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