Crafts: DIY: Distressed Painted Terra Cotta Pots

I'm so glad spring is around the corner, I'm ready to start planting. These clay pots were some that I found at a garage sale this winter.  I have been waiting to be inspired by some warm weather to do anything with them. Well it's here and time to have some fun with my pots. I wanted to jazz them up a bit and make them some fun colors, but I don't like the look of just plain painted pots. I love the way the old, chipped and weathered painted terra cotta pots look. So I thought of a way to help give them an aged look. It's an easy way to get that look without all the time. They turned out gorgeous 

Needed:

Terra Cotta pot

Acrylic paint: regular or outdoor (I use the regular that way they age nicely)

White crayon

1. Remove all stickers and adhesive from the pots. If the pot has been previously used make sure it's been rinsed of all debris. 

 2. With the flat side, run the crayon around the edges and on part of the surfaces. I added small clusters of small dots or dashes.  You can add shapes, phrases or designs. The more crayon you add the more the white/clay color will show through. 

3. Paint a thin coat of paint to the outside and inside of the pot in your desired color.  For the sake of time and paint, I just painted the inside of the pot half way down. Let dry

-For best results painting, try not to paint from side to side, keep the brush strokes going up and down as much as possible. 

-Use a small amount of paint on the brush at first, for a thinner coat.  The thicker the coat of paint, the harder and less it wipes off. 

4. Once dry, using a slightly damp rag, gently rub the paint off in the areas where you had applied the crayon. The harder and wetter the rag is the more the paint will come off. If for some reason you rub off more paint than you would like, just apply another thin coat, let dry and start again. 

5. Optional: For second color (which is what I did)- apply the crayon again, in the same areas and also in different spots than before. Use the crayon more this time, to make sure that the original color and base color show through. 

6. Paint on the second color the same as before and let dry. Then wipe off paint like you did in step 4. 

Lime green base and a pale yellow topcoat. 

Purple base and teal blue topcoat. 

Pink base and teal blue topcoat.