How to Stencil on a Terra Cotta Pot

If you are looking for a fast and easy project that is super cute, I have one that you can knock out in a matter of minutes.  Read on to learn how to stencil on a terra cotta pot.

Several months ago, I wrote a post showing you how to white wash terracotta pots to give them an aged look.  Click HERE to read the simple tutorial for that.

Totally up to you, but you can complete the white wash first using the directions in the post I linked to above.  White washing takes about 5 minutes, let it dry (another 5 minutes), then follow the instructions for stenciling from this post.  OR, just stencil on plain clay pots.

Personally, I think the white wash gives the pots a softer look. But, it’s YOUR pot.  Make it your own!

On to this tutorial!

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Supplies needed to stencil on terra cotta pot:

• Terra Cotta Pot, of course;-)
• White chalk paint (I used Amy Howard One Step Chalk Paint in Linen.  BUT, almost any white or off-white paint would work.  Here’s a similar chalk paint).
• Foam brush 
• Alphabet Stencil.  I found mine at Wal-Mart, but this stencil is similar. Just make sure you get a font size that will look great with the pot size you are using.

How to Stencil on a Terra Cotta Pot:

Gather up your supplies as listed above. Start by following instructions in my previous post for white washing a clay pot.

I used left over Amy Howard One Step chalk paint in linen.  But, truly any white or off-white paint would be great for this project.  You only need a tiny bit of paint.

After white washing the pot:

Grab your stencil of choice. My stencils were less than $3.00 at Wal-Mart.

I didn’t measure a thing! Simply hold the stencil firmly where you would like your lettering and start dabbing the paint over the stencil.

A word of caution:  I had too much paint on my brush the first time, and it bled around the stencil. So, be sure to get very little paint on the foam brush, then dab it over the stencil while holding in place.

See what I mean?  The paint lines are kind of a mess with my first letter.

The second time, I off-loaded my brush a bit by wiping it on a paper towel before dabbing it over the stencil.  This worked so much better.

Don’t worry about perfection!  Once again, I did no measuring with this.  As soon as each letter was dry (2-3 minutes), I started with the next letter.

That’s it!  HOME.  My favorite place to be!  Personalize your pot however you’d like.

A good friend of mine had a birthday coming up and I thought this would make a perfect gift for her. Her word for the year was LIVE.  She obviously picked this word because she wanted to live life to the fullest year!

But, I thought it was incredibly fitting for a plant! I find humor in the little things apparently.

Since I was on a roll, I made another!

What ideas for words or phrases do you have to stencil on a terra cotta pot?  I know you’re thinking about it! 😉

Thanks for stopping in today.  If you try this, let me know.  It makes my day to learn when people try my DIY projects.

If you love to stencil (I clearly do!), check out these DIY stencil projects:

• How to Paint Tile Floors Using Stencils
• How to Make Wood Signs Using Stencils (large signs for your porch!)
• Reusable Gift Sacks for All Occasions
• DIY 4th of July Home Decor