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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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May 15, 2012

How to age new garden pots

 

The topic of aging has been forefront in my mind these days since…well..ahem…I turned…forty… this past Friday.  And while it takes years, hopefully, to age oneself, it only takes a few hours to age new gardening pots.

I found this pin on Pinterest (are you following us on Pinterest? We’d sure love it if you would!) several weeks back and just love the look of these aged blue terra cotta pots.

How to age garden pots from At The Picket Fence

Source:Country Living

 

I knew that with some paint and a little elbow grease I could create some of my own.

How to age garden pots from At The Picket Fence

They may not be identical but I think they definitely look like they’ve seen some years in the garden, instead of a few weeks on the store shelf.

Here’s all it takes to create this same look yourself.

Materials:

Terra Cotta pots (new or old) in various sizes
spray paint and/or regular paint in the color of your choice (I just used some left over wall paint I had)
inexpensive foam craft brushes
sanding sponge
steel wool
hammer
exacto blade

DSC_0940

DSC_0944

 

Directions: (this couldn’t be easier)

Paint your pots, lighter on some heavier on others I painted the teal blue underneath some of the pots and the lighter color on top in layers. While paint is still slightly wet, take your sanding sponge and start to sand off the paint in areas that would normally receive wear.

DSC_0947

Do this along the rim and bottom of pot.  Also along any edges. For a more distressed look use the steel wool and heavily scrape off the pain along the surface. You can also use an exacto knife to chip off the paint. Take a hammer and lightly chip off some of the pot, revealing the terra cotta color underneath. Continue these steps until you get the look you want.

 

How to age garden pots from At The Picket Fence

That’s it!

How to age garden pots from At The Picket Fence

How to age garden pots from At The Picket Fence

One of the benefits of having Better Homes and Gardens out to our house was I got to keep all of these gorgeous potted herbs that they purchased for the photo shoot!

How to age garden pots from At The Picket Fence

They just happened to be some of our favorites!

herbs

I can’t wait to start enjoying our fresh herbs this year thanks to Better Homes and Gardens, and I’m so excited to be out working in the yard!

How to age garden pots from At The Picket Fence

What outdoor projects are you “itchin’ to get working on?

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51 Comments Filed Under: Crafts, Gardening, Good Ideas, Tutorials

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Previous Post: « Inspiration Friday No. 64 and Someone’s Turning 40!
Next Post: DIY Kitchen Cupboard turned Dartboard Cabinet »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marsha says

    May 14, 2012 at 5:40 PM

    I like the idea of aging some of my flower pots and I’ve been wanting to do this for awhile Thanks for the helpful post!

    Reply
  2. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    May 14, 2012 at 6:54 PM

    They look great, Heather! I’ve aged some pots in my time. : ) I usually have done a white wash, so they get that calcified look to them. Of course, I would love when my terracotta pots would naturally do that, no paint required.

    Reply
  3. Debbie says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:06 PM

    Wonderful, Heather. I am pinning this! As for outside projects, I am planning a deck makeover, but I have some pressing inside projects and an adventure to complete first. But then, the deck is GOING DOWN…

    Reply
  4. Judy says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:07 PM

    I love the idea of aging flower pots. We spent all of Saturday getting our outdoors ready. I’ll be posting about it later in the week. I have to try this aging process. It really looks great.

    Reply
  5. Anne Lorys - Fiona and Twig says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:12 PM

    What a great tutorial! You gals amaze me, you can do anything!

    XO,
    Anne

    Reply
  6. Pam - @diy Design Fanatic says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    Your aged pots look great! I love the blue color. After building 4 more 4′ x 10′ raised beds this winter and planting veggies, there’s always something to do in the garden. This past weekend we bent some poplar twigs and made a makeshift trellis over our strawberry plants and covered it all with black bird netting, which you can hardly see. We also attached hoops on our raised beds. We are already harvesting romaine and head lettuce, peas and potatoes. Still need to work on painting the floor of our deck and decorating/planting on the patio below it.

