Quick and Easy DIY: Painted Flower Pots

I had to make a trip to Walmart over the weekend, a place I only go whenever I need such a variety of things that no other store will likely have them all. Because I don't shop at Walmart very often, I like to make it count by visiting every department when I do go. On this occasion, a stop at the garden center revealed a real steal: clay terra cotta pots for a dollar. The rims of the pots were a little scratched up, but I'd been looking for a way to use some Pantone Radiant Orchid paint my husband bought for me a while back. I thought a radiant orchid rim would really pop against the terra cotta. I also had some letter stencils left over from Samantha's baby shower that I could use to personalize the pots for a few friends. Just like that an idea for a DIY was born. All together I spent less than five dollars and two hours to complete this project, and I think the pots turned out super cute!

Painted Terra Cotta Flower Pots

Supplies:
Clay terra cotta pots and saucers
Paint
Letter stencils (optional)
Paint brush
Newspaper to cover your painting surface
Paper towels and a cup of water to clean your brush

The pots were pretty dirty from being outside, so the first thing I did was wash them. You'll want to wait until your pots are completely dry to begin painting.

I tried using painter's tape around the rim of the pot to protect against any drips, but I found it impossible to get the tape to line up evenly. Luckily, it wasn't too difficult to paint freehand. Plus, I told myself that any little mistakes would just give the pots more of a handmade flavor.

I painted the inside rims first, then the outside, and then the edge of each saucer. By the time I finished the third saucer, the first pot was dry enough for a second coat. Once each pot had two coats, I taped a letter stencil to each and painted over the stencil. I let the pots dry overnight before handling, but they really only needed a few hours.

The next day, I used some cuttings from my rubber tree to start new plants in each pot. I followed this tutorial on propagating rubber tree plants; you should try it if you have one that needs a trim. If not, I think some succulents would also look really cute in these pots.

I still have a ton of Radiant Orchid paint left over. What should I paint next?