DIY WHITEWASH TERRACOTTA POTS | SUMMER FRONT PORCH

Whitewash is such a classic distressed look. I love the color of the white-painted pots and it makes a simple boring pot into one with personality. Here you can learn how to whitewash Terra Cotta pots for a lovely summer front porch display!

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.

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 deadhead, and spruce and fluff, and everything my neighbor does . . .

All for her front porch viewing pleasure.

But just in case the unimaginable 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.

So today, I am going to be sharing with you a simple DIY project that you can use at home to bring a little spice to your front porch. 

With white washed terracotta pots!

How to Whitewash Terra Cotta Pots

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 are easy and satisfying. Terra cotta pots are some of the most common and affordable planters out there and can be personalized in many ways for a cute decor idea outdoors.

I decided to keep this DIY whitewashed terra cotta pot straightforward with simple supplies such as white acrylic paint or chalk paint and a brush.

It takes just minutes to make a whitewash mixture and paint them into your flower pot (dry time included) and add a little charm to the otherwise boring orange/brownish pot.

You can add a small amount of whitewash, or saturate it more heavily. Both achieve a somewhat time-worn look.

I went to a variety of stores that 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 junkyard.

One mans junk . . .

Can save a summer porch.

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

Materials

• Terra Cotta Pot
• Bristle paint brush
• Surface protector
• Garbage bag
• Paper towels
• White paint- Acrylic or leftover wall paint works great too.

STEP BY STEP PROCESS FOR WHITEWASHING

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, allow your brush strokes to streak the white paint onto the terra cotta pot, working in small sections at a time.

4.  Once you’ve painted a small section, 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, it should be dry and ready for you to fill with soil and plant.

These pots also look great as a group and will bring your front porch or backyard into life!

Now go and make some neighbors happy! Thanks for reading!