    Reply
  7. Debra @ Common Ground says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:25 PM

    LOVE these, the shades of blue are gorgeous!!

    Reply
  8. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:35 PM

    I love this idea Heather!! I have two terra cotta pots on my deck that I can’t wait to do this to!

    Reply
  9. Cindy says

    May 14, 2012 at 10:09 PM

    I love them all aged and chippy! They look perfect! I want to get some herbs started!

    Reply
  10. Janelle @ Emmaline says

    May 14, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    Happy Birthday! I turned forty in December, and I wasn’t too happy about it… But I’m trying my best to embrace it. Nice pots!! Janelle

    Reply
  11. Vivienne @ the V Spot says

    May 15, 2012 at 12:06 AM

    Love the pots. They look fab! (Score on getting to keep the herbs!) 😉

    Reply
  12. Helen's Decor says

    May 15, 2012 at 12:12 AM

    Heather, I had been thinking about cleaning my old clay pots…now, I’m leaving them as they are…they self painted!Ha!
    Your pots looks great! Hope you visit my blog to see what mine are looking like. Thanks, Helen

    Reply
  13. Debbiedoo's says

    May 15, 2012 at 1:18 AM

    Great post, and I love the aging process…that is ON the pots, not me!

    Reply
  14. Jessica Kielman says

    May 15, 2012 at 1:21 AM

    Love them! Totally going to age my pots…it so bothers me when they look too new. My entire herb garden is planted in the ground, but I may have to add some of these too!

    Jessica

    Reply
  15. Jane@Cottage at the Crossroads says

    May 15, 2012 at 2:13 AM

    Love your aged pots! I have a few that look too new to me. Great idea!

    Reply
  16. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    May 15, 2012 at 2:21 AM

    Love the pots, just gorgeous! I have been wanting to do this forever, you made it look so easy, now I have to try! Thanks for linking up and Happy Mothers Day (belated)
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
  17. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    May 15, 2012 at 2:32 AM

    Love the color of the pots, Heather!

    Reply
  18. Lynn @ UpCountry Olio says

    May 15, 2012 at 3:10 AM

    These are so great! I can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks for this fun idea!

    -Lynn

    Reply
  19. Linda @ it all started with paint says

    May 15, 2012 at 3:42 AM

    What a great idea! I love this so much that I’m pinning …

    … oh, and don’t worry about the age thingy. I’ve got 8 years on you (okay, almost nine. That birthday is closing in on me quickly …)

    🙂

    Linda

    Reply
    • Linda @ it all started with paint says

      May 15, 2012 at 7:34 PM

      Just returned from Home Depot with my way to orange new Terra pots. Llike Halloween neon orange! Can’t wait to paint and distress using your method …

      🙂

      Linda

      Reply
  20. Catie @ Catie's Corner says

    May 15, 2012 at 4:31 AM

    One word Heather, LOVE!!

    ~ Catie =)

    Reply
  21. Karena says

    May 15, 2012 at 4:54 AM

    Heather I love how your pots turned out. They look just perfectly aged!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

    Reply
  22. Stacey@A Sort Of Fairytale says

    May 15, 2012 at 4:16 AM

    great idea…thanks for sharing!! your pots look perfectly aged!

    Reply
  23. Tammy Henderson says

    May 15, 2012 at 5:38 PM

    Love these! I just bought some new herbs and need to pot them, just didn’t know in what….now I know what I want to do…thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  24. Holly says

    May 15, 2012 at 6:25 PM

    I love your new “old” garden pots….if only forty looked so good on my face…I just turned that “hard to swallow” number also.

    Reply
  25. Linda Young says

    May 15, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    Forty!, ah, you’re just a baby! Love the aged pots! I have some that aged and peeled and broke edges all by themselves too, but I’m going to try making some attractively “aged” ones like yours. I might try to fix up some crummy-looking plastic pots too! I love the herbs too, and in pots like yours, they will look good on the patio, for those of us who can’t have garden beds!

