How to Decorate Flower Pots

Add color to your garden, patio or indoor space with simple flower pot crafts. Flower pots are functional blank canvases, encouraging a wide range of creativity. You can paint, decoupage, stamp and embellish as part of your flowers pot crafts. Come up with your own flower pot craft projects with these ideas.

How to Decorate Clay Pots by Heidi Borchers & Tiffany Windsor

Painting

After purchasing a flower pot, sand the pot down before painting. You should also seal the inside of the flower pot with an oil-based polyurethane to protect your painted design from water penetration. If you are painting pots for outdoor placement, use a paint specifically designed for outdoor use. DecoArt Patio Paint is water and weather-resistant and adapts well to changing temperatures. Outdoor paints also mean your pot will be easy to clean.

Try painting sections of the pot in different colors. Use painter’s tape to mark off the top lip of the pot and paint a coordinating color. Or, create several bands around the flower pot with the painter’s tape and create stripes on your flower pot.

Bright colors work well in gardens. To select a color scheme, look at design or craft resources on colors like Paper Crafter’s Color Companion by C&T Publishing. Paint two to three coats of each color on your pot. If you want to add a design to your pot, paint the background a nice, muted color such as light yellow.

Use stencils to paint words or shapes onto your flower pot. You can also use this technique to label the contents of the flower pots decoratively, such as “Basil” or “Chives.” Use a sponge to paint your flower pots. Paint all over in one or two colors, or create bursts of colors with a round sponge that look very much like flowers. You can also cut a normal kitchen sponge into a shape such a heart or star.

Decoupage

Cut out words and images from scrapbook papers, magazines and even junk mail to decoupage your pot. Create a theme by selecting similar words or images, for example Spring. Tissue paper is a great material to decoupage pots. You can use one color or a variety of coordinating colors for a fun, semi-transparent look. Crinkle the tissue paper in your hands and tear into pieces. Use a foam brush to apply decoupage glue (such as Mod Podge) to your pot. Smooth tissue paper pieces over pot in a random pattern. Cover with another coat of decoupage glue.

For fun, add a coat or accents of glitter or sparkle, such as with Tulip 3D Sparkle Paint. For outdoor placement, you will need to cover your decoupage work with a coat of UV-resistant acrylic coating, like those made by Krylon.

Embellishment

Yarn – Wrap yarn or twine tightly around the lip of your pot, gluing as you go. Yarn-wrapping creates an interesting textured look.

Buttons – Flat buttons are a fun way to decorate pots. Paint flowers on your pot and glue buttons as the centers the flowers. Add a line of buttons around the top of the pot. Randomly glue buttons all over the pot.