DIY: aged terra cotta pots

There’s a bunch of tutorials on how to “age” terra cotta pots all over the internet.  Most involve using fertilizers, lime powder and some even suggest yogurt.  The problem with these, at least for me, is that it also means leaving the pots to sit in the mixtures for at least a month before you start to see any change.  If you’re impatient like I am and need instant gratification, I’m happy to report that you can get the look of old, crusty, mossy pots in less than half an hour, with the help of paint and sand paper.

The key is to use a textured or faux stone spray paint.  I used this one by Rust-oleum in sand. 

First, I sprayed a light coat on the exterior of the pot, and let dry completely (I accidentally deleted the photo prior to sanding-sorry!)

Then, using some 80-grit sandpaper, I gently sanded away the paint in random areas around the pot, followed by a quick sanding with 150-grit sandpaper to even out the roughness.  Don’t worry about being uniform…you want it to look as though it has aged naturally, so the more random, the better:

And here it is with a plant and some moss:

(Tip: I used my pot for a plant, so I wouldn’t suggest spraying the paint inside, because it will kill your plant!)  Happy crafting!