(Click to Enlarge)
(Click to Enlarge)
I cannot wait to share this process with you, my amazing readers. I have to admit that CC Hubby wasn't totally on board for this DIY at first. He thought the pots were just 'fine' before but I told him that I absolutely loathed them. They actually had all these tiny silk flowers in them from the previous owner. Yes, we've let those lil' fake flowers sit pretty for months.
And yes, you guessed right! That means that everyone that has come to our front door over the last five months has been exposed to tiny silk flowers sitting pretty in these massive ugly pots...hilarious! I also informed the hubs that if I didn't paint them then I'd be getting rid of them and purchasing new planters. I had him convinced our money was better spent re-painting. So bring on the easy, one-day DIY project!
So without further ado, let me walk you through the process. First of all, the research. A quick google search brought up numerous tutorials but the two I found most helpful were from our friends over at Young House Love HERE and the writer behind Patricia's Pots HERE. Also, the nice lady that helped me at Lowe's was amazing too. Picture tutorial below:1. I removed all the silk flowers and threw them away. Then, I dumped the entire contents of the pots (old potting soil, gravel on bottom and rocks on top) right there in the flower bed as we'll be reusing much of the gravel again later. Moved the pots around the house to the back and into the open garage work space.
2. I took a damp cloth and completely cleaned the pots. Not even a speck of dirt was to be found on the inside of those puppies. Also, make sure if you're pots need to be sanded, then make sure to do that too. Using one can of Thompson's Water Sealer from Lowe's ($4.96) I gave each pot a complete inside-only coating three times. Don't spray the outside...you only need to seal the inside. You need to let each coat dry before applying a new coat so this step took a few hours. I caught up on my magazine reading and played with Zola in the backyard.
3. Make sure to spray the sealant in a well-ventilated area. I did this process at the opening of the garage and it was still rather over-bearing. This is some smelly stuff! Here the pots are slowly soaking in the sealer.
4. Using these two Valspar Gloss Interior/Exterior Premium Enamel Spray Paint from Lowe's (2 @ $4.24 = $8.48) I was ready to give the pots multiple coats of gorgeous paint.
6. While the pots dried, I actually ventured to a wonderful nursery here in Austin for the first time. With my friend Karen as my tour guide, The Natural Gardener is now one of my new fave destinations. Um, you better believe I'll be featuring this spot again, in depth, via our Shopping category. I chose a Dwarf Burford Holly (2 @ $24.99 = $49.98) for each pot. After a long chat with the woman that worked there, she told me these were a great option for low-maintenance and a shady spot (our front porch). Karen and I also made sure the plants I chose looked just like twins (you already know how I adore baby boy twins HERE) because we were going for a symmetrical look.
7. Isn't it adorable that you cart your findings everywhere in these Radio Flyers? Ahhhh, I love it! I didn't set out knowing what type of plant we'd be putting in our pots. So one thing that's a great idea if you're a beginning gardener like we are is approaching things with an open mind. I guess these Burford Hollies are usually used as an background plant and not the kind you pot and show off as an accent piece. Well, we're doing things different around CasaCullen and the lady at the Natural Gardener said she hoped others followed suit and chose the right plants by environmental conditions and not just by looks.
8. The hubby and Zola the Yorkie get to work on the front porch. We recollected all the gravel from step 1 above. Then we placed about 4 inches of gravel in the bottom of each pot and placed the pots exactly where we wanted them located on the porch. CC Hubby also uprooted a few plants there were blocking the view of our front porch and our gorgeous new blue pots. We added new potting soil (3 bags for a total of $25.17) and centered each plant with complete diligence in their respective pot.
9. Here's a good peek at the finished product. I love how the colors play off one another and now CC Hubby is all smiles with the outcome. He actually gave me a big hug the next day when he got home from work and said pulling up and seeing the new and improved curbside appeal make him smile. It makes a huge difference now that we've removed some of the obnoxious plants that were blocking the view and we've added a strong pop of color with our pretty blue pots and dark green holly plants.
10. We are beyond thrilled with the outcome of our DIY painted planters! Don't believe me? Look closely or click to enlarge this picture below and you'll spot someone grinning from ear to ear behind that glass door. What a goofball!
Breakdown of Costs for our DIY Project:
2 Terra Cotta Planters - already owned
1 can Thompson's Water Sealer - $4.96
2 cans Valspar Interior/Exterior Premium Enamel Spray Paint - $8.48
2 Dwarf Burford Holly Plants - $49.98
3 Bags Potting Soil - $25.17
Gravel for Bottom of Planter - already owned
TOTAL cost of Project for our Painted Terra Cotta Planters = $88.59
And remember, if you have the pot(s), potting soil and plant(s)...all you'll need to purchase is the Thompson's Water Sealer and Spray Paint to complete this project. Again, we're beginning gardeners so we had more to purchase. Cheers!
Also readers, if you have any questions about the process we used please feel free to email us at casacullen@gmail.com anytime. Or, if you'd like to submit pictures of a DIY or Before and After that you've recently tackled, you know we'd love to hear about and possibly feature it on the site. Enjoy!
Check out more of our DIY Projects: stylishly display your children's artwork, re-purpose/re-paint a glass and wood table lamp, make your own butcher block island, easily frame fabric for chic wall art, frame your love letters, create an art wall background and redesign your master bath with white paint and nickel hardware.
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Above images captured via CasaCullen's Elph PowerShot Camera and CC's iPhone
