Our How-To Home

  • How-To
  • DIY
  • Lifestyle
    • Recipes
    • Kristen’s Book Club
  • Blog
    • Home Updates

Explore

  • How-To
  • DIY
  • Lifestyle
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Ask Us Anything
  • Kristen’s Book Club

Connect

You are here: Home / DIY / Check Out This Trick to Naturally Age Terracotta Pots

DIY · October 14, 2021

Check Out This Trick to Naturally Age Terracotta Pots

Terracotta pots. They’re beautiful, super functional, and super inexpensive. Basically they’re everything you want in outdoor decor. But if we’re being honest, (we’re friends, so I know I can be) Terracotta pots are pretty boring looking when new. In the stores, whitewashed or pre-aged terracotta can be three times the price as your standard run of the mill pot. I’m going to get the look for a fraction of the cost by “aging” them myself and don’t worry, I’ll show you how to naturally age terracotta pots too.

 

First I should mention that there are a number of ways to age terracotta pots. If you’re looking for a super quick way and play to just use your pots for flowers, watered-down white paint is a great option. But I’m looking for a produce friendly option for my pots so I can keep my options open in the summer.

Since terracotta is extremely porous, they will absorb any chemicals into them and then in turn pass them along to your plants. Using natural ingredients will allow the pots to potentially used for herbs or vegetables in the future (as opposed to just flowers). Another option I came across in my research was using the yogurt method and letting the pot sit in the sun for a few weeks. Firstly, ain’t nobody got time for that and secondly, it apparently smells really bad. 

So here we are, the organic lime method. I originally found this idea earlier this year when Lauren Conrad was looking for a natural solution for her pots. 

For this project, you’ll need:

  • Terracotta Pots
  • Water
  • Organic Garden Lime
  • A large container such as a bucket
  • Paint brush
  • Sandpaper (optional)

How to naturally age terracotta pots

This is a pretty messy project so I strongly recommend doing this outside in an area you can get dirty.

  1. First, you’ll need to create your lime solution. You can estimate a 1:1 ratio of Garden Lime to water. (For example: 1 cup of Lime to 1 cup of water). Mix well using your paint brush. The Lime will settle to the bottom of your container so to a certain extent, that is to be expected.

The more watery your mixture is, the shearer your layers will be. If you’ want a grittier look, you can add more lime to this ratio.

  1. Once mixed, begin painting your pots with the mixture. The more sediment you add, to your pots, the rougher and grittier it will look. I’m going for a smoother finish so I opted for several light layers.

The lime will dry very quickly as you go, but you can continue to add layers to cover up any drips or imperfections that you notice.

  1. Don’t forget to paint the inside rim of your pots as well where the dirt will not cover!
  2. Overall, I ended up doing about 4 coats of the lime solution per pot to make sure that I had plenty of layer for a smooth finish.
  3. Once the pots are dry, you can take your hand or some sand paper and begin rubbing off the excess. My lime came off very easily and I did not end up needing the sandpaper, however if I had added more sediment, it probably would have been necessary.

I absolutely love the finish! It’s the exact color and texture I was hoping for when I thought to age terracotta pots and fits in perfect with our design esthetic.

One thing I am nervous about is whether or not the lime is going to stay on the pot long term. For that reason, I’m going to let these sit inside for about 24 hours just to let them fully dry and hopefully let that terracotta soak in that lime.

After that they’re going outside and I’ll keep you posted on how they do!

You can find more about Lauren’s original post here.

UPDATE: As of now we are 6 months in. I was pretty worried that the rain was going to immediately wash the lime away and leave me with weirdly stained pots. Fortunately, the lime has really soaked into the pots and created a beautiful, more realistically aged look that I love. I can’t wait to get this filled again in the spring for a full update, but as of now! I highly recommend this technique. 

Posted By: Kristen · In: DIY

Our Master Bathroom is a Complete Gut Job – The Demo
Removing a Toilet – It’s Easier Than You Think!

You’ll Also Love

Make Your Own Terracotta Pumpkins With This Dupe
black door with decorative trim and white craftsman moldingChange your Home’s Whole Look with Simple Custom Door Trim
Homemade apple sauce with cinnamonThis is the Easiest Homemade Apple Sauce You’ll Ever Make!

