by Jacki
(Grand Forks, B.C. Canada)
You know sometimes how you have a real conglomeration of excess plant pots and some of them get used once in a while when you have nothing else because they’re kind of ugly and plain?
Change all that and paint them!
Even the less artsy types will enjoy painting on plastic plant pots with acrylic craft paints. It’s so much fun, and the finished result is spectacular.
Find those planters in your shed or greenhouse that would work well for tomatoes where you don’t care about the good looks (or otherwise) and start there. You can also pick these up for pennies (or free) at garage sales, recycle centers and thrift stores.
I started with a bunch of different sized plant pots that I inherited from a friend – they are utilitarian, but not much else positive can be said about them. They’re green or peach colored plastic – not my kind of garden style at all!
To start the project, I sanded the pots, just to give some tooth for the paint to stick to. The rougher textured type of plastic works the best, so those pots that are weathered will work just fine.
The first coat can be any color your little heart desires – I chose a dark color for some of mine, and a lighter pale yellow mixed with grey for the others, for contrast. After each coat dries, you can add more colors in layers of texture – mix your own for a custom look. I buy the primary colors (yellow, red and blue) as well as black and white, and I can make any color I please out of those few colors.
Using simple repetitive patterns gives the best effect – these were based on camouflage, which armies have used for ages to hide their troops and machinery from their enemies. The trick is to disguise the outline of the shape, by mimicking shadows and foliage, rocks or grass.
These came out quite well, I think. Planted with some Sedum and Sempervivum, they grace the Machu Pichu rock wall.
