14 Painted Flower Pots You Can Create for Your Garden

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Updated 01/23/21

painted rainbow terra cotta pots — At Home with Ashley

At best, painted flower pots are cute, quirky, and welcomed additions to any garden. At worst, painted flower pots can be chipping disasters that only last a couple of months. It's essential to learn how to paint a flower pot the right way to help them withstand rainy weather.

We've tracked down several painted flower pot tutorials that will inspire you with cute designs but also teach you the proper materials and techniques to use. Visit each one to find out how you can add some character to your garden.

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Make Terracotta Planters Truly Unique With This Simple Trick

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Get Inspired By a Summer Ice Cream Cone

Fresh Mommy Blog

This painted flower pot tutorial might take some artistic skill to pull off, but it's doable if you're willing to be patient and follow instructions. The terracotta color works as the base for a waffle cone, and Tabitha from Fresh Mommy Blog shows you how to add in the ice cream and detailing. Visit her post for further instruction.

Waffle Cone Ice Cream Painted Flower Pot from Fresh Mommy Blog
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Create a Pattern Using a Stencil

H2o Bungalow

If you're not an artist, painting on a flower pot may not be the easiest canvas for intricate details. The curved shape distorts the surface just enough to make painting a bit more complicated. If you want to avoid making too many errors, work with stencils and a simple pattern. Wendi from H2OBungalow does a great job of explaining how to go through this process seamlessly. Visit her tutorial for more details.

Easy Stenciled Flower Pots from H2OBungalow
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Paint on Herb Labels

A Home to Grow Old In

You might be very familiar with the herbs people grow, or you might just be starting to learn the basics of horticulture. Either way, adding labels to your planter is a cute way to remember what's growing where. Robin from A Home to Grow Old shows her readers how to use tape, letter stencils, and spray paint to add a stylish herb label. An added bonus is that Robin also teaches readers how to age galvanized metal in the same tutorial.

How to Age Galvanized Metal to Make Herb Planters from A Home to Grow Old In
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Learn How to Make a Gradient Effect

A Beautiful Mess

The team at A Beautiful Mess created this colorful gradient pattern on miniature egg cup planters, but you can use this technique on just about any planter with success. Find out how the crafters used spray paint to make a simple yet impactful gradient in the tutorial.

DIY Mini Gradient Egg Cup Planters from A Beautiful Mess

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Pick Out Whimsical Garden Scenes to Paint

Marie LeBaron

Not an artist? Not a problem! You don't need to be a dignified painter to have fun painting flower pots. If it makes you feel better, have your kids help you create whimsical garden scenes without stencils or outside inspiration. Just paint what comes to mind. This tutorial will help get you started.

DIY Mini Flower Garden Pots from The Spruce
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Use a Rubber Band to Create This Effect

We Can Make Anything

There are many different tools you can use to paint a planter, but one that is often overlooked is a simple rubber band. We love how Mary Elayne from We Can Make Anything upgraded these basic terra cotta pots with a clever rubber band technique. Visit the tutorial to find out how to replicate this modern look.

Pot Painting with Rubber Bands from We Can Make Anything
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Use a Rainbow of Colors

DIY Candy

Gradients come in all forms, and one of our favorites is a rainbow gradient. Amy from DIY Candy has fun with brush strokes and color in this painting tutorial. Head to her page to find out how you can recreate your own bright planter inspired by this design.

Simple Rainbow Ombre Painted Flower Pots from DIY Candy
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Age Flower Pots' Exteriors With Paint

Cherished Bliss

Sometimes chipping paint on a flower pot is a bad thing, but other times you want your flower pots to look aged and weathered. Ashley from Cherished Bliss has perfected an aging technique that looks natural and appealing for any garden with a rustic feel. Check out the tutorial if you want to add a coastal or farmhouse vibe to your space.

Coastal Terra Cotta Pots Tutorial from Cherished Bliss

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Marbleize the Bottom of a Flower Pot

Oh Joy!

Joy from Oh Joy! teaches her readers how to create this dipped marble pattern on hanging planters, but the method will work on terracotta planters just as well, too. Get creative with how much you marbleize. If you want to dip half the planter, go for it. This marble pattern would also look good on the entire planter. Head over to her tutorial to find out how to do it.

Marbled Hanging Planter DIY from Oh Joy!
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Create a Simple Watermelon with Paint

Across the Boulevard

What food do you think of when you think of summer? If a watermelon is among the first things that come to mind, then this painted planter might be a perfect fit for your garden. Mother-daughter team Beverly and Gloria of Across the Boulevard do a great job simplifying this project so that anyone can tackle it.

Watermelon Mini Terracotta Pots from Across the Boulevard
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Create Simple Insect Creatures

The Country Chic Cottage

Want a cute flower pot? Think about simple garden insects you can paint. Two adorable examples are a ladybug or a bee like the ones you see here from The Country Chic Cottage. Angie does a nice job of breaking this project into a couple of simple steps.

Pot Decoration Ideas for Testors Crafternoons from The Country Chic Cottage
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Seal a Flower Pot After Painting It

Practically Functional

You can paint a terracotta pot in a variety of ways, but if you don't seal them properly, they will have a hard time lasting more than one rainy season. Find out how Jessi from Practically Functional went about sealing her planters after painting them so you can add more longevity to your garden projects, too.

How to Seal Painted Flower Pots from Practically Functional

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DIY These Cute Pineapple Planters

Make Life Lovely

If you like pineapple more than watermelon, consider painting this simple fruit-inspired planter with yellow and black paint. Head over to Laura's post on Make Life Lovely for the full look and tutorial.

DIY Pineapple Planters from Make Life Lovely
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Select a Range of Complementary Colors

At Home with Ashley

Not everything needs a design to look good. Sometimes the prettiest planters are painted in solid, coordinating colors. You can choose a variety of shades, but keep them in the same tone for a cohesive look. At Home with Ashely goes into more detail about the process on her tutorial.

DIY Painted Terra Cotta Pots from At Home with Ashley