Decoupage Plant Markers
The Peach Rose |
Author: Eileen Bergen
Here's a quick and easy Spring decoupage project for yourself or friends who garden.
Materials:
- Plant images and names cut from your seed catalogues or magazines
- Cardboard or balsa wood rectangles to fit your images
- Wooden tongue depressors, popsicle sticks or stainless steel skewers as stakes to mount your plant tags and poke them into the ground
- Elmer's Glue-All or Mod Podge
- Scissors
- Acrylic paint (optional)
Prep surface: If you are using balsa wood, you may need to sand
off any rough edges. Do so gently to avoid splintering the wood.
Then wipe away any dust with a damp sponge.
Decide if you want a colored background. The balsa wood showing
through is a nice look by itself. kind of like old-fashioned
orange crates. If you want color, apply two coats of acrylic
paint, allowing two hours drying time for each coat. If there
are any rough spots, sand again; and wipe away any dust as
before.
Decoupage
This is a great tip from Durwin Rice. If you are using images
with color on both sides (like from a catalogue or magazine),
soak each image in a small bowl of water until it stops curling
and floats freely without wrinkles.This relaxes the paper fibers
making it much easier to position
the image cleanly on the decoupage glue/sealer. Images will
slide easily into place and not be grabbed by the glue.
Liberally apply glue/sealer to the area for each image and slide the image into place. Gently smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles with your fingertips. Using a damp sponge, wipe over the image and around the edges to remove any stray glue. Repeat until all your images and plant names are in place.
Let dry thoroughly. Check for bubbles while they dry. If some develop, smooth gently. If they are already set, pierce with a pin or craft knife, then smooth. It won't even show when your piece is done.
Back (Optional):
Paint the back of each tag with two coats of acrylic paint.
Embellish (Optional): Use a wide nib pen to draw outlines, background patterns or border trims on the front. Run the pen around the edge to give a nice finished look.
Seal:
Using a sponge brush, apply at least two coats of acrylic-based
polyurethane. Since the markers will be exposed to the elements,
three or four would be better. You?ll also see how additional
coats add a special depth. Your markers will look as if you hand
painted them!
Mount:
Using appropriate glue or fasteners, attach each plant label tag
to a stake.
About the author:
Ms Bergen has had a varied career, first as a teacher and later,
after getting a MBS degree, as a vice president of a major
insurance company. She has been making and selling crafts for
the last 8 years.