How To Make Drip Painted Flower Pots (Pour Paint Tutorial)
Are you looking for a special one-of-a-kind gift that’s perfect to give as a housewarming gift, as a Teacher Appreciation gift, or even for Mother’s Day? Try making paint pouring flower pots! These drip-painted flower pots are exactly the kind of fun crafts that will check all the boxes of what you’re looking for.
Pour painting is one of my new favorite craft projects for kids! It’s an easy way to create unique art that can also double as a fun gift idea that would be perfect for birthdays, Mother’s Day, Grandparents Day, or even Teacher Appreciation!
And they make a perfect spring activity because you can use them outdoors or as an indoor planter and begin planting spring and summer flowers!
Mother’s Day is the perfect day let mom relax and recharge as you spoil her with some of her favorite things. Fresh-cut flower bouquets are gorgeous, but I personally hate watching them start to wither. (a cupcake bouquet is a fun edible twist!)
If you’re looking for a memorable Mother’s Day gift for kids to make this year, these drip-painted flower pots are one that every mom will treasure. Even if she doesn’t have a green thumb, you could fill it with a gorgeous faux plant or flower arrangement for an (almost) instant color piece of indoor or outdoor decor.
It’s deceptively easy to achieve this cool marbled effect!
Drip-Painted Flower Pots As A Gift Idea
We decided to make these gorgeous rainbow flower pots as end-of-year gifts for my boys’ school teachers. The boys were so excited to see the finished pots, and we filled them with faux flowers and a cute personalized note.
We decided to use a limited number of colors so that the pots remained simple-looking. They were so pretty with the paint dripping down the sides of the plain terra cotta pot! More than once throughout the process I wanted to tell the paint, “Freeze right there – you look amazing!”
But gravity had a mind of its own and I LOVE how these drip-painted flower pots turned out!
How To Make Drip Paint Flower Pots
Whether you’re planning to give these pots as a Mother’s Day gift idea, a birthday, gift, a Teacher Appreciation (or end of the year) gift, or something else, here’s what you need to know in order to make them.
TIP: Drip-painted flower pots would also make terrific housewarming gifts!
Supplies Needed
- Variety of colored craft paints (acrylic paint works great)
- Small clay pots (2.5 in. diameter)
- Paper plate
- Drop cloth (optional)
- Toilet paper rolls
- Short fake flower stems
- Glass gems (or other pot filler)
Drip-Painted Flower Pots Directions
All you have to do is pour a bit of craft paint onto the pot so it runs down the sides. Then, add more colors on top of the first one until you get the colors and effect you want.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make this craft!
Step 1
Prepare the workspace. I recommend using a paper plate under your pot as you make this project in case of any paint spills.
Step 2
Turn the terracotta pots over, bottom side up.
Step 3
Start with your desired bottom paint color. Slowly pour paint around the bottom of the clay pot. Allow the paint to slowly fall over the sides of these drip-painted flower pots.
Step 4
Repeat this step with other colors.
As the paint starts to slowly fall down the sides, consider using the toilet paper rolls to support the clay pots up in case the paint hits the bottom edge of the pot. Paint will then drip down onto the paper plate instead of puddling up at the bottom around the edge of the pot.
Note: These pots easily held up the toilet paper rolls. However, if you use a different size pot, you’ll need to consider supporting the pot with a different object.
Step 5
Continue pouring until the pots look the way you want them to.
You don’t want to pour too much paint as you’ll need much more drying time to complete this craft.
Step 6
Once your drip-painted flower pots are complete, set them aside to dry completely.
Step 7
When dry, turn the pots over and fill them up! We went with glass gems and faux flower stems in the middle of the pot.
Project Tips
Here are some great tips to help ensure these drip-painted flower pots turn out perfectly!
- You might find it helpful to tape the holes on the bottom of the pot closed so the paint doesn’t run through the hole.
- You could paint the entire pot in a base color (like white) if you want and start from there before layering on other colors through paint pouring.
- Expect lots of dry time. It took our pots a FULL two days for the paint to completely dry.
- BE CAREFUL not to squeeze too much paint at one time, or the shades of paint will muddle together. Instead, I recommend using small amounts at a time since you can always add more, but you can’t take paint away.
- Elevate the pot so the rim doesn’t touch the work surface. Allowing the pot to sit right on the work surface will cause the paint to gather around the rim and dry there, resulting in a messy-looking rim. Since we were painting small pots, toilet paper rolls worked great to hold our pots. However, if you are painting larger pots, I recommend using empty jars to hold your pots to allow the paint to drip off onto the paper plate or drop cloth.
- Your finished pots don’t have to hold plants! They’re also fun options for holding crayons, office supplies, school supplies, bookmarks, crayons, scrunchies, bracelets, and MUCH MORE!
- Have your kids wear old clothes or a painting smock to protect their clothing!
- Let your kids pick the bright colors they want to use – the results will be unique and amazing!
- Fill these drip-painted flower pots with faux flowers instead for floral beauty all year long with no care necessary!
That’s it! Your paint pour flower pot craft is ready to give for Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, housewarming, or any other special event. 🙂
Drip-Painted Flower Pots FAQs
It’s SO much fun! Kids and adults will both enjoy creating without the pressure of needing painting talent or expertise.
These amazing paint drip pots are practical, which makes this project a true win-win! They are perfect for kids to make as gifts for grandparents or as a sweet volunteer gift project for seniors (neighbors or in care facilities)!
Yes! If you plan to use these terra cotta pots indoors, acrylic paint is all you need, and you don’t need to seal them.
However, if you think they’ll hold outdoor plants, I recommend sealing the pots with a waterproof sealant (with a matte finish) if you use acrylic paint. Another option is to use Patio Paint, which is specially formulated outdoor paint.
No! However, I find it usually looks much better that way because the rim at the top of the pot often has a little lip because paint can just drip off rather than run down the pot.
No, not for the drip paint part. However, you could use spray paint if you want to paint the pots a uniform color before adding the paint drips.
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More Gift Inspiration
Here are some other great homemade gift ideas you can make!
- DIY Rainbow Bath Bombs
- White Chocolate Caramel Cappuccino Bombs
- White Chocolate Mocha Coffee Bombs
- Awakening DIY Citrus Shower Bombs
- Easy DIY Glow-In-The-Dark Bath Bombs For Kids
Pin For Later!
Mother's Day Flower Pot Craft With Paint Pouring
Materials
- Variety of colored craft paints
- Small clay pots (2.5 in. diameter)
- Paper plate
- Toilet paper rolls
- Short fake flower stems
- Glass gems (or other pot filler)
Instructions
Prepare the workspace. I recommend using a paper plate under your pot as you make this project in case of any paint spills.
Turn the clay pots over, bottom side up.
Start with your desired bottom paint color. Slowly pour paint around the bottom of the clay pot. Allow the paint to slowly fall over the sides of the pot.
Repeat this step with other colors.
Continue pouring until the pots look the way you want them to. You don’t want to pour too much paint as you’ll need much more drying time to complete this craft.
Once completed, set aside to dry completely.
Notes
As the paint starts to slowly fall down the sides, consider using the toilet paper rolls to support the clay pots up in case the paint hits the bottom edge of the pot. Paint will then drip down onto the paper plate instead of puddling up at the bottom around the edge of the pot.
Looking for this, only from the top of the terracotta. I’m so excited to try this. Thank you so much for sharing your talent and ideas.