The V Spot

Rants, observations, and home decorating... from a woman with no time for a blog.


Upcycle project: plain flower pot into decorative ceramic planter.

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A while back  I upcycled a boring, everyday, can’t swing a dead cat with out hitting one, terra cotta flower pot into a shabby chic, chippy pot by using spray paint and candle wax.  Click here to see the full tutorial.
For this upcycled pot transformation we use many of the same materials and techniques, but we’re going to break some spray painting rules in order to get the look of glazed ceramic.  I love this look for Valentine’s Day or for spring time in general.
Glazed ceramic flower pot with roses.
Your supplies are pretty simple:
DIY flower pot project supplies

Grab an old flower pot, good craft glue (NOT hot glue), modeling clay, clear gloss spray paint, white gloss spray paint, and some pink acrylic paint. (Or whatever color you choose.)

Making the Clay Roses:

How to make clay roses - step by step instructions
No comments about my desperate need for a manicure, OK?

1. Knead your modeling clay until it’s nice and pliable.
2. Pinch off a small piece of clay and flatten it into a long, thin piece.
3. Start rolling at one end, sort of pinching at the bottom as you go along.  That’s the center of your rose.
4. Pinch off another piece of clay and flatten it into a long oval shape to make more petals..
5. Begin overlapping where the last  piece of clay ended, wrapping more “petals” as you see fit.
6. As you create more petals, you will be pinching at the bottom of your rose and will end up with a clay “stem”

Once you’ve made your rose, it’s time to Bake It.

Using craft clay to make miniature roses.

1. Cut the excess clay “stem” off of the bottom of your rose.
2. Score the bottom of the rose.  The score marks help to create a stronger hold when gluing to your flower pot.
3. Put your roses on an oven safe plate and bake according to package directions.

When your roses are done baking (doesn’t that sound funny?) you can start gluing them to your flower pot.  I propped mine on its side and glued a few at a time, allowing them to dry before turning the pot and doing a few more.

Update a plain flower post using decorative clay roses

When all the roses are glued where you want them, take the pot outside for a few good coats of glossy white spray paint.

How to spray paint clay roses for a decorative flower pot.
No matter what I am painting, I always start with it upside down… you get all the nooks and crannies that way.

Once my pot was painted white, I wanted a hint of color.

craft project, painting clay roses for a ceramic planter

1. I added a small drop of red to some pearl acrylic paint.
2. Mix it up (it doesn’t have to be perfectly blended.)
3. You aren’t painting, so much as swiping at the roses with the pink paint.  Flip the pot upside down, balanced on an empty can of spray paint, or something that will elevate it a little.  You want to work very quickly, because…
4. You are going to liberally spray the wet roses with a clear gloss spray.

Step #4 is the part of the project where you need to throw all the spray-painting rules you ever learned right out the window.  You are going to spray clear gloss on wet paint… you are going to spray on big, thick globs of it… not several light coats.

spray painting techniques

The more the colors run, the more they are thick, shiny and look like glazed ceramic.  If you are a regular reader, you’ve seen me use this technique before.  It will need to sit for quite a while to really “cure.”

I’m happy with how it turned out.  I popped some cilantro in there and it sits on my kitchen window sill.

diy decorative planter and flower pot ideas

This is cute enough to give as a gift and easy enough to do for no reason at all. And isn’t that why we like crafts?  Not because they are necessary, but because they let us create.

Comments

  19. Hi, I love YOUR CRAFTS!! i DID THE ROSE POT AND HAVE A PROBLEM. i DID EVERYTHING AS INSTRUCTED, USED THE SAME SPRAY PAINTS, CLAY, GLUE, ETC. wHEN i SPRAYED THE CLEAR SPRAY THE WHITE PAINT WENT ALL CRACKLY. rEMEMBER HOW WE USED TO TRY TO GET THAT LOOK? wELL i JUST DID IT WITHOUT TRYING AND i DON’T WANT IT. wHAT DID i DO WRONG? i CAN STILL USE IT BUT i WANT THAT SLICK, SHINY, PORCELAIN LOOK. pLEASE HELP! aMANDA

    Reply

    • Hi Amanda,
      It might be that your white paint was not fully dried when you sprayed the clear.

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