Check out this tutorial to learn an easy and fun way to give your simple, terracotta plant pots a beautiful marbled finish!
The supplies:
- All-in-One Decor Paint
- Clear Glaze
- Disposable tray, big enough for whatever objects you are dipping
- Plastic cups
- Toothpicks
- Tough Coat
- Cardboard / drop cloth
This first step can be the trickiest part of any project: choosing your colors. You’ll want to pick 3-4 colors that all coordinate nicely together. One of these colors will be your main or base color, and the rest will be accent colors.
Tip: try to stick to colors from similar color families; for example warm colors such as yellow, orange, and red, or cool colors such as blue, purple, and green. Avoid color combinations that don’t mix together well like red and green as they’ll create brown when you try to marble them.
In this case, we chose Vanilla Frosting as our base color, and Cherry Blossom and Bee’s Knees as our accent colors.
Next, you’re going to apply a base coat of color to your entire piece. If you’re working with a flower pot like this one, make sure you paint inside AND out. Allow this base coat to dry for 1-2 hours before moving on to the next step.
In preparation for mixing our colors, we’re going to dilute the paint just a bit so it runs and drips more smoothly and evenly.
Take your base paint color (Vanilla Frosting in our case) and dilute it with clear glaze and water (2 parts paint, 2 parts clear glaze, and 1 part water). Next, take your accent colors and pour about a quarter cup of each color into individual plastic cups. Add just a little bit of water and mix well. There’s no exact ratio here, but about one tablespoon should do.
This is where it starts to get fun! Take a disposable tray or container and pour your diluted base color evenly into the bottom. You can gently shake the tray to help make it even and level. Next, take your accent colors and gently drip them one at a time, all over the surface of your base color. Keep your plastic cup close to the surface of your base color while you pour so the paint pours slowly and gently. This part doesn’t have to be perfect, but try to spread the colors out fairly evenly.
Are you ready to blend your beautiful colors?!? Grab a toothpick and slowly drag it through the paint to allow the colors to start mixing. Make sure you change directions from time to time to create a truly randomized pattern.
Hold your flower pot sideways and gently begin to roll it in the paint. You’ll want to allow the entire exterior to be covered with color, but try not to submerge the edge as you don’t want paint collecting and pooling on the inside of your pot.
Once completely covered, set your flower pot upside down to dry for a minimum of 24 hours.
Finally, we recommend sealing your plant pot inside and out with Tough Coat to make sure it’s durable and can withstand regular watering. Apply two coats with 1-2 hours dry time between coats for best results.
Tips:
- If you’re going to be marbling multiple items, you can stop at this point and re-swirl your paint before dipping again, or you can even add more colors if you’d like!
- Make sure you set up some cardboard or a drop cloth right next to your marbling station before you start rolling your pot in the paint so you’re ready when the time comes to let it dry.
- You might want to use a prop like a small block of scrap wood or a cardboard box to lift your pot up so it can drip nicely.
- The dipping part of this project can get messy! If you want to avoid getting paint stuck under your fingernails, consider wearing rubber gloves.
That’s all there is to it! This technique would be perfect for vases, picture frames, mason jars, and more! If you have any questions, please leave your comment below.
To see Rosanne making these marbled flower pots first hand, watch this video:
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We would love to hear what projects you’re working on, so make sure to leave a comment or post a picture of your project to our Facebook page or Instagram (@countrychicpaint)!
WOW – very cool!!!
Thanks Robin!
It is said that it will change so much with just a little effort. Very stylish and lovely!
Thank you very much!
I would love to try this in Lazy Linen and Jitterbug! I love how simple and easy it is AND it will still function as a flower pot!
I would love to try this technique with bliss, wanderess, and cherry blossom! Thanks so much for this giveaway!
Vanilla Frosting and Dune Grass and Bliss…..for a small night stand in my blue accented bedroom.
Beautiful I would love to do this technique in blues my favourite colour
I love it, looks like fun!
I would like to try with Sunday tea, elegance and Bliss. But there are so many other lovely colours that would work in my home as well. Love your site and tutorials. Thank you.
I would love to try it please!
Love this technique! I’d use Fairy ring, glass slipper and wishing well and then 3 more! So many combos, so hard to choose
This is so neat and adaptable to a variety of items!!! I’d try happy hour , bliss, and vanilla frosting
Great tut, I looove marble patterning! Id try it with isicle and fresh mustard colors!
Vanilla Frosting and Dune Grass and Bliss…..
Love this technique- would like yo try it with a canvas like you mentioned!
WOW !!!So awesome my combination would be bliss, wanderess, and cherry blossom! !!! Thanks
I’d love to try this in shades of green like Sage Advice, Rustic Charm, and Hollow Hills. Then it would match any plant you put in it. 🙂
this is so amazing… any combo would be beautiful
This is neat, I’ve been wanting to try it but wasn’t sure how to and now I do from watching you’re video, thank you.
Love this..love the white linen and Rocky Mountain but any combo would be nice thank you
This is amazing! Would love to try it!
This is amazing, would love to try it!
Love your products and tutorials. ..❤
Omg I would love to win this. It would be the only way I could be able to use this awesome paint.
I would like to try it in all the colors! They are all my favorites.
bliss, wanderess, and cherry blossom look beautiful❤️
Andolutely Love it!! I would love to try with simplicity, devotion, fresh mustard and something as similar as possible to woodland as I know it was a limited addition colour. ❤️
I would like be to try cranberry, cheese cake and linen
would love to try it in cherry blossom and vanilla frosting, but almost any combo of colours would work – love your color lines!
lovely!
I would like to try it in shafez of green!