- Jenna Etherington
- Jan 29, 2022
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Painting terracotta pots is a simple and cheap strategy to personalize your area. It’s additionally a enjoyable exercise to do together with your youngsters or mates. They even make nice presents! The chances are countless in relation to painting these earth toned clay pots and also you solely want a handful of issues to get began.
Table of Contents
learn how to paint terracotta pots, step-by-step
What you’ll want:
Reading: Sealing terracotta pots for painting
- Terra cotta pots
- Artist paint brushes
- Paint (I used acrylic paint)
- Sealant (I share suggestions for this in step 4)
- Newspaper to cowl your workspace
- Dish of water for cleansing brushes
- Outdated rag or paper towels
what are terra cotta pots?
Terra cotta pots are porous pots produced from baked clay. They permit water and air to simply cross via and are nice for vegetation, particularly in case you are susceptible to overwatering yours. The clay helps to absorb extra moisture and maintain roots from sitting in water. Alternatively, they dry out the soil so it’s possible you’ll have to water some vegetation extra ceaselessly.
Painting terracotta pots does take away that porous nature so maintain that in thoughts when caring for your vegetation.
learn how to put together terracotta pots for painting
Until you might be utilizing an previous clay pot there’s nothing particular that you must do for prep.
To wash previous clay pots:
- Take away as a lot dust from the pot as you possibly can.
- Soak all the pot in a mix of vinegar and water for about half-hour. The acidic nature of the vinegar will eat away on the constructed up mineral deposits on the pot.
- After you let it soak, use a brush to wash away any remaining construct up each on the within and outdoors of the pot.
- Give the terracotta pot one final rinse and go away it out to dry fully.
Step 1: collect your provides and arrange your work area
The very first thing that you must do is about up your workspace. Cowl your work floor with previous newspaper or scrap cardboard. You should use no matter you may have readily available that you simply gained’t thoughts if paint will get on it. Then you possibly can squirt your paint colours immediately onto a nook of your work floor or use one other scrap piece of fabric like I did. Fill a small cup or container with water so you possibly can clear your brush as wanted.
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Solely put out small quantities of coloration at a time so it doesn’t dry up or turn into clumpy when you work.
Step 2: start painting your terra cotta pot
Add your first coat of paint onto the clay pot. A primer is just not vital, although it would probably take a number of skinny coats of paint to provide you shiny colours with out one. The porous clay pot will soak up the paint, inflicting at the very least the primary couple of coats to dry extraordinarily rapidly. Some colours could solely want two coats and a few could take three to 4. However every coat of paint will take barely longer to dry.
Take into consideration in order for you the orange coloration of the terra cotta pot as your backdrop or if that you must paint a background earlier than beginning on the remainder of the pot. For my first pot, I selected to color all the pot purple. My second pot I left alone.
Step 3: proceed including layers of paint to your terracotta pot


It’s best to work in skinny layers to keep away from clumps of paint and brush stroke marks. As layers dry fully, proceed so as to add extra skinny coats of paint to the terra cotta pot.
Recoat locations that want extra protection and add new particulars in layers as you’re employed.
In case you are desirous to mix colours as you might be painting terracotta pots, you’ll need to work rapidly.
Step 4: apply a sealant to your painted terra cotta pot
After you might be glad together with your paint job, you’ll need to seal your work. It’s best all the pot is totally sealed, even for those who didn’t paint all of it. It will assist maintain the paint from cracking or staining. Learn and observe the directions for no matter sealer you select to make use of in your pot.
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Learn extra about sealant choices beneath.
what’s the finest clay pot sealer?

When painting terracotta pots it’s essential to coat your completed venture in a water-proof sealant. Whereas they promote a clay pot sealer, you don’t want a particular product for this. You should use all kinds of sealers in your terra cotta pots. When you craft so much, it’s possible you’ll have already got an acceptable choice at residence.
Listed below are among the choices you should utilize to seal your painted terracotta pots:
- Mod podge
- Water sealant
- Acrylic sealant
- Protecting enamel sealer
- Polyacrylic (water based mostly and clear) or polyurethane (oil based mostly yellows over time).
- Clay pot sealant
Just about the entire above choices come within the type of a twig sealer as effectively, together with mod podge. Simply be sure that to take a look at the sheen of the sealer you might be utilizing. If you do not need a shiny pot then decide up a matte end.
FAQs
Suggestions for painting clay pots
Painting a terracotta pot is a straightforward, enjoyable venture that anybody can do.
Utilizing the top of my brush to color the middle of the daisy.
Listed below are another tricks to remember that will make painting even simpler:
- Apply paint in skinny even layers. It will assist forestall noticeable brush strokes and assist it dry rapidly when you’re working.
- Solely pour out a bit of paint at a time. This retains it from beginning to dry when you work. If it begins drying earlier than you utilize it, it would make it thicker and tougher to use in even coats.
- Dip the tip of your brush in a little bit of water earlier than dipping it within the paint. This thins the paint a bit of and helps create easy, crisp traces when including small particulars to your painted terra cotta pots.
- Maintain the pot in your hand when you paint. Manipulating the pot will make painting designs simpler.
- Use the top of your brush if you wish to make small spherical dots. It provides you clear, even circle each time.
- Use chalk or a white coloured pencil to map out your design earlier than you start working. I’m not a perfectionist so I skipped this step, but when that you must see it earlier than you set paint to pot, it is a nice strategy to visualize what you’re going to color.
- Have enjoyable with it and be inventive! It might not look precisely like your inspiration or have completely clear traces, however that’s a part of the enjoyable of a hand painted pot. Waft and embrace the little imperfections. You might even end painting your pot feeling barely extra relaxed than if you began.
Concepts for painted terracotta pots
The web is filled with inspiration for painted terracotta pots, Pinterest being top-of-the-line locations to go looking.
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