milk paint pots

Sometimes I develop projects for Martha because it just something I want to do at home. 

For instance, I was so sick of looking at all the terra cotta pots that line my windowsills that I cultivated an idea to fix the sore sight and made a segment out of it so it could be shared with others.

What can you do to update your terra cotta without purchasing expensive planters and trashing the old clay pots?! The first step: change the color. Second step: add some simple details. Let's do it.

Milk Paint is a perfect solution for painting clay pots. It's natural, has no VOCs, dries matte, soaks evenly into porous surfaces and comes in a variety of colors that will complement any plant. I chose Driftwood, a grayish color, to offset the brown teak furniture that is prevalent throughout my apartment.

Milk Paint comes in a powder form so it needs to be mixed with water to become actual paint. I didn't even bother to take my plants out of the pots while I painted them—messy but who cares, we're crafting.

I ran out to buy some cotton rope from the hardware store and used it to create a decorative element to the plain pot. I braided it, twisted it and even tried out my newest skill of 4 strand braiding.

Paint one coat, let it dry, hot glue your rope under the rim around the pot and paint again. The rope absorbs the paint and it winds up looking like part of the original pot design.

I'm loving my new plant vessels—I notice my plants now and remember  to water them!

It's always a success when it's cheap, simple and a transformation.

Now I want more plants!