DIY Terra Cotta Vases

I’m not one for hopping on trends, but this one I just couldn’t pass up. I had a bunch of vases that I didn’t love the colors of, but I did love the shapes. I was googling cheap vases to replace them with to finish off my piano decor. Then I realized I already had what I needed, I just needed to get some paint & some baking powder! After watching a few DIY videos I decided to give it a try.

before

after

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A FEW TIPS:

  • You DON’T have to use wall paint, but it does need to be acrylic and latex free. Craft paint from Walmart worked just fine. I used the Apple Barrel 97 cent paint in the colors Khaki, Jack-O-Lantern, Flamenco Red, Lite Mocha, and Sunkissed Peach.

  • You HAVE to use Baking Powder NOT Baking Soda.

  • If you’re struggling to find a terra cotta color, you can mix orange, red and tan- but that was rough and it came out a bit discolored and honestly, I wish I would’ve searched harder because it wasn’t worth it. On the second coat I had to add some brown on the ones I did “terra cotta color” because it dried very pink. The smallest vase you can tell is much more pink because I didn’t do a second coat on that one.

  • Mix in a 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder to your paint in a cup or on a plate at a time. Some recipes say a whole tablespoon but it’s way too clumpy and you can avoid waste but adding a bit at time.

  • If you’re working with glass you’re going to need multiple coats. If you are working with ceramic, you will probably only need one.

  • Start from the bottom and work your way up.

  • The paint chips very easily so be sure to set it with hairspray or any kind of setting spray for paint/dried flowers- just be sure to use one with a matte finish so that it doesn’t end up glossy.

  • It will feel like chalkboard and it will feel awful so if you’re a texture sensitive person like I am, wear gloves when picking up the dried vases.

  • Don’t forget to take a little brush and paint the inside as far down as you can go to avoid seeing the original color vase.

  • The paint dries very quickly when mixed with baking powder so be sure you can sit down and do the job all at once- aka not with a baby with needs like I did.

  • Use a cheap medium sized brush for the best precision.

  • Don’t choose vases with a lot of grooves and details as paint will tend to get clumpy, fall off when dried and it’s hard to get each of the nooks and crannies.

Alright, I think that’s all of the mistakes I made and things I wanted you to know that I wished I had known before starting.

All that to say, here is a fun little video where you can watch me make lots of mistakes and basically host “How NOT to DIY”.

 
 

Good Luck! - Ry

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