Dress Up Those Plain Terra Cotta Pots!

5 Materials
$5
1 Hour
Easy

I really love terra cotta pots! My only complaint with them though is that they're plain and boring.


So I look at them as possibilities instead. The ways you can dress them up are nearly limitless.

This project was inspired by one of the members of our Facebook Group: The Creative's Corner. Each week we focus on a single theme and share projects, tips, questions, and ideas.


A few weeks ago we were talking about planters and the idea for these dressed up terra cotta pots became a focal point of the week.


I loved it, and shared a live video how-to in our group. Now, I'm excited to share it with you too!

Start by covering the pot with craft glue.

Then, wrap a single layer of cheesecloth over the pot and press it down. You want a few areas where it isn't completely smooth, and it's also good if you have a little terra cotta peeking out along the top edges. This will help it look more authentic, which is key with faux finishes and techniques.


Just make sure you don't have any cheesecloth that hangs loose from the pot - and you're good!

Now trim the extra away and let the glue dry completely.

It's still drying, but you can see a nice gap here at the top of the pot.

Choose 5-6 colors that you want to use. I chose a bright summer palette for this one.

Start by using a damp sea sponge to dab on a base color. I chose white because it creates a basic solid background. Don't forget to also cover the top of the pot and even extend down inside the rim a little.


If you don't have a sea sponge, you can use damp wadded paper towel, or an old sock or t-shirt.

Next, add a second color, dabbing it on in random places.

And another. Keep adding colors until you've used them all.

When you've added all the colors, you can go back and add more of any one that you think may be lacking, or if you have one that's too prominent, you can tone it down by repeating some of the other colors. Just play around with it until you're happy with how it looks.

After it's fully dry, pot up a favorite plant and enjoy your gorgeous, custom-designed planter!


Because these pots are pretty small and we have such intense summers here, I keep these inside on the kitchen windowsill. If you want to use yours outdoors, give them a few good coats of sealer before planting to protect them from the weather.

I just have to show you the original design - faux patina! It's the one I demoed in our group. If you'd like to see the video, visit and join our Facebook group for access, and stick around for all kinds of themed creative projects every week.


These are just two color schemes you can use to decorate plain terra cotta pots. How would you style yours?

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