When starting seeds, good labeling is an absolute necessity. You think you'll remember what you planted. And then, a few weeks later, many of the seedlings you end up with look remarkably alike. Save yourself some annoyance and guesswork by labeling your seeds as you sow them.

There are many options for labels. You can buy very pretty copper ones, or sturdy stainless steel labels. Plain wooden plant labels are a reliable stand-by.

And plastic labels are a great option because you can easily reuse them year after year.

However, if you need a lot of labels, it can start to get a bit pricey. (Or, if you're like me, you can't stand paying for something you can make yourself!) If you're interested in making your own plant labels, for free, this tip is for you:

Simply rinse an empty plastic milk jug out very well. Most milk jugs have at least three fairly flat areas, along the bottom half of the milk jug. Use very sharp scissors to cut these flat sections out from the rest of the jug. Then measure them out into 1/2 to 1 inch widths, and cut them with scissors. If you cut the labels so they are no taller than three inches, they'll fit well under the dome of a seed-starting tray.

The best tool for writing on these plastic labels is a permanent marker, like a Sharpie. And if you want to reuse the labels again, simply sand the writing off, and write on the labels again. Free and easy!