Garden Plant Labels from Window Blinds

A gardener who's heavy into propagation practice cannot have enough of garden plant labels or tags or markers. I soon found this out for myself when all the improvised garden plant labels I made from old x-ray films were all used up. There were probably a couple of hundreds by my estimate. But even with much initial success on this DIY project of making plant labels, sadly they can no longer be reused.

I learned that the paint which essentially was the only writable area, broke down. The paint I used was latex paint because it was suitable as a writing surface. After some time though, after much sun and rain, the paint would crack and then chip off. Eventually, the entire area would flake off. With the paint removed, there is no surface on the plant label to write on.


Old Window Blinds for Garden Plant Labels or Tags

The usual suggestions for plant markers from recyclable materials include window blinds, popsicle sticks and plastic jugs. I think window blinds, sometimes called Venetian blinds, would make an ideal material for plant tags, markers or labels. I'm specifically referring to the types whose slats are made of thin pvc. By comparison, there are other slats that are made of thin aluminum. The slats made of thin pvc are easily cut with a pair of heavy duty scissors. The surface is also writable and pencil marks may be erased.

Window blinds, however, are not commonly used in many residences here, because window curtains are quite the norm. And so I wasn't optimistic finding discarded window blinds to be reused as garden plant markers.


Damage After the Storm Glenda

Imagine my surprise when, in one of our early morning walks, I saw an old set of window blinds lying on the sidewalk. Apparently, it was thrown out by the owner. Typhoon Glenda caused much damage and many homeowners immediately disposed of their damaged belongings. I folded the window blinds and tied them with a piece of packing tape I saw in front of the next house.




The packing tape tied them up and the excess tape became my carrying handle as I took the discarded set home. The window blinds were wet and dirty, but I was just glad to see them.


Eventually, the window blinds slats were reused as garden plant labels as will be discussed below, while the blinds' pinion rod was reused for a heavy-duty homemade fruit picker and and a lightweight DIY apple fruit picker.


How to Reuse the Blinds as Garden Plant Markers

There are many ways to cut the window blind slats to get the plant markers' size and shape that you like. The specifications and measurements outlined below are my own. The technique of cutting is economical, meaning, there is less chances of throwing material away.




Materials
  • Old Window Blinds Slats: made of pvc material
  • Masking Tape
  • Duct Tape
  • Transparent Plastic Jar
Tools
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Heavy-duty Scissors

See part 2 for the continuation of this article.

Go ahead, post your comment below!

Unknown said...

Thank you very much for this blog. This is really a great idea. In this way, the vinyl window blinds slat will be re-usable as a plant label or marker. Now, I finally found the right reason to replace my window blinds. I will purchase a new one as a window protector for my house and the old one will be my plant label or marker for my garden.