DIY Aged Painted Planters

In this post I’ll be sharing an easy way to transform basic garden planters with a just few simple materials and painting techniques.

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Today I’m sharing a super simple summer DIY project. Brought to you by my recent obsession with all things Mediterranean-inspired. I have been pinning ideas to my garden board over the past year and noticed my taste really gravitated towards more “aged” looking planter pots, especially the idea of styling them in small groupings around our pool deck.

These aged stone planters tend to run on the pricier side, often seen in shops like West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Ballard Designs. But there’s always a DIY route if you want a similar aesthetic on a budget.

I have been slowly collecting large planter pots in lightweight materials like plastic blends. But most of them were mismatched and pretty basic with just one solid color throughout. Making them look kind of flat with little visual interest other than their overall shape. So I turned to a few simple materials (paint, sealer, and some elbow grease) to transform them into something a little more “lived in” and with a cohesive color palette.

This project is totally beginner friendly and can be as detailed or as simple as you’d like. I recommend gathering a group of planters and dedicating an entire morning or a good chunk of an afternoon for this. You’ll likely start forming a little assembly line and go through the priming, painting, and sealing steps in groupings. Saving you time and effort in the long run. Plus, once all your materials are out, you might as well pump this out all at once.

Speaking of materials…

MATERIALS

assorted planters / pots (this project is ideal for a thrift flip!)
paint primer
acrylic paints
paint brushes
paint pail or tupperware
chopsticks
gloves
sealer top coat
paper towels or an old rag
baking soda

HOW TO

Start by cleaning your planters with a bit of soap and water. Once dry, add your base primer coat. I have personally used both a brush on primer, and a spray primer. They both work well, but the spray primer is much quicker and easier (especially if you have one of these spray paint nozzles… seriously the best $10 spent.) Make sure you extend the primer down a few inches on the inside edges of the planter as they are usually still visible once plants are potted.

It’s important to allow enough time for the primer to dry. You’ll be adding the paint and distressing techniques on top so you don’t want the primer to peel off if you try to paint it while it’s still wet.

Next, decide on a base coat color for your planter. Using acrylic paints, mix various shades to get your perfectly “aged” tones. I like to use takeout chopsticks to mix paint. This time around, I went with more of a warm greige (grey and beige) concrete look, but I also plan on making a few in the brick and terracotta color palette next. If you plan to make a pair or set of matching planters with the same color, make a large enough batch of mixed paint. That way they look somewhat uniform. Even though this aged planter project is VERY forgiving and imperfections almost add more to the overall finished product.

Use a large paintbrush to completely cover the surface of the planter(s). Again, make sure to cover the inside edges as well.

After your base color layer is dry, you can move on to adding additional layers of paint. Play around with using darker shades (add a few drops of dark brown or black to your base color) in areas that are recessed, and lighter shades (add drops of white to your base color) in areas that you want to stand out or highlight.

This project really relies on you to “trust the process” meaning that oftentimes things can tend to look worse before finally coming together. I suggest getting in the zone with a fun music playlist, and letting go of perfectionism as you start adding layers and experimenting with different painting techniques.

Painting techniques to achieve an aged or faux stone look:

Mix paint with baking soda to add a gritty texture. The measurements depend on how textured you want it. But in my experience, always add more baking soda than you think you need because once you start painting, the texture can get a bit lost in the details.
Use a damp paper towel or rag to swipe on the paint and achieve that “washed” effect. You can keep the swipes going in the same direction for a more brushed concrete look, or apply it in swirls for a marbled effect.
Use a dry sponge or crumpled up paper towel dipped in a lighter color paint to dab over the high points of the planters or any area that has detail you want to stand out. Like ridges, or molding.
Barely dab a large paintbrush into your paint, and wipe off the excess on a paper towel or rag. Then lightly skim over areas of the planter to achieve a dry-brushed look.
For a more authentically “aged” and mossy effect, try mixing in a few shades of green. Also, keep the base of the planter darker and gradually lighten as you move upwards.

TIP: If you have any extra paint left over, store it in a sealed tupperware for a future planter or touchups.

Once you are happy with the final look of your planters, wait until all the paint is fully dry (usually overnight) and then finish off with a top coat sealer. You’ll definitely want to use one for exterior/outdoor use. I applied 2-3 coats of this sealer to make sure my planters would last.

Although this may not be the most permanent DIY, I think this technique would work for at least a few seasons of all-weather outdoor use. I think they might even get better over time as they start to fade in the sun or go through the elements. We’ll see how they hold up!

Looking back, I would have made the base color of this large planter from Costco a bit darker, so that the honeycomb texture stood out even more. But, overall I love the way it went from a basic light grey to a more mauve/concrete look.

These urn shaped plastic planters (I scored a set of 2 for under $35 at Ross) are one of my all time favorites. The original planters had a bit of stone-like texture already, so I just used the stippling paint technique and love the way they turned out.

And lastly, this black planter was kindly donated to me by a fellow plant loving friend. While I LOVED the overall size of it, the square shape and solid black material were leaning a little too modern for the aesthetic I was aiming for. Again, a bit of paint, and some “swirling” and swiping with a damp paper towel gave this planter a whole new life.

One final tip: to keep your outdoor decking material as stain-free as possible, be sure to use planter risers. I bought a pack of these rubber ones and used a drop of super glue to adhere them to the bottoms of the planters. You can also opt to use risers with wheels or something a bit more decorative, but I liked the simple rubber ones because they were really hidden and didn’t distract from the overall shape of the planter. These will keep the planters elevated and off your deck to prevent staining, while also providing better drainage for your plant babies.

I’m thrilled with my little groups of “aged” planters scattered around my outdoor patio, and cannot wait to continue adding more to the collection over the next few months. Hope this inspires you to upgrade or repurpose something in your garden this summer!

Looking for more DIY painting and home decor content? Check out my DIY textured pottery paint project here!

Xx Laura