Wire coat hangers are as scarce as hen's teeth around my house nowadays. Not too many pop cans here either, sadly.

You did make very nice plant tags that way, though. Hmmm, what could I use instead of the hanger wire?

Do you know anybody who gets clothes washed or dry cleaned? Cleaners generally use cheap wire hangers... not sure how long that thin white wire would last. I'm sure you could just get a spool of wire to use, but I like the "repurposing" of using hangers.

Good idea for DIY markers!

Critter, You can buy a thin enough wire from a hardware store and use aluminum flashing, if you don't have soda cans. It will be a little more expensive though.

I like repurposing instead of buying and I like garden chores I can do indoors when it is too hot, rainy or too cold to be outdoors. This is a good one. Thanks for posting it.

Great idea! I was just complaining how I need to mark my plants with tags. And as for soda cans, take a walk and pick up some litter. I don't drink soda or beer but I've always got LOTS of cans from the roadside.

Thanks. that's what I was suggesting, wire from hardware store (or maybe baling wire from southern states) if you can't get clothes hangers... but anybody who gets their clothes "done" at the cleaners would have tons of extra hangers for you.

Do be careful of the edges on the cans, though. Might consider a strip of packing tape across the label and over the edges... I go barefoot a lot and can just see tripping over a label and cutting my toe.

This is awesome. I posted a question about labels to a specific flower forum a few weeks ago and have since bought some expensive tags. Now when I run out, I'll know to find this!

I use aluminum Venetian blind slats that friends and neighbors are getting rid of. They are sturdier so I do need to use a cheap engraver or metal marker. They can also be stuck directly into the ground or potted plant.

What a great idea for making permanent metal tags. I've bought them & they are pricey.
For any marking that has to hold up in full sun I use a black china marker that's oil based & seems to last years on any label: plastic, metal, wood or stone without fading like felt permanent markers. I have a white one to mark on dark things, too. The aluminum blind tags last years but plastic blinds get brittle after a year. I prefer to make some very durable plastic ones I recycle from the tall plastic drink cups from Taco Bell, Burger King & such. They are a good thickness that I just cut in my spare time into wedge shapes 1/2" to 1 1/2" wide at top x 4" long with a point. I have some 3 years old that are still pliable & readable tagging my day lilies in full sun & weather.

I too make plant tags from aluminum soft drink and beer cans. For inscribing the name instead of a pen, I use a sharp pointed iron nail or a broken bicycle spoke. Point is done by rubbing on a sharpening stone. Many times I use a paper punch to make a hole on the tag strip and tie it to the support.

Love, love, love this idea!!! Thanks for sharing!!!! One could go to Lowes and buy some copper electrical wire and strip that coating off, it has several good sized wires in there. Untwist them and then cut to desired length and bend into your holders. It is not expensive, I buy it all the time and work with it in my jewelry.

I have found the marking flags that the underground utilities use when locating pipe or cable to be very useful. I use them for ground staples and even bend them into plant supports. They would work great for these plant tags! I see them abandoned along the road side long after the jobs are done so I stop and pick them. Hey! I'm just doing my part to keep the roads neat and clean!

Great thing to watch for, Meri! I wouldn't have thought of it...

Donna, thanks! I've been buying copper wire from beadaholique for wire-wrapping... @donnabking

I have a little engraving tool, battery operated, think it was from lee valley... writes pretty easily once you practice a bit,good if you are using a material that's hard to impress with a ballpoint or nail (great tip on using a sharpened nail, thanks Carlos! @cperesc )

Many thrift stores bundle up wire....and plastic ...hangers and sell them cheap.

You are very welcome Jill @ Critterologist! I usually strip it off with a box cutter, being very careful. Much cheaper than buying from jewelry supply! Now if I could just come up with a silver tone source, sigh! Here is a pix of some of the copper wire I have worked up.

Jill@ Critterologist, could not get pix to load. Have no prob loading them on FB but here, idk, this system seems so slow?? idk? I will try again one at a time, what a pIn!

Sweet, Donna! But I don't see how that would work as plant tags!

Donna, those are great! I love the G-clef signs, in particular.

Barbalee, you're right that those aren't plant tags.. We got O/T. But it's worth noting that there's an inexpensive source of copper wire for those who want to use it to attach metal labels to trees or bend it into U-shaped holders for labels.

True, true, Jill!