DIY Peat Pot Easter Baskets

4 Materials
$20
4 Hours
Easy

Hi! Liz here, from the DIY and decorating blog SimpleDecoratingTips.com.


This fun craft using peat pots makes Easter basket reminiscent of vintage ones...


This DIY peat pot Easter baskets project is one of my favorite crafts I’ve ever done. I love the way they turned out, and there was something just so relaxing and creatively fun in making them.

Here’s my interpretation on these cute old-fashioned, paper mache looking pots, and how I made them. (I’ve included links for materials for you to make them too!)

I bought a pack of these Jiffy peat pots, (for shopping sources, be sure to check the bottom of this post in the materials list!)

Next I printed out some lovely Easter graphics from The Graphics Fairy in the right size for the pots. (I have a ink-jet printer, so once the prints get wet the colors have a tendency to smear if you retouch them, so best to use a laser printer, I like to have Office Max do it for me)


Choosing coordinating colors from the prints, I painted the peat pots different colors with acrylic paints.

Leaving the inside of the pots the natural brown color.

Once they were totally dry, it was time to apply the prints…

I covered the entire pot with Mod Podge, (it is available in both matte and gloss finishes)

Then, I carefully laid the print across the pot, and brushed on a second layer of Mod Podge. (this is the tricky part if you use a jet-ink printer… if you brush the graphic once it’s wet with the Mod Podge, it will smear… so I had to be really careful!)


Also, for these, since they’re on the dining table, I wanted them to look great from all sides, so I did matching graphics on opposite sides of the pot, and added a little number graphic in between them. (For the number graphic, I got the basic label from GraphicsFairy.com and tweaked it on PowerPoint to add the actual number to the graphic)


I Mod Podged the bottom just for a little added protection for the peat pots, then I set them to dry inverted on glasses.


If you’ve never worked with Mod Podge, it goes on milky white, but dries clear. It is a glue and finish all in one, so no need to coat over it.


Here they are all finished…

I think they’re so cute. (You can see that number label on the orange one in the background.)


They totally remind me of a version of the antique paper mache ones I’ve seen at antique sales, but these were so inexpensive to make and a really fun craft. Instead of making them all baskets for the table centerpiece, I was inspired to use them to hold small pots of flowering violet plants.


I love to have fresh flowers on the table, and these’ll last for more than 4 or 5 days! (I do have a non-leak plastic liner inside the peat pots, water would totally ruin them in a ‘jiffy’)


Want to read more? Check out all the fun holiday posts I've published over at SimpleDecoratingTips.com

Suggested materials:
  • Mod Podge
  • Peat Pots
  • Acrylic Paints
See all materials
Liz at Simple Decorating Tips
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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