Painting terracotta pots is a fun way to add colour to your family and garden , or to give someone a thoughtful handmade personalized gift .

The good part is that you could do whatever your originative mind consider up . The options and possibilities for decorating them are interminable . Plus this is a budget - well-disposed project for you or the kids .

In this tutorial you ’ll get wind what type of paint to use , how to prepare your terracotta pots beforehand for the best consequence , and how to seal them afterwards so your pattern will last as long as potential .

How To Paint Terracotta Pots: Step-By-Step Instructions

A variety of terracotta pots ready to paint

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What Kind Of Paint To Use On Terracotta Pots

I ’ve used either acrylic or regular spray pigment on my Henry Clay pots , and they both work great . In my experience , if you choose to use acrylate resin then it ’s best to seal the pot , or the blusher will probably scald or peel .

How To Prepare Terracotta Pots For Painting

The first affair to do before painting your terracotta pots is uncontaminating them , even if they are brand name new . If there ’s any sticky , oily , or powdery residue on the clay , the key may look chunky or it might not stick in some spots . Here are backsheesh for prepping them :

Do You Need To Seal Terracotta Pots Before Painting?

You do not need to seal your clay pots before paint them , this is an optional footprint . It depends on how you desire your finished product to look , and how long you want the paint to last . Here are your 3 options :

1 . Waterproofing – Using awaterproofing sealerwill help oneself the blusher last the long , but it will also affect the breathability of the clay . This means that the terracotta will not wick moisture forth like untreated pots do , so the soil wo n’t dry out out as quickly .

2 . Priming – Rather than sealing them , you could use a urine - basedpaint primerinstead . It wo n’t completely varnish the pot , which will give up the clay to breath better . Primer can also help the paint last longer , but your pots will still get the aged look over time .

How To Paint Terracotta Pots: Step-By-Step Instructions

3 . hop it – The easiest option of course is to simply skip this tone and leave your terracotta pots untreated . This is great if you want them to get that nice aged look faster , or if you do n’t handle about the longevity of the paint .

How To Paint Terracotta Pots Step By Step

Ok , now let ’s jump into the steps for paint terracotta pots . fancy out your design and then conglomerate everything you need ahead of fourth dimension to speed thing up .

Materials Needed

Steps For Painting Clay Pots

Total Time:30 - 90 minutes ( not including dry time )

Step 1 : Set up your workspace – lie down down a drop fabric or spread out out some newspaper over your workspace . This will protect the open of your tabular array from any inadvertent drips , and also help to keep the pots clean while the rouge dries .

Step 2 : Thin the base level paint ( optional ) – If your crapper is unseal and you would wish to go for a Qaeda layer before append your figure , then thin youracrylic paintwith a fiddling water system first .

How To Paint Terracotta Pots: Step-By-Step Instructions

Unsealed terracotta tend to pluck up the paint very quickly , and thinning it for the first layer makes it much soft to diffuse it on quickly and evenly using afoam sponge encounter .

PRO TIP : You do n’t need to paint the very bottom of your stack or the full inside , since nobody will see those once you have a plant in there . But you might need to paint the top inch or two of the inner rim that wo n’t be covered by soil .

Step 3 : Finish your base coat – utilize non - thin out pigment to finish up hold the rest of your base coat until you achieve the opacity and color that you like .

How To Paint Terracotta Pots: Step-By-Step Instructions

The precise number of coats you use on your sens will reckon on the color and quality of your paint , and whether or not you want the terracotta show through .

You do n’t have to wait for the paint to dry completely between coat . But it should be at least 75 % of the way there before you add another layer . It can be tatty or sticky to the touch , but not sozzled .

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Terracotta pots ready to paint

Step 4 : Decorate your pots ( optional ) – This is where the project gets really fun . From usingstencilsor hand - paint a pretty design , to gluing on cute accessories – there are tons of things you could do to jazz up your pots .

I added somedecorative twinearound the top of mine for a small grain , and stick by it onto the mass usingall - intent craft glue .

Then I cut out some vinyl group letter using myCricut machine(a hobby / trade simple machine that cut material like newspaper , leather , and more ) and glued those on too .

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Step 5 : Let them dry – Once you ’re done picture and decorating them , it ’s very of import that you rent your terracotta pots dry out completely before actuate to the next step . They should not palpate sticky or tawdry at all .

This might take longer than you retrieve , so give them at least 24 hour before you decide they are teetotal . The thick the rouge , the longer it will take .

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A variety of terracotta pots ready to paint

Step 6 : Seal the paint ( optional ) – It ’s a good idea to seal your paint terracotta flock once it ’s dry so your design will last longer , and it wo n’t well chip or boodle .

I used amatte sprayto preserve mine , but you could use one with aglossy finishif you like the shiny look unspoilt . Spray the wad concord to the directions on the can , and be sure to insure your entire intention .

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My hand-painted clay pot with a cute watermelon design

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Supplies needed for painting terracotta pots

My workspace setup for painting terracotta pots

Painting the base coat on my terracotta pots

Clay pots drying after the base coat of acrylic paint

Decorating the rim of a painted clay pot with twine

My finished DIY painted terracotta pots

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