This easy DIY tutorial transforms a new terra cotta pot into a vintage, age worn vessel in just minutes. It adds the perfect old-world charm to your indoor or outdoor planter garden.
Have you ever come across an image of an old cottage garden that just feels timeless and full of character? I wanted to capture some of that charm with a DIY vintage terra cotta pot tutorial. I’ve seen similar tutorials all over the internet but wanted to share my experience.
I found a really beautiful terra cotta pot at Home Depot one day for $14.99. It had a lovely bowl shape, and I thought it would be perfect for keeping herbs in my kitchen. I loved that it was large enough so that I could keep plenty of herbs for cooking and always have greenery growing in my kitchen.
However, I didn’t love that it looked brand new and was a little bit too bright orange for my liking. But I could see the potential that with a little bit of patina it would be a stunning pot.
Supplies For DIY Antique Terra Cotta Pot
- Paper Towels
- Water
- Any terra cotta pot
- Titanium white acrylic paint
- Burnt Sienna acrylic paint
- Phthalo green acrylic paint
- Spray Paint Matte Sealer
For this tutorial I used the acrylic paint that I already had at home. Chalk paint would work as well. I used the colors Burnt Sienna, Titanium White, and Phthalo Green
Tutorial
Step 1
Start with a base of Titanium White paint. First take a handful of paper towels and bunch them together. Dip the tip of them in a little water, then dab the paper towels in the white paint. From there, work on blotting the white paint onto the terracotta pot. Keep applying paint and blotting to blend out any harsh lines. Don’t make it too perfect. Some areas should have more white paint, some areas should have less. Overall, there should be variety and fluctuation. Stand back every so often to see how it looks from afar. If you feel you need to blend more, get your paper towels more wet with water. Be sure to paint the top inside portion of the pot as it will be showing above the soil line.
Step 2
When you have the white paint how you like it, allow the paint to fully dry for a few minutes. Then go to the next color, Burnt Sienna. Mix the a few tablespoons of dark brown with just a drop of white to lighten it slightly. Then start the blotting process again with this color and damp paper towels. If you want the pot to appear to have dirt and moss growing around the bottom, aim for a lower darker gradient at the bottom to a lighter gradient on top. Again, don’t make a harsh line, blend everything, but keep it imperfect.
Step 3
After letting that layer dry, mix half Burnt Sienna and half Phthalo Green together to get a mossy color. I thought this paint color really helped bring the pot to life. Add bits of the brown-green color throughout the lower half and occasionally on the top half.
Step 4
Next, I took a little more of the Titanium White paint and added a few more white spots to help it appear as though mineral deposits and calcifications happened over time.
Step 5
Finally, After the paint was dry, I took a spray can of matte clear sealer and lightly coated the exterior, so that the paint wouldn’t wash off. I did this outside on a cardboard box.
Pin This Project
This really was such a fun and easy DIY vintage terra cotta pot project. It’s a great spring DIY craft, makes for a stunning gift for family and friends, and adds extra character and charm to your potted garden.
In my pot, I’ve planted basil that I grew from seeds with a seed heating mat. Check out that project!
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