Garden Plant Labels from Window Blinds - Part 2

In part 1 of this article, I discussed briefly the possibility for reusing old window blinds for plant labels. The window blinds whose slats are made of pvc material are preferred because they can be easily cut with an ordinary pair of scissors. There are blinds whose slats are made of thin sheets of aluminum or metal and they may pose some challenge to your cutting tool.


Garden Plant Markers from Recycled Window Blinds

The procedure below will yield straight-edge shaped garden plant markers or labels that are 3 inches long. Most common blinds slats are one inch wide. The garden plant labels that will be made are 1/2 inch wide.

Procedure

1. Clean the window blinds slats. With a pair of heavy-duty scissors, cut 5-inch lengths from the window blinds slats. Discard which are severely damaged (folded, with holes, etc)
   
   
   
   
   
2. With a pencil and ruler, draw the following lines on several 5-inch length slats. Divide the 1-inch width of the slat into two by drawing a line down the middle along its length. Find the middle of the slat's length by measuring 2.5" from either end and mark it. From this middle mark, measure 1/4" towards both ends.
   
   
   
   
   
   This means there will be a half inch width that is drawn in the middle of the 5-inch length slat. If drawn correctly, the lines will appear below.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Collect all slats with drawn lines and pile them on the right as shown below. Then pile blank slats (no drawn lines) on the left.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Take one blank slat from the left stack and a marked slat from the right stack. Put the marked slat over the blank slat. You now have two slats with a marked slat on top. Align the edges together.
   
   
   
   
   
   Use the scissors to cut the long line along the slat's length. By cutting this way, you double your output in the cutting and without having to draw lines on all slats. Be sure to keep the edges of both slats aligned at all times to keep the sizes of the garden plant labels uniform.
   
   
   
   
   Each slat should now have two parts as shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Pick up a paired half (2 halves, one on top of the other). Cut am imaginary diagonal line from one end of the outside line to the other end of the opposite outside line. Shown below is how the paired half will be cut.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Do the same to the other paired half. The resulting cuts of the paired halves should look like the one below.
   
   
   
   
   Each single 5-inch slat now yields four 2.5-inch long garden plant labels.
   
   
7. Cut by rounding out the sharp corners of the newly created garden plant labels.
   
   
   
   
   

Shown below is a finished garden plant label that will be used. Notice that the pointed edge of the garden plant labels are all oriented to the left. With the uniformed size and shape of the garden plant labels, they are easily packed and stored in containers.

See part 3 for the continuation of this article.