Delightful DIY pot decor

Pastels, polka dots, and ribbons: cheer up your flowerpots

Ordinary flowerpots get a brand-new look when decorated with paint, markers, and twine. These eye-catching windowsill accents are done in no time. If the pots you have at home or find in stores don’t suit your decor, paint them any way you like!

Author Anette Nässling, Tiina Arponen

Images Johanna Myllymäki, Satu Nyström

September 17, 2025Lue suomeksi

Materials:

A variety of pots, new or old
Acrylic paints and brushes
Paint markers
Contact paper for the circle pot stencil
A sponge you can cut into pouncers (or ready-made pouncer sets that are available in craft stores)
Decorative ribbon and jute twine
Non-water-soluble glue and/or hot glue
Scissors.

How to decorate flowerpots

Paint simple shapes with acrylic paints using brushes of various sizes. Single-brushstroke marks are beautiful. Decorate the saucer, too. You can also invite children to join in painting colorful pots. Just make sure you have plenty of paint and brushes on hand.

Write snippets of your favorite song lyrics on the pot in cursive. A paint marker will give you a neat finish.

Draw your desired shapes on the back of the contact paper and cut them out. Press the stencil onto the unglazed clay pot and dab paint on with a sponge. You can also paint using only a pouncer—use one color or several. Start by dabbing on one color. If you want multiple colors on the pot, let each layer dry before continuing. Once it’s dry, move the stencil and repeat. Finally, glue decorative ribbon onto the dried pot.

Pot on the left: Paint inverted rainbow patterns around the top edge and yellow dots around the bottom edge to form a grid. The easiest way to make small dots is with a cotton swab. Pot on the right: Cut lengths of jute twine and glue them into a rainbow shape, leaving the ends at the bottom hanging freely.

Use chalkboard paint or dark matte paint to create a spot for the herb’s name. A halved soda bottle gives small seedlings a greenhouse-like environment.

You can also decorate the edges of the pots with plastic-coated tape. Shapes cut out of oilcloth are another option, as long as you attach them with waterproof adhesive.

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Pastels, polka dots, and ribbons: cheer up your flowerpots

Materials:

How to decorate flowerpots

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