Looking to add a personal touch to your garden?
Dive into our latest DIY project and discover how to paint terracotta pots withacrylic paintfor the best results!
that make your pots pop.
First base coat layer.. a bit streaky
Youll also learn about how to properly seal your pots (and why!)
so that your painted designs dont wear over time.
Supplies
Below are a list of basic supplies youll need to paint your terracotta clay pots.
If you use a damp rag, ensure your terracotta pot fully dries before sealing/painting on it.
There plenty of sealers it’s possible for you to buy that are made for terracotta.
I did a bit of research before buying mine and they all seemed to work well.
You basically have to use in a well-ventilated area when applying it.
I wanted to seal my pots indoors so I decided to look for a non-toxic sealer.
It basically acts as a surface primer.
Its also water-based, non-toxic and made for indoor/outdoor use.
I picked some up at my local Michaels craft store and got to work.
The sealer went on really liquid-y so you need very little on your brush when applying it.
The bottle says it needs 2 coats, then 24 hours to fully cure.
Also, I applied sealer on the inside of the pot and the outside of the pot.
The most opaque white is usually called titanium white, and most brands name it that.
I used a foam brush to brush on my first base layer of white, then let it dry.
I noticed that the first layer didnt give a smooth coverage and it looked a bit streaky.
It kinda gives a chalk paint look, without investing in chalk paint!
But, since I was aiming for opaque and even coverage I ended up needing 3 layers of white.
Im not going to lie, it took some time to get my pots covered with this base layer.
It was pretty continuous work.
I used the same method here like in this thislavender flower paintingtutorial.
This idea works great on larger pots.
Then I whipped up some waffle cone coloured beige paint (using red, yellow.
blue, 2:2:1 ratio, and white ) and painted the bottom half of the pot.
This idea works great on medium size pots.
The key is picking an easy design like these overlapping graffiti hearts.
I used variety of colors like yellow, green, pink, red, turquoise and purple.
I painted the hearts with different sizes and overlapped the hearts to give it the graffiti look.
These bees are super easy to make too, even kids can paint this design!
I started with painting yellow ovals in different orientations, but kept the rough size similar for each bee.
I added some heart dotted lines as an extra detail.
Pot Painting Idea 5: Aesthetic Face With Pink Polka Dot Rim
Another mini pot painting idea!
First base coat layer.. a bit streaky
This one is even easier than the graffiti hearts too.
I first used a pencil to trace a simple long eye-lashed closed eyes and a smile with pencil.
I then used my black paint marker to trace over the design.
I added in a couple of pink circles for rosy cheeks.
Whilepainting realistic looking rosescan be challenging, painting these abstract loose ones are easy and fun for beginners.
To start out with paint the rough rose shape with some dark red/pink acrylic paint.
After 3 coats, I got nice even coverage
Start in the center of the rose and paint smallswish marks (like the Nike swish!)
that are smallest in the center then get bigger as your work your way outwards.
Each swish mark slightly overlaps the one before it too.
Varnish Your Painted Pots
Once youre done painting your pots you might want to consider top-coating/sealing them.
The reason : while acrylic paint is pretty durable its not indestructible.
Ive had many canvases where the acrylic paint scratches off if I dont top coat it.
And acrylic paint on terra cotta pots are no different.
You dont want your hard work to go down the drain.
Another benefit of top-coating your pots is that it protects the colors against fading when exposed to direct sunlight.
This will especially be true if your pots will be outside.
I useChalked by Rustoleumbecause I have it at home already and also I like the matte look it gives.
If you prefer a glossy or high gloss finish, look for a top coat with a glossy finish.
Also, youll want to use this in a super well ventilated area like outside.
Learn how to paint terracotta flower pots with 6 easy designs.
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