When I saw these sweet little pots at Michael’s, I immediately fell in love with their scalloped rims.
I had walked by, admiring them on several trips to Michaels before caving in and finally buying them when they went on sale at half off. What I hadn’t noticed prior to getting them home was how light the clay color was compared to my other pots. I think I had been so taken with their sweet scallops, that I also didn’t realize I wasn’t overly fond of the white sprayed texturing either.
I decided I was going to not only paint them darker, but try to make them look aged at the same time. A trip to Lowes to pick out a sample size container of paint was the first step. I ended up picking Valspar’s “Woodland” color, which is the darkest color on this sample card.
I used a foam brush to dab on the paint, and I left some parts purposely unpainted to give the appearance of depth and dimension. I only applied one splotchy coat of paint.
Next I dabbed on some leftover green house paint here and there, using a dry brush technique to give it a mossy look.
And then, an even softer coat of a lighter shade of leftover green paint.
I did give the pots a rough rub down with some dirt to make the texturing look more natural, before applying a coat of toner or you could use a glaze. Darkening the pots even more, makes them instantly look older.
There are many methods of aging clay pots, that you can find on the internet. Each method will give you a different finished look.
I was mainly interested in obtaining a mossy, aged look, so they wouldn’t look so new beside my other clay pots.
These pots don’t have holes in the bottom for drainage, so for now, I’ve chosen to use faux plants in them.
Also, since most all of the paints and finishes I used on the pots were interior paints, for now they will also be used inside.
They make the perfect container for a faux plant, and the perfect size to use in a small or poorly lit area.
This is a small, inexpensive project that can be done with any new or used/old pot, and the finished outcome is totally up to you.
Great work, Cindy, very impressive results!
Thanks Eliza. It was fun and scary at the same time. I was afraid I would ruin them, but they turned out okay.
You have great attention for detail, Cindy!
Thank you kindly Kris. Not always a plus, being detailed can annoy the people who live with you. My daughter always was, but now that she has her own place, to her dismay, she finds herself becoming more and more like me.
That is clever. I don’t think I would have thought of that.
People have been aging pots for years. I think the first person I saw do it was Martha Stewart, but I’m sure there are lots of videos online that show different techniques. Every time I do it, the pots come out differently.
Nice post, they have the look and patina of wonderfully aged planters!
I use these cachepots (planters without drainage holes) all the time for indoor use or on surfaces outside I don’t want damaged by water/soil/ fertilizer salts, etc. plus, I get to easily change out the plants used in my decor – say a flowering plant temporarily then switch in an ivy. In larger ones I place a thin layer of small rocks at the bottom – a cheap plastic pot can then be covered with moss if you like that look. Watering is easy, take the potted plant out of the planter, give a good drink then let it drain thoroughly before replacing! No mess, no damage, no need for holes!
Thank you Trish. Sounds like very good ideas. I always worry about clay pots damaging furniture surfaces, which is why it was easier to just go with faux, especially in low light conditions.
Wow! I love what you did with those little pots!
Thank you Nancy. It was fun to alter them a little to the look I wanted. I saw some similar if not the same pots, on another website that were in gray tones, and they were very pretty. But the prices on them ranged from $18 to over $100 depending on size. My Michael’s pot were only a few dollars at the half off price. Made me realize they were a steal.
What a lovely effect! Had to laugh though as I am always scrubbing my pots to get rid of moss! I really love the hare picture in one of your photos. 😃
Really! I love that mossy patina, and it takes so long to get it naturally.
I just bought the hare photo on Thursday. He was a little pricey, so I debated for about a week before I caved in and went to bring him home. I figured if I was going to have to be confined to my home for the next 4-6 weeks, I might as well be looking at his pretty face. He adds the perfect touch of spring, which is just what I need right now.
Hope you are staying well and safe!
A good investment Cindy. If I don‘t start online shopping I shall probably save a lot of money in the next few weeks being confined as we are. 😉 The nurseries will suffer though, as people usually start sprucing up their gardens at this time of year… our shops are all closing from Wednesday (except for supermarkets, chemists and the like). Take care!