M is for Mother’s Day: Hand Painted Flowerpots
This is a sponsored post. Oriental Trading provided me with these products for review. All opinions are 100% my own. This post may also contain affiliate links. Find my full disclosure here.
Earlier this spring I was out shopping for spring flowers with my mom when I came across a darling pink and white striped flowerpot at a local greenhouse. It cost more than I wanted to spend so I snapped a quick picture of it with my phone for inspiration. That little flowerpot has been on my mind and I couldn’t help but think that it would make a perfect Mother’s Day gift. With this goal in mind, I have created my own hand painted flowerpot perfect for Mother’s Day or any spring or summer event. I have once again partnered with my friends at Oriental Trading to bring you this step-by-step tutorial on making your own hand painted flowerpots. Are you ready to get started? Here we go:
Supplies
3″ DIY Ceramic Mini Flowerpots from Oriental Trading
White spray paint
Acrylic paint in fuchsia
Painter’s tape
Paint brushes
Baby wipes or papertowel
Clear coat spray paint
Small plants or herbs
Printable Mother’s Day tag (download for free below)
Scissors
Straw or stick for sign post
Tape
Download free printable tags HERE
Instructions
Carefully unwrap your ceramic flowerpots, remove any stickers and dust off any debris with a soft cloth.
In a well ventilated area, give each pot several light coats of glossy white spray paint until all surfaces are well coated. Follow the instructions on your can of spray paint. Several light coats of spray paint work much better than heavy layers. If you put too much on at one time, you will get drips and it will take forever to dry. I know it is tempting to keep spraying, but walk away and let the pots dry between coats. You will be happy you did.
Once your white paint has dried thoroughly, it is time to tape off the stripes. I decided to make wider stripes than the pot I was inspired by originally. I put one stripe of painter’s tape just under the rim of the flowerpot and another one around the bottom leaving a space about the same width as the tape in between the two stripes. I found that using several shorter pieces of painter’s tape worked better than one long continuous strip. I was able to bend it with the curves and get a cleaner seal around the edges with smaller pieces of tape.
Once you have applied the painter’s tape, double check to make sure you have pressed down the edges of the tape firmly to prevent any paint from seeping under the tape. With a clean brush, begin applying the fuchsia acrylic paint to make your bright pink stripes. I found that 3 coats of paint was adequate to get good, non-streaky coverage.
Let your stripes dry thoroughly. Carefully peel off the painter’s tape to reveal the white stripes. Don’t panic if you have some uneven edges or smears of pink paint. The next step will be to clean up those edges and do some touch up work.
One benefit of using a glossy white spray paint as the base coat is that it makes the clean up of the acrylic paint easy. I used a baby wipe or a clean paint brush with a little water to clean up any smears or smudges. I also used my fingernail to gently push back any uneven edges.
Using a fine paint brush, add more pink to cover any uneven edges or spots that need more coverage. Let your touch-up work dry thoroughly as well.
The final step is to spray the painted flowerpots with a coat of clear sealer. This last coat will seal in the acrylic paint to make it water resistant. The added sheen from the top coat really makes the pink and white stripes pop!
The pot on the left is the original “inspiration” pot and the pots on the right are my version. I think I like the wider stripes even better! Not too bad, hmm?
Let your finished flowerpots dry overnight and they are ready to plant. I chose some small herb plants such as lavender, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Simple brightly colored flowers like marigolds are darling as well.
Download the printable tags above by clicking on either the image or the download link. This document prints out 12 tags on a standard size sheet of white cardstock. Using your scissors, cut each tag out in your desired shape. Attach the tag to a stick with tape and stick into the pot. I used slim white drinking straws cut to size for my sign posts. You might also use a chopstick, a toothpick or a lolly pop stick. And there you have it, a hand painted flowerpot ready for gifting. What do you think?
If you have never visited the Oriental Trading site, you are missing out on a great resource for all your party, holiday and crafting needs. From toys and games to party decorations and tableware to great craft supplies, Oriental Trading has something for everyone! Check out their amazing Mother’s Day page for great gift and party ideas for the special women in your life. There are so many darling crafts, gifts and decorations. Oriental Trading also has a fun blog page full of recipes, party ideas, tablescapes, crafts, educational activities and more. Looking for a deal at Oriental Trading? Visit their coupon page for the latest sales.
I hope you enjoy this fun little project. Don’t get too worried about having perfectly straight lines and edges. Some variation is what makes it appear hand painted and adds charm and character. This is a hard lesson for the perfectionist in me sometimes! What other pattern or color combinations might you try on these sweet little flowerpots? What else might you plant in them? I would love to hear from you in the comment section. Wishing you and the special ladies in your life a very Happy Mother’s Day! Happy crafting, my friends! Xoxo, -Cristina
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