The Easy Way to Turn Clay Pots into These Gorgeous Statement Pieces

What You’ll Need

• 3 cactus plants
• 3 clay pots with saucers
• 3 plastic pot liners or clear acrylic spray varnish
• Acrylic craft paint in white, metallic gold, green and red
• Sandpaper
• Paintbrushes
• Painter’s tape
• Sponge brush
• Sponge or soft rag
• Soft tape measure, optional

Directions

1. Soak pots and saucers in warm water for 1 hour. Sand rough edges and wipe clean. Allow to dry completely.
2. Using a sponge brush, apply 2-3 coats of white acrylic paint to saucers and pot exteriors, drying after each coat.
3. Paint the top edge or rim of pots and saucers as desired. If desired, use soft tape measure to calculate the circumferences of the pots and use this as a guide for painting designs.
4. Paint designs as desired and let pots dry completely.
5. Line pots with plastic liners or follow manufacturer’s directions to apply 2-3 coats of varnish inside of pots, letting dry after each application.
6. Plant pots with cacti and place in a sunny window.

Herringbone Design: Use a pencil to mark angled lines in a continuous pattern around the pot. Use desired paintbrush to paint metallic gold and green lines where marked.

Triangle Design: Use a pencil to mark a continuous triangle pattern around the bottom of a pot. Attach painter’s tape along the sides of one triangle and paint with metallic gold. Allow to dry completely; remove painter’s tape. Repeat until complete.

Random-Diamond Design: Use a fine paintbrush to paint red diamond shapes at random places around a pot. When dry, use a fine paintbrush to paint a metallic gold border around each diamond.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2l4Tlna