Among the most frustrating things about gardening are the mystery plants remaining when their tags fade away from sun and rain. The fix is embossable tags, but the cost of buying them is prohibitive if you use a lot, as I do...
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Using heavy duty aluminum foil folded a number of times and smoothed out, I thought I had the answer. They had their problems because they weren’t rigid, but tags made this way were still readable years later after being crumpled up, buried, run over by lawn mowers, tarnished, and even burned. I searched for a way to make them even better and found it: Aluminum Duct Tape.
Tags made of aluminum duct tape, with a piece of cardboard sandwiched in between two pieces of tape, are awesomely sturdy and very easy to make.
Supplies needed:
-1 roll of aluminum duct tape (found in the HVAC section of the big-box stores)
-Scissors
-Cardboard
-Something to smooth out the edges. I use ball point pen caps for burnishing.
First, cut 2 pieces of the aluminum duct tape, both the same length. I usually cut mine about 9 inches long.
Cut out pieces of cardboard about 2.5 inches wide (the tape is a little less than 3 inches wide) and about 1 inch tall.
Remove the paper backing from one piece of the tape and lay it down flat on a table, sticky side up. Take the pieces of cardboard and lay them on the tape, leaving about ½ inch between each piece.
Remove the paper backing from the 2nd piece of tape and lay it on top of the piece that you just put the cardboard on.
Take a smooth object and smooth out the tape on the sides and in between the cardboard pieces.
Take your scissors and cut between the cardboard pieces. Then use your smoothing tool and smooth around the edges of the tags you just made.
That’s all there is to it! Write the name on the tag with a ball point pen.
