We use the paper clips and I wish I could give you details but there is more than one coating used for the colors. We have an original round 6 color (600) pack that we have used for 3 years and the colors are just as when they were purchased.
Embroidery floss should work as long as your colors hold in the sun and weather. We have used all the ways listed on here to mark crosses. We use more parents than most people so the paper clips offer enough colors for lots of different pollen parents. We also repeat the same color and color combinations for dips and tets.
For new hybridizers, here is an example of our legend for diploids. We will have another legend for tetraploids using the same colors.
Hybridizing legend: Dips
Blue =Little Swirling Shadows
White = Little Mucha Minto
Yellow = #230 seedling
Green = Blue Flirt
Red = RFK
Pink = #4 Seedling
Yellow/Yellow = Little Surfer Girl
Pink /Green = #218 seedling
Blue /Red = LW Calico Blues
Pink /Pink = Colorful Etchings
Red /Red = NW Dancer
Green/White = W.Morning Angel
Blue/White= Little Blue Angel
