do this project alone. But they will be nearby doing their own thing, and we will be chatting, so it is all good!
Happy gardening!!
Those are great! Those are way better than the plastic spoons I was using last year (since I didn't want to pay big bucks for plant markers; I couldn't even find the ones I wanted anyway). Do you remember where you picked up those wooden markers?
These garden markers are fun!
They are fun!
I haven't seen any anywhere.
Wish I had some in the medicine garden right now... I keep losing the chamomile (can't find it, though I've seen it once this year) and there is some new thing that I must have put in last year, but I have no idea what it is! :/
:) Have to wait and see.
I adore your garden markers!!! The sticks you used are such a great idea, too. I was trying to avoid having to buy anything when we started ours, but if I don't find our craft sticks, I'll be heading to the store anyway. Wish me luck! ;-P
I am forever forgetting what I put in where. Just today I was out there trying to remember what this thing sprouting in the east garden was. No idea. :) These markers are JUST what I need. Thanks for the inspiration. xo
Good idea! I never bother with garden markers, and always regret it.
Love these!
Mama crafts are similar around here, I'll get supplies, ask if anyone is interested and start on them, usually 1 or both end up participating in some way or another, even if their vision is totally different than mine:)
Those are adorable. We painted some rocks to put in the garden that I have yet to label with the plants but I think we will also need some kind of stakes like those.
Very cute!
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