Make These Rustic White Herb Planters In Three Simple Steps
These rustic white herb planters are a simple but effective garden craft that makes use of any old pots you may have lying around. I made these herb containers to sit on some outdoor shelving, but they would also look good positioned on a windowsill or as a garden table centrepiece.
All you need to make these rustic herb pots yourself at home are:
Some small terracotta pots (you can also use the plastic containers left over from buying nursery plants). It’s not essential, but I also like to use an accompanying terracotta tray.
Any exterior or all-purpose paint (garden paint, leftover masonry paint or all-purpose paint works best).
Small paintbrush.
Fine-grade sandpaper.
There are only three simple steps to follow for this garden craft: paint, sand and stamp! To start, make sure that your pot is clean, dry and free from any loose dirt. Coat the pot with a thick application of white exterior paint - including lipping over inside the rim of the pot where it won’t be covered with soil - and wait for it to dry. You can, of course, use any colour paint for your pots! However, I like the look of the white with the vibrant green of the herbs.
Water down some black paint with a ratio of 80% water and 20% paint and gently dab it onto your pot with a paintbrush or a sponge for a cloudy effect. This will dry quickly in a matter of minutes. Once dry, go over the cloudy black marks with a sporadic, light and rough application of the white paint for a second time.
When all of the paint is dry, gently sand the edges of the rim of the pot, removing the paint for a rustic, aged look.
Tip some of your black paint (not watered down this time) into a shallow tray or onto a piece of sponge or kitchen towel and use your stamping kit to name your pot with a herb of your choice.
These pots are now fine to leave outside and can take being watered; the paint will not wash off or fade! Simply fill with a range of herbs that can be snipped as you require.