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Lori Madden, MANGROVE REALTY ASSOCIATESPhone: (941) 780-8443
Email: [email protected]

How to Customize Your Pots & Planters

by Lori Madden 06/05/2022

You don’t need to spend a fortune on expensive flower pots and planters. Decorating a plain pot and turning it into a custom piece is simple and inexpensive and can really make a difference in your plant collection’s aesthetic. No matter your style, terracotta pots make the perfect starting point for this project. Here are some tips you can use to create your very own custom terracotta pots.

Recommended Materials

Terracotta flower pot
Paint brush
Foam brush
Craft Paint
Painter’s tape
Rubber bands
Pencil
Plants or flowers

Painting Tips

Plan Your Design

When you begin any sort of creative project, it’s helpful to have an idea before you begin. Starting your pot painting project with a design or at least part of a design already planned will help you save time and materials. While you can paint over any mistakes with enough coats, it’s better to avoid them entirely by planning your design.

One thing that can help is drawing on the pot with a pencil before you paint. This is especially useful for more complicated designs, motifs or even lettering. If you plant to use a stencil, try different placements on the surface of the pot to get the best look.

Use Shortcuts

It’s not cheating to use your resources wisely. With art, any tools that can save you time or make tough parts easier will reward you with a better finished product with less frustration. Use painter’s tape to block out areas you don’t want to paint. Just like when used on walls, painter’s tape will give you a perfectly straight line without the hassle.

Another great shortcut for painting flower pots is to use rubber bands for horizontal lines. Fit a rubber band around the pot and adjust so that it’s even all the way around. Not only does the rubber band make a barrier for paint but it will stay in place, giving you a perfectly even horizontal line every time.

Make Your Pots Versatile

To get the most use out of your newly painted pots, treat them for outdoor use. You can do this by adding a coat of spray sealant after the paint is dry. There are different finishes you can use as well, so it provides an opportunity to enhance your artwork with a glossy sheen or a cool matte finish.

Terracotta is a porous material, so if you want it to avoid absorbing water meant for your plants, use sealant on the inside too. This can also make cleaning the pots easier in the future as it makes a smoother surface in contact with the soil.

Terracotta pots are incredibly versatile whether or not you customize them. The variety of shapes and sizes available on the market makes this project not only simple but budget-friendly. Try these tips if you want to give your container garden or houseplants an aesthetic boost.

About the Author
Author

Lori Madden

As a Florida native growing up in Sarasota, I have seen my hometown grow from a sleepy coastal town to a highly sought-after destination along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. After working in Chicago for 5 years, I returned to Sarasota and saw it through a new lens and really began to appreciate what makes Sarasota so desirable, including temperatures that allow for year round outdoor activities including tennis (a personal favorite), golf, boating, kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, or just relaxing and/or shelling on our pristine sandy shores, including Dr. Beach’s #1 beach in the United States for 2017, Siesta Key! Sarasota’s cultural amenities are many and diverse, appealing to a wide range of arts lovers. Downtown Sarasota has become a destination in itself, drawing many new developments for those who want to be within walking distance of Main Street's offerings and the picturesque bayfront and marina. Foodies will find an eclectic mix of locally owned and operated restaurants offering something for everyone, and there are now Farmers Markets every day of the week in various locations throughout Sarasota, but the Saturday morning Farmers Market in downtown Sarasota draws the biggest crowds. Since 1988, my passion has been selling real estate, representing both buyers and sellers. I have been recognized by my clients and customers for an uncompromising work ethic and dedication to helping them achieve their real estate goals. Relying on my experience as a real estate paralegal and being highly organized, I am able to help make the transition between contract and closing a smooth one for my clients. With an eye for interior and landscape design, I've been known to pitch in and help Sellers minimize and/or reorganize their belongings in order to stage their home to maximize its sale potential. I specialize in out of state buyers looking for their piece of paradise along the Gulf Coast and make it a priority to keep them up to date on our quickly changing local real estate market. I welcome the opportunity to share with you all Sarasota and her surrounding islands have to offer!