Pretty Plant Markers - instructions

March 7, 2005

Pretty Plant Markers

By Jeff T., St. Paul, Minnesota

1 Bend the Copper Wire. Hold a dowel 8 inches up from the end of a 5-foot piece of wire folded in half. Wrap the wire around it as shown, forming a loop. Move the dowel over 3-1/2 inches (or the width needed to fit your seed packet) and wrap it again, making a second loop in the opposite direction. Cut the wire off even with the first leg, and bend a 1/2-inch 90-degree turn at the bottom of each leg to anchor it in the mortar.

2 Add the Mortar. Mix up the mortar to the consistency of cookie dough, slowly adding water to the dry mix as needed. Mix the mortar thoroughly, let it sit for about 3 minutes, then remix, adding a dash more water if needed. Coat the plastic form with cooking spray. After filling the container, give it a few quick shakes to settle the mortar. Then form a mound using a spoon or small trowel so it resembles a loaf of baked banana bread.

3 Decorate! Now comes the fun part. Push the copper marker into the mortar so the 90-degree bends are about 1/2 inch up from the bottom and centered. If the mortar is too wet to support the wire, have a cup of coffee and let it stiffen up a little. Now arrange the rocks or beads to your liking. When arranging the rocks, it’s best to start at the edges and work toward the center. Embed the decorations at least halfway into the mortar so they’re held tight. If you don’t like how a rock looks, remove it, rinse it off and reposition. Once you’re done with the arrangement, let the marker set for at least 24 hours before removing it from the form.

Kerry

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