Many people enjoy the serenity and vintage appearance of an English or cottage garden. Clay flower pots with an antique or old appearance are graceful accents in these settings, but you do not have to wait years for them. Aging and making your clay pots look old is easy and can be achieved using simple painting techniques.
Instructions
Antiqued Stained Clay Pots
1. Dip an old rag into wood stain and work it into the surface of the clay pot, using a circular movement. The stain will soak in quickly---start rubbing as soon as the stain touches the pot or you may have noticeable marks where you started. Continue until the whole pot has been covered with the stain.
2. Dip a sea sponge in the wood stain and randomly dab onto the pot to simulate areas of deterioration and age. This can be done as heavily as you would like. Allow the stain to soak in and dry.
3. Spray a matte finish sealer over the surface.
Moss Painted Clay Pots
4. Repeat Step 1 of the Antiqued Stained Clay Pots.
5. Dip an old rag into green acrylic paint and wipe randomly on the surface of the clay pot. This will give it a mossy patina of age. Dip another rag into white acrylic and apply like the green paint. While the paint is still wet, wipe a clean wet rag over the surface to smudge. This paint finish will add a hard water look to make your clay pot look old. You can also do this same paint technique with only white paint for a more cottage garden feel.
6. Spray a matte finish sealer over the surface.
Verdigris Painted Clay Pots
7. Paint the entire pot, using black acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry.
8. Dip your brush into aqua paint and rub off the excess onto a paper towel until the brush is almost dry. Brush the aqua lightly and randomly over the black surface of the pot.
9. Dip your brush into brown acrylic paint and rub off the excess onto a paper towel until the brush is almost dry. Brush the brown lightly and randomly over the aqua.
10. Spray a matte finish sealer over the surface.
