Saturday, July 9, 2011

Old Silverware as Plant Markers

Browsing on Etsy I came across some neat plant markers made from old silverware.  I thought this might be something fun to try so I bought a small set of metal punch letters on Ebay and then some old silverware from local thrift stores.

First I used a hammer to flatten out the silverware.


Then I used my metal punches to spell out the name of one of the herbs I have.  My punching skills aren't perfect, it's somewhat difficult (at least for me!) to hit repeatedly in the same spot to get a deep enough letter.


Then using a hint from Cut out and Keep I used a black sharpie to fill in the letters. 


I then used my homemade vinegar spray cleanser to wipe the sharpie ink from the non-punched surface.  This took quite a bit of buffing.  (You can also use sand paper or fine steel wool but it will leave fine scratches on the surface of the utensil.)

And here is the finished product!


And a few more I made:




You can even use the handle of a fork as I did for my mint.


 Adding a bit of whimsy to the herb garden!


Linking up with Young House Love

7 comments:

whitney @ thecurtiscasa said...

too cute!! i've seen these on etsy and always wondered how to do them myself. this is a must try! thanks for sharing! (ps - i found you on Centsational Girl's linkup!)

Simplegirl said...

How great! I love these. I've also seen them on Etsy & love them. I would love to try to make these. Were the letter punchers expensive? If not this is a go for sure, thank you for sharing.

Linda said...

Thanks!
I found the metal letter punch set on Ebay, I think the set was around $15. I also saw some at Michael's but the letters were a bit larger so maybe a bit difficult to fit longer words.
I've also found older silverware is a little easier to stamp, maybe it's a bit thinner and pliable?
Thanks again for stopping by and good luck!
Linda :o)

Nan Burger said...

These look great, Linda! I think you did a really great job - I've used the metal letter punches and they ARE hard to hit just the right way to get a deep letter - but not TOO deep. I think practice is probably the key! I need to try your idea. Were they just stainless utensils or did you use silver. I've found plenty of old spoons - but they're all stainless.

Linda@ourlovelybungalow said...

Thanks Nan!
Maybe that's the difference in how easy it is to punch. I think silver spoons (the oregano and thyme spoons showing tarnish?) were easier than the stainless steel.
Those are harder to find at the thrift store but I think that might make it easier!
Thanks again!
Linda :o)

Anonymous said...

Linda - what size letters did you use & do you remember what site you purchased the metal letter punches from?
Thanks

Linda said...

The punch set I used was 4mm or 5/32" in size. I purchased the set on Ebay for about $10 with shipping. I also noticed when I was looking for a set they had one at Michael's but the letters were slightly larger, about 1/4", but I figured to make longer words fit that wouldn't work. I would practice using the punch before trying it on something you want to keep as I found it difficult to get a good punch on my first few tries. It would also work great for personalizing silver ornaments since it is the season :o) Good luck with your project!
Linda :o)

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