Weathered Garden Pots

If you want to create a weathered look for your terra cotta garden pots, here are some helpful tips I found at several sites.

Midwest Living has 3 easy tips for creating a speckled effect, a worn chipped look, and a rough texture (see photo above from Midwest Living). You'll want to make sure you start with clean pots that have been wiped with a damp cloth.

For the Speckled look (pot at left in photo above), mix 1 cup garden lime with 1 cup water to make a paste, then apply a heavy layer on pot using a foam brush. Let dry and rub with fine sandpaper until you remove the amount of grit wanted to achieve the desired look.

For the Chipped look (pots in the middle of the photo above), apply a coat of acrylic paint to the outside of the pot. When almost dry (sticky to the touch), use coarse sandpaper to partially remove paint and create streaks. Then you can let the pot completely dry. Or if you want a two-tone color, continue by repeating the same steps with a darker color of paint applied over the first color.

For the Rough Texture look (pot at right in photo above), apply a water-based primer to the outside of your pot and let dry; then apply white acrylic paint over the primer and let dry. Add clear crackle medium with a foam brush, which will create an uneven texture. After that dries, adding a layer of oil-based dark wood stain will highlight bumps and ridges.

Protect finishes by spraying the outside of pots with a clear enamel topcoat to seal, and spray the insides of the pots also, to prevent moisture absorption when watering plants.

See Midwest Living for complete instructions and information on supplies and where you can purchase them. They even have a helpful how-to video on creating these weathered pots.

At another site called ehow, there are instructions for weathering clay pots using glaze and acrylic paint. Just combine 2 parts glaze and 1 part acrylic paint in a small bucket, stirring well. Then dip a sponge into the mixture and smear sponge around your terra cotta pot, starting around the base, then up toward the top (apply paint around the pot, not in an up-and-down motion. Wipe the pot with a soft cloth until you get the desired effect. you can add more paint and wipe more until you get the look you want.

Here's some weathered garden pot inspiration...

I love the look of these pots, maybe because I'm partial to teal! (from Pinterest)

But this crackled white weathered pot of basil from Pinterest/inspiracionline looks great too.

This pot looks like it was weathered naturally, but you can use this as reference when you're painting your terra cotta pots.

Here's a faux weathered look from Yellow Bliss Road using flat paint and furniture wax–visit the site for the easy instructions.

Have you tried weathering pots before with paint and other materials? What paint colors do you like to use?