Painted terracotta pots - guide and first experience

 I have been seeing a lot of different painted terracotta pots on Pinterest. There are design inspiration for every theme you could dream of: fun, quirky, simple designs, romantic etc.

After doing a bit of research, I have now finally painted my first set of pots. I chose to make the pots for my mom, for her birthday. With her in mind, I chose a simple design and a few colours I know she likes.

Furthermore I chose to paint the pots with chalk paint. I like the vintage look and the detail in the structure from every stroke of the pencil. I think the charm of the chalk paint, fits very well with the garden scene. 

These are the steps I took, to paint terracotta pots:

1. Wash the pots in lukewarm water and make sure any dust or dirt is washed of, by using a cloth, brush or a sponge. Don’t use soap, just gently wash the pots. You do have to take this step even though it is new pots, and not old pots you want to bring to life again, because the dust from the clay can get into the paint.
2. Paint the pots with a sealer/primer both on the inside and the outside. This step is important, to make sure that when you water your plants, that dirty water won’t seep through and ruin your artwork. However, you can choose to only prime the outside of the pot, but be aware that water from the plant soil, might seep through over time. This can be a design choice and will give a special patina effect to your pots, over time.
3. Paint your pots with the paint of your choice. I have used chalk paint from https://vintage-kompagniet.dk/shop/2070-kalkmaling---vintage-paint/ you can also buy primers and topcoats here. I also used chalk markers to draw the details on the top. Chalk markers don’t fix as well as the chalk paint, but it will be permanent after applying the top coat.
4. Allow the pots to get completely dry, by letting them sit indoor for about a week, before finishing your artwork with a topcoat. During this step, it will also be clear if you have to apply another layer of paint before the topcoat.
5. It is now time for the final touch. There are a few options, you can choose from, regarding the topcoat. If you use chalk paint, I can recommend using wax, it gives a smooth mat finish. You can also use varnish for a shiny finish, it depends on your style and preference. In my research, I read, that it isn’t necessary to use topcoat on pots for indoor use, but I find, that it is a nice finish. On the other hand, applying topcoat makes it easier to clean the pots from time to time. In my opinion, I think it’s best to apply topcoat either way.

My first experience with painting terracotta pots with chalk paint, is that it is quite easy. The paint dries quickly, which means that you can easily apply more that one layer on the same day. I did wait till next day to draw the lines on the pots though. I wanted to be sure that the chalk paint was dry enough.

In the pictures shown here, I haven’t finished them with a topcoat yet, but I can’t wait to show you an updated picture with varnish and flowers. 

The reason I haven’t applied varnish yet, is that I wanted to wait for the pots to have dried a whole week, as I had read in the guide I read about painting with chalk paint.

My mom is really happy with her pots, that she got for her birthday 🥰 Yesterday we had a great trip to the plant store and I bought her two flowers for the pots ❤️

Have you tried painting your own terracotta pots?

What did you think of this small guide?

I’d love to hear from you and talk to you in the comments.

Have a nice day

 - Lea