Have you ever done a glazed terra-cotta pot makeover?
I haven’t either…until now.
*insert dramatic music here*
I found a glazed terra-cotta pot at a thrift store for $10. It is huge, almost 18 inches tall, and it was begging for a makeover.
Begging.
You can see the potential, right?
This is not one of those situations where I’m going to slap mud on a vase to make it look like authentic earthenware. I already had authentic earthenware. It was just hiding under some painted on flowers and swirly things.
My plan for this glazed terra-cotta pot makeover was simple.
I was just going to paint it. Easy breezy.
However, it’s not spray paint weather, so I needed to use regular paint and a brush.
I was worried the paint might not stick because that glaze was slicker than the finish on my scratched up teflon pan.
You know what’s going to happen next, right?
My bright, but probably not-so-bright idea was going to happen.
I got out the sander.
To be clear, you can sand terra-cotta, but most tutorials recommend light sanding and not the heavy-duty sanding I had planned.
I did, after-the-fact, find one tutorial from the U.K. that suggests getting out the electric sander to remove glaze from a terra-cotta pot.
What none of these tutorials happen to mention is that the paint and glaze on this pot was designed to last until the end of eternity or so it seemed.
I quickly realized that in no way, shape, or form was it going to be worth the time spent to try and sand all of the paint and glaze off this terra-cotta pot. I have better things to do with my time.
I did find it interesting that, in the case of this terra-cotta pot, there were multiple base layers of different colored paint. I could tell as I sanded off each layer. I thought all the different colors would be strictly limited to the flowery areas.
I also didn’t want to damage the structural integrity of the pot by sanding too much.
I did briefly consider just keeping the terra-cotta pot as is after I had sanded it down, but decided it looked like a muumuu Mrs. Roper from Three’s Company would wear.
No shade intended to Mrs. Roper. It just wasn’t the look I was going for at the time.
I was going for a clean, simple look.
I painted the terra-cotta pot with exterior house paint in a white color.
There’s no particular reason why I chose exterior house paint. It was just the only white paint I had on hand that didn’t have a sheen.
It’s hard to tell from the pictures, but I did dirty the pot up with some watered-down brown craft paint. Just enough to get into some of the divots to give the terra-cotta pot some dimension.
I did not reseal the terra-cotta pot because I don’t intend on using it as a proper planter or vase. It doesn’t have a drainage hole and I don’t need it to be waterproof. Although, it is still glazed on the inside of the pot, so maybe it is? We’ll never know.
While I do have a plant plopped in the pot, the plant is in its original pot. It makes it easy for me to pull it out and water it in the sink.
If I decide to use the terra-cotta pot as a vase, I’ll put a smaller vase inside to hold the water and flowers.
Not a bad glazed terra-cotta pot makeover for ten bucks and some leftover paint, right?
I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It was also a fast makeover because it didn’t take me long to abandon my dreams of completely sanding away the glazed finish and jump right to the painting portion of this makeover.
The extra fun thing about this terra-cotta pot makeover is that I have a blank slate to work with now should I change my mind and want a different look for this pot.
Have you ever given a glazed terra-cotta pot a makeover? Have you ever purchased one at a thrift store? I’d love to see!
Thanks for being here today and following along with my DIY and crafting adventures. Here are some other posts you might enjoy.
Wood Planter with Leather Handles
Upcycling a Tire into a Hanging Planter
Multi-tasking Fail and a Rope Planter
3 Unexpected Succulent Planters
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