One of the most enjoyable things about gardening is the total freedom it provides.

You’re free to choose the herbs or veggies you plant, the way that your garden looks, and any customizations you add to it.

Put simply, there are lots of decisions that can be made to personalize your home garden. And today we’re giving you another one. 

In this article, we’ve teamed up with Amy Latta for a fun, new garden craft.

We’re showing you how to turn a simple wood slice into an environmentally friendly garden marker.

Let’s do it!

Scorch Marker Garden Signs are Environmentally-Friendly

It doesn’t matter if your craft is designed for indoor or outdoor use; the Scorch Marker is perfect.

Designs created by this marker are literally burned into the wood and totally permanent.

Add a seal or finish on top to help it weather anything. 

The liquid inside this marker is also entirely non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

This means that there’s no concern about harmful chemical runoff in your garden.

In fact, the Scorch Marker can even be used for projects on cutting boards and wooden spoons. 

There are only six simple steps between a raw wood round and a customized garden marker.

This project is wonderful for your own garden, or to be used as a gift for someone else’s. Here are the steps:

1. Sand Wood Slices to 500-Grit

For a clean design with crisp, clear lines, sanding is the most important step.

We recommend using 500-grit sandpaper to get the job done.

The smoother your wood, the nicer your outcome will be. 

2. Firmly Stick Your Stencil to the Wood Slice

With your wood slice as smooth as possible, it’s time to apply your stencil.

For garden labeling, we have an entire stencil pack.

It’s perfect for any garden-themed craft and includes 11 different herbs and spices. Download it free with the code ‘ilovestencils’. 

Regardless of the stencil you choose, make sure to line up exactly as you want it to look when it’s burned, and then press your stencil onto the wood.

We used a vinyl stencil for our project, but those made of firm plastic and paper can also be used.

For vinyl stencils, we recommend using a card scraper or similar tool to achieve a really nice seal between your stencil and wood.

3. Remove Your Stencil

Give your design a minute or two to dry before removing your vinyl stencil.

This simple step is another way to help prevent any bleeding.

Once it’s dry, use a weeding tool or something similar to remove any small pieces of vinyl from your wood.

5. Apply Heat to Your Design

With the stencil removed, it’s time to watch the magic happen.

For this, you can use a heat gun that’s at least 1500-watts, a torch, or even a toaster oven.

For the first two options, apply heat in a sweeping design to watch your creation come to life.

If you’re using a heat gun, we recommend preheating it for a moment or two if you want to speed this step up.

6. Prepare the Wood Slice for Your Garden

Preparing your wood slice for the garden is easy.

All it takes is a popsicle stick and some adhesive.

We used Gorilla spray, because it’s waterproof, and then stuck about 75% of the popsicle stick to the back of the wood slice.

This left a short stake for sticking into the soil and labeling the garden.