How-To White Wash a Terra Cotta Pot | Summer Front Porch

The other day as I sat on the front porch watching the kids play, I decided I really enjoyed the view from my front porch.  Reality hit, when I realized my neighbor across the way probably wasn’t too fond of the view from her front porch.  You see, I was looking at hers, and she was forced to look at mine.

And since I utterly adore this neighbor of mine with the quaint yellow house and always lovely front porch, I decided to be a good neighbor and try my hardest to make her view a little better.

 I am going to try my hardest to keep these plants from dying.

I am going to try my hardest to remember to water, and dead head, and spruce and fluff, and everything my neighbor does . . .

All for her front porch viewing pleasure.

But just in case the un-imaginable happens . . . gulp . . . and I kill the plants . . . just know dear neighbor –

I’ll always have these cute little white washed terra cotta pots.

And I’ll try again next year.

If you are looking for a quick little spruce-up-your-summer-porch-before-your-neighbor-moves kind of project, these white washed terra cotta pots were easy and satisfying.  Terra cotta pots are some of the most common and affordable planters out there, and can be personalized in many ways.

I decided to keep it simple with simple supplies such as white paint and a brush.

It takes just minutes to white wash a pot (dry time included), and adds just a little charm to the otherwise boring orange/brownish pot.

You can add just a bit of white wash, or saturate it more heavily.  Both achieve a somewhat time worn look.

I went to a variety of stores which sold plants and was asked to be directed to plants that would do well in the shade of a covered porch.

Then I grouped all of my white washed pots together, here and there, along the top of an old table my husband found in my grandfather’s junk yard.

Then I added some pots around some old boxes also found in my grandfather’s junk yard.

One mans junk . . .

Can save a summer porch.

Follow my directions below for one quick method to white wash a terra cotta pot.

Materials:

• Terra Cotta Pot
• Bristle paint brush
• Surface protector
  • I use a garbage bag
• Paper towels
• White paint
  • Acrylic or leftover wall paint works great too.

Directions:

1.  Water your white paint down just a bit, so it is runny enough to run off your brush slightly.  A little bit of paint goes a long way with this project.

2.  Dab your brush on paper towels until most of the wetness is left on the towel.  You want your brush to still have paint on it, but to be mostly dry.

3.  In no particular fashion, streak the white paint onto the terra cotta pot, working in small sections at a time.

4.  Once you’ve painted a small section on, quickly wipe the paint with a paper towel.  This blends the strokes of the brush and gives the pot a white washed look rather than a white painted look.

5.  Paint and wipe the inside of the pot just until where you intend to fill it with soil.

Once you have painted and wiped, it should be dry and ready for you to fill with soil and plant.

These pots look great grouped together!

Now go and make some neighbors happy!

Thanks for reading!

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