I have always loved the look of old pottery and all things Terracotta! It’s beautiful, unique and normally handmade. It is definitely a trend right now. The only thing I do not like is the hefty price tag. In this post I will go over a few different looks that you can achieve by upcycling old items using things like paint & dirt, (yes dirt) ! They all have slightly different looks by using slightly different techniques. This first little vase DIY pictured above I did with chalk paint and mud from my own backyard literally. I got the oval glass vase second hand for $5 and already had the flower vase in my garage. I also already had the chalk paint on hand, but if you don’t you can pick up a small bottle at Walmart in the craft section for about $6. For this one I used a creamy white. First I cleaned the vase with hot water and completely dried it. Next I did about 3 coats of paint. I used a dabbing technique and an old worn bristly paint brush. I was trying to create as much texture as possible. After about 3 coats of miscellaneously dabbing and painting in all different directions I reached the coverage and texture I liked. Once it dried I grabbed a little dirt from the yard and added a tiny bit of water to it. Not too much or it will be runny! Then I added small vertical strokes around the vase with the mud. I did small amounts at first and then added more and more until I loved it. It turned out so cute and really cost nothing. I loved it so much I painted multiple vases and planters that next week using the same paint and mud technique. I have them as little accents pieces in multiple rooms now. Here is a little planter I turned into an aged birds nest holder using the same technique as above.
This next vase is another old flower Vase I had in the garage. I believe I got it from the Dollar Tree back in the day. For this one I did the same technique above with the same creamy white chalk paint but instead of adding the mud I lightly sprayed it with some matte black spray paint I had left over from another project. The trick was to hold the can far from the vase so it caught sprinkles in stead of actually spraying it for coverage. This one created a more concrete look. I couldn’t capture the full texture in the picture but it looks like a stone/concrete vase. It’s truly so pretty in person. This one is my daughters favorite! I love having fresh flowers in the home and I love having different looking vases to chose from now! Whether your changing things up for the season or just want to have variety these vases are so fun and a very easy way to take a simple dollar tree glass vase and make it look more high end!
This next look is more of a Terracotta look. So find some old vases or little bottles and give this one a try! This is easy and requires no mud! The trick to getting that beautiful powdery terracotta finish is by adding baking soda to your paint! There is no exact ratio that I have perfected. I personally poor paint into a throw away bowl and then add small amounts of baking soda until I get that powdery looking paint. I used a few different colors. From Pinks to Oranges to Creams and Tans. I was going for a little boho look with these colors. I grabbed the $1 craft paints from Walmart as well. You can use any paint and cater it to your color pallet for wherever your bottles will be placed. I’ve seen these done in all kinds of colors and they all look beautiful! From blues and greens in a coastal inspired room, to blacks and greys in a more moody setting! You really can’t go wrong with these!
After sharing some of these little projects on my personal Facebook I’ve had friends as far as India and as close as next door share there’s with me. Made me smile that it inspired them to try a little DIY and that they will always have that in their home. These are fun and easy little projects that add a little “you” into your space because it’s homemade by well “YOU”!
Which ones your favorite? Let me know and tag me in your photos if you decide to try!
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