How to Decorate Plastic Flower Pots

When purchasing flowers from a nursery we often end up with many black plastic flower pots. Rather than throw them away once the contents have been planted out, why not keep them? Black plastic flower pots are not all that attractive of course, so they will need to be jazzed up a little with simple decorations. Once they look fantastic, they can be used to decorate a corner of the deck, or make a feature in the house or garden. Here are some ideas to get started.

Painting Plastic Flower Pots

Simply painting a plastic flower pot will make it look completely different. Paint should be plastic rather than oil-based. A rich brown which always looks really lovely with green plants, or something quite different might be fun. Suggestions?

• Red and white stripes – horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
• White background with flower heads and stalks all the way around.
• Green or blue background with geometric or abstract design
• Black and white zebra stripes.
• Black or brown on white ‘cow’ splotches.
• Leopard spots – fantastic
• Light background with contrasting ladybugs.

Rope on Plastic Flower Pots

Rope is a wonderfully decorative item that gives texture as well as design, shape and color. For best results a hot glue gun will be needed to fix it on. If the plastic flower pots are intended for outdoor use, plastic or nylon rope should be used as rain will stain and rot natural fiber rope. Here is how to fix rope onto those plastic flower pots.

• Rope can be twisted around the pots and fixed on with hot glue.
• A thinner rope or twine can be used to make different shapes on a painted pot.
• Twine can also be twisted into a pattern of any kind and glued over the rope that is positioned horizontally around the pot – so there is rope on rope.
• Rope can be painted to give a color or design as well as texture

Using Shells on Plastic Flower Pots

Shells can be used to decorate the plastic flower pots in any design or pattern. They can be glued on over a contrast paint or even over rope.

Shells can be painted first or left natural.

Hint: Do not glue shells around the top where the plastic flower pot will be gripped when moving it as this could knock them off or break them.

Other Ways to Decorate Plastic Flower Pots

It is possible to use a combination of the above ways to decorate plastic flower pots. For instance several rounds of rope at the base and sand, paint or shells at the top. However a simply way to renew pots is to wrap with pretty paper or foil and tie ribbons around them. A big floppy bow would look great with a painted pot. Naturally, such decorative tricks would only be for indoor pots.

Paint glue on sections of the pot at a time and then drizzle white sand over it before it is dry. This gives a subtle colour and an interesting texture.

Glue small pieces of broken colored tiles around the pot.

Decals will also look fantastic on a flower pot for those who are not arty – or patient – enough to paint a motif.

How to Group Plastic Flower Pots

If the plastic flower pots are of different sizes, place the taller ones at the back. They will look best if similar colors are grouped together, but they can be tied in with the same background color and have different designs on them.

Once several decorated pots have been finished there will be enough for an outstanding feature.