DIY Painted Terracotta Flowerpots

Every year I have a mountain of spring-centric DIY crafts to tackle with my kids, and it’s hard to choose which ones to do first! But with some baby plants needing new homes, this one was an easy project to jump on.

In our homeschool room we have a little indoor garden on our windowsill, and one of the favorite plants of the schoolroom is a pothos plant named “Shady”. My kids rescued him from Home Depot when someone left him in full sun outside, and he was dying from lack of watering and too much direct sunlight.

After nursing Shady back to health, I showed the kids how to propagate cuttings from Shady. Aaaaaand now, all of Shady’s little “babies” need pots / homes. Which is what prompted THIS next DIY project with the kiddos!

We decided to make some DIY painted terracotta flowerpots for all of Shady’s little babies that have set out gorgeous roots in water over the past few weeks. If you’d like to tackle this project too, check it out!

You Will Need:

• Acrylic paint in various colors
• Paintbrushes
• Masking tape
• Matte clear acrylic sealant spray paint
• Terracotta pots

First off, go into this project with a childish sense of wonder. Trust me. I initially wanted to aim for perfection and crisp lines, but when working with toddlers, I’ve discovered that sometimes painting from the heart is what it’s really all about!

Since we wanted to do stripes, we started by taping off with masking tape random areas we didn’t want painted. Then we painted in various colors to our heart’s content!

Quick note, when you’re using the masking tape, remove it while the paint is still wet. If they dry, they can pull tiny pieces of paint off with them. Ask me how I know. *shifty eyes*

Now, let the paint dry! It shouldn’t take too long as acrylic paint dries really fast.

Once your paint is dry to the touch, to make sure your paint is safe from chipping and moisture, apply a coat of matte clear acrylic spray paint before potting your plants. This usually dried to the touch in one hour, and cures in 24 hours.

Finally, use your pot by giving a baby plant a new home!

All of Shadys’ babies are happy in their new striped homes, and my kids are feeling a whole new level of pride and ownership while giving the cuttings of the plant they rescued and nursed to health some custom painted homes. (Spoiled plants, and spoiled kids, I tell ya!)

Anyhoo, give this easy DIY a try! I was able to get some crisp line on my pot, but the kids DIY ones still came out charming and playful. This is an easy and fun springtime project to tackle! Give it a try!