Do you love the look of concrete pots, but don’t love the price? They are so easy to make and you probably already have what you need to make them around the house! Just follow these easy steps on How to Make Concrete Looking Pots!
1) Gather pictures of your inspo pieces
This is always my first step to any project or makeover. I take a picture, or pin a picture of whatever look or products that I’m drooling over. That way I have it handy so I can mimic the look. Here are some of my inspo pieces for concrete looking pots:
2) Shop your home or thrift for containers to use
You probably already have a stash of unused pots and vases. Mother’s Day is coming up, and I bet you have a stash of old vases under your sink from Mother’s Days past. If not, thrift for some! The color or material of your container doesn’t matter, as long as you like the size and shape of it. It can be glass, plastic, or ceramic. While you’re out thrifting, grab a lamp to make look like concrete!
3) Gather supplies
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You probably have most, if not all of the supplies, that you need.
- Neutral colored craft paint in the colors you want your object to be, and white. White can be used to mix with any other color to lighten it up. Chalk paint leaves a nice matte finish, and you can use the cheap kind!
2. Spray paint or craft paint for the background color of your container that will just peak through. Black or gray are good choices.
3. A chip brush, if desired.
4. Spackle, wall patch, or joint compound. I think any kind will work, but this is the kind that I prefer from Sherwin Williams.
5. Sand paper or block. I used 180 grit, but it really doesn’t matter.
6. Rag, paper towels, seafoam sponge, or all!
4) Paint your background color
This is the color that will just peak through any cracks or areas that aren’t spackled. You will probably want black or dark gray. Look very carefully at your inspo piece and see if there is an underlying tone or color peaking through. I spray painted these two containers black. One is a pot from IKEA, and the other is a vase from Dollar Tree. My spray paint splattered and dotted all over, and at first I was mad about it, but actually it just added to the texture and effect I was going for!
5) Begin spackling
This pretty messy, so you will want to do it outdoors or on a protected surface. Spackle does wash off easily if you get it right away. I’m not sure how joint compound or wall patch washes. DO NOT be afraid of this step. There is really no right or wrong process. It’s all about being creative and obtaining the look and texture that you want. I found it very satisfying and addicting, much like if I was a sculptor, but without all of the mess and hard work! You can spread it with your fingers, or use a plastic knife. I’ve done both. You can cover the whole container with spackle, or just in random spots. Again, there is no right or wrong, and if you don’t like the way it is looking, let it dry and sand it off. Letting the spackle dry completely before going to the next step is KEY. You will have to sand and start over if you don’t let it completely dry. I put my objects in the sun to “bake”, and it only takes a couple of hours to completely dry. Otherwise, you will probably want to give it a full 24 hours.
You can also mix paint with spackle. This gives a smoother effect and colors the object at the same time. I did this process with this vase.
6) Sand
Once your object is completely dry, you can sand off some of the excess if you’d like. You want to achieve the texture of your inspo piece, or the texture that you like. You can always add more spackle, and sand it off. Again, it’s all to your personal taste, and you just about cannot ruin this!
7) Begin Painting
This step takes me back to my faux painting days in the 90s. Again, there’s no right or wrong process here, but these are the steps I used. I looked at my inspo pieces and kind of isolated three colors from them. I mixed the craft paint to match as best I could.
I used a scrunched up paper towel, but you can use a rag or seafoam sponge. I began dabbing on paint randomly all over the container. When that dried, I dabbed a scrunched paper towel in the remaining mixed paint, and then dabbed into the white and dabbed it randomly all over the container. After this step was completely dry, my final step was to dab the container randomly with just white, covering over any blank or dark spots.
This was the final result of this three step process. Again, you just about can’t ruin it! It’s all about your personal liking! And whatever is done can be painted over or sanded off and re-done!
I will warn you-it’s addictive! I’m having a hard time stopping!
Come see what I did to a thrift store lamp! I hope you will try making your own using my How to Make Concrete Looking Pots! If you do, please take a picture of it and tag or direct message me @faith.farmhouse on Instagram, or comment below!
Looks great Danielle! I love the diy project!💕
Thank you SO much, Esther! They are so fun and easy to make! I hope you give it a try!
I love all you do!
That is so kind of you! Thank you so much!
What a great idea. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you so much, Carol! I appreciate your comment!
Danielle,
This is such a fun project. Last summer I did a garden concrete ball using a old football and that became such a hit with my neighbours, now I’m rolling up my sleeves to make a bigger one using a hopper, fingers crossed for some sunshine. Your diy is inspiring now with ideas bubbling in my head for some concrete pots. Awesome!
That’s fantastic! I hope you can make some more concrete projects.
Wow, loved it Danielle. I’m gonna make it. Thanks for the suggestion.
That was such a great idea to use spackle to help create the texture. It really is so easy to work with!
Thanks, Heidi! It does create really good texture easily!
What great way to upstyle a plain old boring vase. Do you think this will work on plastic pot for the outdoors. I’ve been working on re-styling my little garden & have been looking for something like this.
Thank you.
Spackle is pretty hardy, and seems to stick on anything, so I think it would work on plastic. Try it on a pot first to be sure, and let the spackle dry completely for a few days before you move on to the next steps. Make sure that it has a good stick and isn’t falling off before you paint. Let me know how they turn out! Thanks so much for reading!!!
Will the spackled pots hold up outside in the weather?
They will not. You could try sealing them with Mod Podge, or polyurethane.