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 stencils for flower pots can create a pretty planter for your home!
Terra Cotta Pot Decorating Ideas
Flower pots can be expensive which is why I love terracotta pots. They are super cheap, but the orange clay pots aren’t the look that many people love.
Finding ways to be creative with decorating your flower pots is key.
Country Living has some super cute and easy ideas to decorate flower pots.
I recently wrote an article showing you how to make white terracotta pots with a little paint to give them an aged look.
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 (seriously!), 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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Make your pretty planter with stencil writing with these supplies:
- 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.
The Stencils for Terracotta Pots process is super simple:
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.
White Clay Pot after drying:
Grab your stencil of choice. My stencils were less than $3.00 at Wal-Mart.
I didn’t measure a thing!
Tips for stencil writing on the pot:
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.
Painting with stencils is actually pretty easy. Just practice a little bit of patience.
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 flower 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! 😉
Now you know how to make a personalized flower pot!
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
Your friend is very lucky to have such a thoughtful and talented friend like you!!
I love the simplicity of this. It makes it so easy to personalize my space! And I also enjoy the humor of “Live” for a pot! It’s almost a directive 🙂
Will have to make one for Mother’s Day next year!
Thanks, Jenifer😉
Hi Jennifer!
I’m a fellow plant lover and I’m always looking for ways to make my pots unique because I have so many! I am definitely going to follow your advice and personalize some of my plain terracotta pots! I love the warm, rustic feel of whitewashing them first, too! Thanks for a great tutorial 🙂
Elaine
My pleasure, Elaine! If you get an opportunity to create your own, I’d love to see them.
I didn’t even know that chalk paint existed! I’m not much of a DIYer, but I could absolutely do this. I’ve always been a fan of terracotta pots and this really makes them super cute. I like the idea of planting a herb and writing down ‘basil’. etc.
Using chalk paint is addicting. I’ve painted countless things in my home with various chalk paint colors! Love the idea of using this for an herb garden! Have a great day!
These are really pretty. I love the idea of whitewashing them to create a softer look. I also like using stencils on bricks and pavers to create paths in my garden.
Thanks, Kristen! Stenciling pavers in the garden sounds like a wonderful idea; I bet that looks so pretty!
Such a cute idea! I’m not a huge fan of terra cotta pots, but you made them look amazing!
I don’t really love them without the white washing, either. It’s a game changer!
Such a cute idea to make your flower containers personalized and unique! I love terra cotta planters. It is already so hot that I’m having to water my flowers almost every day!!!!
Thanks, Kristin! I’m having to water more than I’d like now, too! Thanks for stopping by!
These would be a fun and easy craft for a girls night or during MOPS! Is the fern real?! I’ll be making this soon.
What a great idea, Amanda! I love a good DIY night with friends and this would be something very fast and easy for any level of crafter;-). And, YES…it’s a real fern! A “fluffy ruffle fern”.