painted terracotta pots

When looking for ways to decorate my patio, I found a stack of old terracotta pots in the garage. They were not in the best shape, so I decided to paint them. I wanted to keep some of the terracotta showing, so I painted the bottoms of some and the rims of others.

Supplies:

• terracotta pots
• outdoor or interior/exterior spray paint
• painters tape
• newspaper

First, clean the pots to get any loose dirt off. Tape the part of the pot you don't want to paint. You can use newspaper to help cover larger areas.

Next, spray paint your pots. When painting the bottom of the pots, I turned them upside down on a piece of cardboard. I also found that the pots I painted the rims of looked better if the inside was painted as well. My gold paint wasn't for outdoor use, so I used an exterior lacquer on top to help prevent it from chipping and getting spotty in the rain.

You can use the pots as they were meant to be used (as planters), or you can fill them with sand or gravel and use them for candles. If you do fill them with sand, it is a good idea to line the bottom with plastic so nothing leaks out of the hole.