Don't Toss Old Wine Corks When You Could Be Reusing Them In The Garden

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Next time you finish a nice bottle of wine, don't throw out the cork. Instead, you can reuse it (or them. No judgement here!) in the garden. You can turn them into fun plant labels that help you keep track of what you have planted — from the tangle of flowers in your garden to the splotches of green things in the herb garden. 

It's pretty frustrating to spend a lot of time planting in the spring only to forget what you put where. Labelling plants can help you remember where you already tucked seeds or bulbs underneath the surface. It'll help you avoid double-planting or transplanting a perennial on top of bulbs you forgot all about. Also, in vegetable gardens, signs can be very handy for telling varieties apart early on, like for difficult-to-identify pepper plants. Sweet peppers and spicy peppers can look similar, and you don't really want to mix those up. 

Making labels won't take long, and it'll save you time later. All you'll need to make these adorable plant labels are wine corks, a permanent marker or paint pen, hot glue, and wooden skewers. If you'd like to go a step further and decorate before you label them, you can also grab some acrylic paint. Crafting your own plant labels couldn't be easier. 

To start, decide if you want to paint them first. This can help give you a blank surface for writing on if your cork comes emblazoned with an elaborate design. Of course, you can always leave them in their natural state, too, if you want a rustic look. Next, simply write the name of the plant horizontally or vertically in permanent marker. Eventually, the wind, rain, or sun might fade your marker, so you can try adding a coat of Rust-Oleum specialty matte finish clear spray for extra protection against the elements. Just don't use too much, as the marker could smear.

Once you've got them labeled the way you'd like, take the wooden skewers, pointy side up, and stick them straight into the center of the cork. You can stick it on the narrow or wide part, whichever you prefer. If it's too hard to break through, you can always use the tip of an X-Acto knife or a small drill bit to make a starter hole. Now, you'll have plant signs ready to tuck into your flower beds to remind you what you planted where. 

Afterward, if you still want to do more DIY wine crafts for the backyard, don't worry. Just go back and fetch that empty bottle from the recycling bin. You can transform it into a bird feeder for your garden.