Garden Stakes: A Tutorial

Here is the tutorial on how to make the garden stakes!  It's not a hard thing to do, but it does take some time because of the drying in between layers of paints.

What You'll need:
Wood Slats (7 9/64" x 2 13/16" x 3/16")
Dowels (1/4" x 12")
Pieces of scrapbooking paper (min size 6 1/2" x 2 1/4")
Paper letters (1" high)
Acrylic paint
Modge Podge
Hot glue gun
Spray sealer

First, paint the signs on all sides.  2 coats is best for good coverage.  (you can see the sugar scrub jars I was making at the same time, hehe)  While the boards are drying cut your paper and your letters if you need to.  I used premade letters.  Cut your paper into rectangles measuring 6.5" x 2.25".

Once you have all your boards painted and dried, time to pull out the Modge Podge!  First, paint a layer of Modge Podge on the front of your board.

Next, paint the back of your paper with Modge Podge and place it centered on your board.  Cover with another coat of Modge Podge.

Place your letters on the paper and coat with yet another layer of Modge Podge.  Let dry and enjoy peeling the dried Modge Podge off your fingers! This is one of my favorite parts.  Brings back memories of first grade when my best friend and I would coat our hands in glue and then peel them when dry.

Either during the rest of the painting or while you are waiting for the modge podge, paint your dowels.  I also recommend two coats of paint.  I painted the majority of them with 2 coats, and then once they were dry painted the bottom two inches.

Here are all the finished signs.  As you can see two of them are different.  My stepmom's cabbage was eaten early on by critters and she's growing peanuts.  

Unfortunately, this is where I run out of pictures, and I apologize.   After everything is dry, put a double line of hot glue up the middle back of the signs.  push the dowels into the glue.  

Then, outside (please) spray the signs with the spray sealer.  I did 3 coats on each the front and the back trying to catch the sides as well.

Stick them into your garden and Voila!

I bet you could use this method for signs for holidays and stuff too.   Even a cute little garden quote.  I might have to try that!