Rain, Rain, Go Away! (Or don't, because I'm actually being really productive...)

With all the rainy days we've had in NYC lately, I've had to get rather crafty about what to do when I'm cooped up inside all weekend...

...My latest endeavor? Terra Cotta Flower Pots.

Now I don't know if you've shopped for planters lately, but they're insanely expensive and not always all that cute! And, considering all the time I've spent surfing the web looking for a great planter and come up with zilch within my budget, I figured it was time to just make my own.

First, I bought a variety of sizes and a few different, bright colored acrylic paints.

Then I painted each one a solid, bright color and did the rims in chalkboard paint.Having recently become obsessed with bold geometric stencils, I chose a pretty easy pattern to create a stencil from. 

Unfortunately I didn't document making this pot so you'll just have to take my word for it. It took several hours to trace, paint, and then outline each shape but the final result makes it totally worth it!

Important note: terra cotta pots are tapered--they're wider at the top than at the bottom. This is totally NOT conducive to geometric stencils. If you can, go for an abstract pattern or something that doesn't need to line up perfectly to look ok (the back of this pot looks a little weird where the shapes finally met up). 

 For the second pot I chose a floral motif.

First I drew onto tracing paper a stencil I found online. 

Then I put half of a manila folder under the tracing paper and cut out the stencil with an Exacto Knife. 

This took a while, but in the end was really helpful in making the pot.

I decided to do a kind of tonal gradient to add some visual interest but again, this took a really looooooooooong time. 

Now that it's done though, it's exactly what I wanted.

Lately I've gotten really into accessories with a Moroccan flare. I love the mix of bright colors, delicate and intricate patterns, and the abstract visual interest these patterns create on the surface of the object. I had a small blue pot left, so I figured I'd free-hand my own Moroccan-inspired design. 

My only wish is that I had used a finer brush because I think these designs should look more delicate. 

Overall though, I think these now pots totally hit the mark when it comes to spicing up my boring backyard. Bright pops of color and bold patterns definitely add variety, and the fact that they're handmade makes them unique and special.