    Reply
  26. Serendipity. says

    May 15, 2012 at 9:17 PM

    I just read somewhere that aging new terra cotta pots takes 10 years off of your face! Oh wait…I didn’t read that, but now everyone else will! I love the colors. In the words of some creative lady who is (hopefully) older than me: “Age is just a number and mine’s Unlisted!” xo

    Reply
  27. Anonymous says

    May 15, 2012 at 10:00 PM

    Well done. Thank you 🙂

    ~Happy Birthday~

    Mike in Indy

    Reply
  28. { Kristen } says

    May 15, 2012 at 11:19 PM

    ooooooo, I love this!!!

    Reply
  29. Martha says

    May 16, 2012 at 2:23 AM

    Thanks for the lesson — I love old pots but sometimes they are hard to find — especially the big ones!

    Reply
  30. Beth @ Free Stylin' says

    May 16, 2012 at 1:11 PM

    These are so pretty! Can’t wait to try making one. 🙂

    Reply
  31. Laura/Pet Scribbles says

    May 16, 2012 at 3:55 PM

    These turned out GREAT! Definitely going to try this with some of my outdoor pots. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  32. Val says

    May 16, 2012 at 5:43 PM

    Thank you for posting this I have so many pots that need to be beautified. LOVE this.

    Reply
  33. {northern cottage} says

    May 17, 2012 at 12:30 PM

    yummy pots – I’m sooo gonna do this….i have a potting table display I’m working on now & will post about it coming up. I wonder if you’ll be able to spy some painted pots in it – be on the look out! xo

    http://www.NorthernCottage.net

    Reply
  34. Dana @ Cooking At Cafe D says

    May 17, 2012 at 4:20 PM

    New follower…
    Followed you over from
    https://www.itallstartedwithpaint.com/2012/05/like-fine-wine.html

    All the best,
    Dana at Cooking at Cafe D

    Reply
  35. Addicted2HomeDecor says

    May 17, 2012 at 10:50 PM

    Love this idea…I inherited some old Terra Cotta pots when we purchased our home a few months ago. I’ve already planted flowers in them for the season but I am definitely going to do this project in the fall. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  36. Rena Designs says

    May 18, 2012 at 2:04 AM

    Loved the aged pot look, I have done your method and I have also taken dirt and rubbed into the paint. People say you can put yogurt on it to get a little mossy, haven’t tried that. I love to do mosaics on my pots too!

    Reply
  37. ~Kristin~ says

    May 18, 2012 at 2:06 PM

    Heather~ I love this tutorial! Book marking it and sending you a big thank you for sharing it!!!

    Reply
  38. Its So Very Cheri says

    May 19, 2012 at 11:18 AM

    Pots just look better aged don’t they. Love the new look.

    Cheri

    Reply
  39. Beverly Pennington says

    May 19, 2012 at 11:38 AM

    I love this! I just bought a few yesterday to transplant the ones the kids brought home from school – awesome looking!

    Reply
  40. Jenny says

    May 21, 2012 at 11:02 AM

    What a great look!! I’m definitely going to give this one a try! Great idea!!

    Reply
  41. Charlie atMatchMadeOnHudson says

    July 10, 2012 at 11:13 PM

    I’m a couple of months late here, but these turned out amazing! Just included the planters in a round-up of terra cotta pot makeovers 🙂

    Charlie @ Match Made On Hudson

    Reply
  42. Tricia says

    March 15, 2013 at 8:30 AM

    Thanks for the inspiration, Heather and Vanessa! These are so adorable that you inspired me to age some of my own pots. Age definitely looks better on my flower pots than it does on me!

    Reply
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Trackbacks

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    February 9, 2013 at 2:52 PM

    […] {click here for image source} Aged terra cotta. Just love it. I have so many empty pots just waiting to be filled! […]

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    March 15, 2013 at 8:06 AM

    […] was inspired by this tutorial from At The Picket Fence. I adore how they were able to transform their off-the-shelf pots into […]

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  3. like a fine wine says:
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    […] fabulous blogging sister sensations?  I’m sorry you didn’t turn out as pretty as Heather’s (here) […]

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  4. Paint Terracotta Planters says:
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