Supplies for Painted Flower Pots
- Plain terracotta pots
- Clay pot sealer
- Acrylic paint (indoor/outdoor safe)
- Stencil film
- Stencil design
- Cricut or Came
- Painter’s tape
- Foam brushe
- Optional: pre-cut stencil (see options near the end)
Step 1: Clean and dry the flower pots
Before beginning your project, wipe down your clay pot with a damp rag. This removes any dust or particles that may wreak havoc on your painted design.
Make sure the pot is completely dry before proceeding.
Step 2: Spray the sealer on flower pots and saucers
When painting flower pots, it’s always a good idea to use this sealer to prevent moisture from seeping through to your design.
Step 3: Apply 2-3 coats of a base paint
Paint the flower pots with 2-3 coats of acrylic paint that is suitable for outdoor use. Most labels will indicate if the paint is multisurface and/or appropriate for terracotta.
Wait at least 1 hour, if not longer, between coats.
Of course, you can skip the base coat if you want the natural terracotta color to shine through after stenciling.
Step 4: Cut stencils (Cricut or Cameo option)
You can find a similar design for the tropical leaves here.
Note: I measured the rim of my terracotta pots to make the rectangular pattern for the pink and brown flower pot.
Always be sure to measure your design and make a few test cuts before cutting the stencil film.
Step 5: Apply stencils
When applying your stenciled shapes, you can choose to paint a traditional stencil or a reverse stencil. Either way, make sure you remove any air bubbles in the stencil film.
For the green tropical leaf pot, I used the traditional method of stenciling. For the other two pots, I painted around the stencil to reveal the underlying base coat of paint.
Confused? See the next step for the full visual.
Step 6: Paint inside or around stencil
Now the fun part begins! Begin painting inside or outside your stencil shapes with the color of your choice.
You can blend colors, too. Check out the stippled look of the tropical leaves below. I used two shades of green to create more texture on this little boho flower pot.
