You don’t have to be a professional gardener to know that terracotta pots are good for the plants but why is that? Well, first of all, clay or terracotta pots are porous and allow moisture and air to penetrate it and to reach the roots situated at the edges. These pots also have thick walls that protect the rots, which is an advantage when they are used outdoors. But clay pots also form a white crusty layer on the outside when mineral salt from water permeates the walls. Most consider that an unattractive detail and try to hide it. The following ideas are useful for cases like these but also if you simply want to make your terracotta pots look more attractive for purely aesthetic reasons.

The brown color of terracotta pots allows them to have a natural look and goes well with pretty much any kind of plant. However, at some point you can get bored with that look and feel the need for something different. A simple thing you can try involves using painter’s tape and spray paint to create a chevron pattern on the pot. Gibgabb offers more info on how to execute the project.

Here‘s a similar project, this time involving gold spray paint. The tape was used to create a chevron pattern on the outside of the pot. After spray painting it, allow the paint to dry and then remove the tape. Depending on the combination of colors you prefer, choose the shade you want for the background and apply it before painting the pattern.

For a simple and chic look, try colorblocked pots. The supplies needed include small terracotta pots, white spray paint, a foam brush and acrylic or latex paint in your favorite color. Lovelyindeed describes how the project should evolve. First you clean the pots, then you apply white spray pain. When the paint is dry, use the brush to color the base of each pot.

The exact opposite combination can also look pretty. For this to work, tape off the bottom of the pot as well as the interior. Then paint the upper portion. You can also freehand the whole project if you want a more natural look. {found on offbeatandinspired}.

Another pretty simple idea is featured on Missrenaissance. Start by spray painting the pots. Pick any color or colors that you like. Let the paint dry and then apply tape in a way that allows you section off an area that you want to decorate with gold leaf. Apply a thin layer of glue and then the gold leaf will stick.

Gold leaf can be used in a lot of interesting ways when decorating terracotta pots. On Brit.co you can find a few interesting ideas. To do something similar, first clean the surface of the pot and then apply a thin layer of gold leaf adhesive in the design that you want to create. Let it dry for a few minutes and then press golf leaf onto those areas. Wipe away the excess gold leaf and then apply sealer.

If you want your pots to look like beautiful rainbows, then try the technique described on Dillydaliart. The idea is quite simple. You need bottles of acrylic paint in the colors of the rainbow. Place the pot upside down on a large and thick piece of cardboard and start pouring paint on top of the top, directly in the middle. Repeat with all the different colors.

Color blocked designs are popular and can be adapted to a lot of things. Abeautifulmess describes how you can use the technique to give your terracotta pots a fresh new look. Start by painting the outside of the pot and let the paint dry. Then paint the inside of the pot a different color. Let it dry. After that, use a third color for the bottom of the pot.

The project featured on Thecraftedlife is really cute. If you want to make your own pots look like this, start by painting the base black. Let the paint dry. Then paint the lip of the planter and the portion of the interior which will be visible. At the end, decorate the black area using a tiny stamp or simply a thin brush.

The marbling technique can be used for a lot of interesting projects, some of which involve terracotta pots. Mix four parts acrylic white paint with one part water into a container big enough to accommodate the pot. Roll the sides of the pot through the paint. Let the excess paint drip and then apply a later of sealer or clear finishing spray. You can find more detailed instructions on Alanajonesmann.com.

An interesting idea which we found on Christinechitnis suggests using fabric. The steps you need to take for completing this project are: cut a length of fabric that wraps once around the pot and make it big enough so it folds over the top and bottom. Stick the edge to the pot using mod podge. Then coat the fabric little by little until you wrap the whole pot in it. Trim the fabric.

If you don’t want to use paint and fabric doesn’t seem like a good option either, try experimenting with rope. Start by attaching the rope at the top with a glue gun. Start wrapping the rope and continue until you reach the bottom. You can use several colors if you want. {found on housebyhoff}.

Another interesting idea is to use lace to decorate the outside of the pots. The project is extremely simple and described on Abeautifulmess. First you brush glue all over the pot or onto the areas you want to cover with lace. Then you adhere lace and brush an extra layer of glue over it to seal it.

Creative ways of displaying terracotta pots

Decorating and customizing terracotta pots can be really fun and easy but once you’re all done with that part, how will you display them? The possibilities are numerous. One option is to make a pot holder. You can find a simple tutorial on delightfully-tacky. It’s a chic macrame pot holder which you can also use for other purposes.

A large terracotta pot can be repurposed. A lovely idea is to turn it into a patio table. But first you might want to customize or decorate it in some way. Simply spray painting it can be enough but you can also experiment with twine, rope and other things. {found on thriftyandchic}.

For some projects there’s no need to embellish the pot with paint, fabric or other things. The strategy can be completely different. Thegardenroofcoop, for example, shows you how to transform a clay pot into a bird-feeder. It’s a really cute project which you can customize in a lot of different ways.

On Realhousmoms you can find instructions on how to turn a terracotta pot and its lid into a pumpkin storage container for treats and other small things. It’s not the easiest project in this list but it’s definitely worth a try.

Several tiny clay or terracotta pots can be used to make a wreath which can display on your front door. You can even fill the pots with succulents. Detailed instructions are offered on Sweetpepperrose.blogspot. Follow the steps and feel free to add your own touch to the design.

If you’re searching for a cute idea for a centerpiece, Songbirdblog offers a really great one. Here you can find out how three terracotta pots and three saucers can become a really beautiful centerpiece. You need to get the dimensions right and you can adapt them to your own needs and preferences.