Comments

  1. Ali says

    March 8, 2022 at 8:13 PM

    Thanks for this great tutorial. Of all the places I looked your method seemed the easiest and the results are exactly what I am going for.

    Reply
    • ourhowtohome says

      March 27, 2022 at 3:39 PM

      I’m so glad it was helpful! Good luck on your project!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Trending

  • Want a Black Interior Front Door? How New Trim And Paint Change Everything
  • Our Beautiful Traditional Brick House With Black Windows Remodel
  • Mini Chicken and Waffles – The Ultimate Brunch Appetizer!
  • Glass Barn Doors Gave Our Office A Stunning Modern Look
  • Gray, black and gold powder bathroom
    Get the Room: Details & Links – The Powder Room

Categories

  • Blog
  • DIY
  • How-To
  • Lifestyle
    • Kristen’s Book Club

More You’ll Love

Christmas Coffee Table Decor so Easy to Make and Looks Gorgeous

Christmas Coffee Table Decor so Easy to Make and Looks Gorgeous

Your Easy Guide to Patching a Drywall Hole

Your Easy Guide to Patching a Drywall Hole

Easy DIY Clay Vase – Using Paint & Baking Soda!

Easy DIY Clay Vase – Using Paint & Baking Soda!

ourhowtohome

Scarlett Annette Mangold ♥️ You are so so lov Scarlett Annette Mangold ♥️ 
You are so so loved baby girl.
One view of this nursery just isn’t enough😍 One view of this nursery just isn’t enough😍

We’re days away from meeting our little girl and if she’s anything like her parents we’re in big trouble! 

At least the room is cute. 

#nursery #babygirl #nurserydecor #nurseryinspo #nurserydesign #safaribaby #safaritheme #littlegirlsroom #38weekspregnant #whitefurniture #refurbishedfurniture #refinishedfurniture #diyhomedecor #diyprojects #housetohome
We’re so ready for you baby girl! When we starte We’re so ready for you baby girl! When we started working in the nursery there was not a chance I thought it would be totally ready in time. Close? Sure. But finished? No way. 

We are so lucky to have so many people help us along the way (and for getting so many great deals on marketplace to bring this room together!) 

Now all we need is a little girl to use it!

#nursery #nurserydecor #nurseryinspo #babygirl #babygirlnursery #safari #animalnursery #facebookmarketplace #refurbished #38weekspregnant #nurseryideas #babygirlroom #homedesign #bedroomdesign #changingstation #safaribaby
Bookshelves for the nursery are FINISHED!! Can yo Bookshelves for the nursery are FINISHED!!

Can you believe this was all done with scrap wood that we had in the garage? 

For our baby shower we asked guests to bring a book in lieu of a card and im obsessed. We have the perfect amount of new stories to fill our shelves and a million memories to make in this cozy nook. 

#booknook #bookshelves #bookshelvesofinstagram #childrensbooks #nursery #nurserydecor #nurseryinspo #scrapwood #scrapwoodproject #reelsinstagram #memoriesforlife #snuggletime #cozynook #reelsvideo #nurseryroom #nurseryinspiration #childrensroom #reelsviral #childrensroominspo
What a year it’s been! I feel like we’ve don What a year it’s been! 

I feel like we’ve done so much work to the house this year but when it’s almost all in one room, I’m realizing it doesn’t always look like it. 

With the nursery almost ready to go and baby girl coming any day, we can only begin to imagine the great things 2023 is going to have in store for us! 

Happy New Year everyone!

Thanks for sticking around and being a part of our story 💜

#newyearseve #2022recap #2022wrapped #homeprojects #2023 #happynewyear #housetoahome #primarybathroom #livingroom #homedecor #renovation #newyear #recap2022 #reelsofinstagram😍 #reelsvideo #homesweethome #homedesign #nursery #boardandbatten
GAME CHANGER After years of making gingerbread h GAME CHANGER 

After years of making gingerbread houses and waiting the torturous overnight for the icing to dry we finally asked the question - why are we doing it this way?
 
Hot glue for the win! We saved the icing for decorating and the brownstones we’re ready for decorating immediately. 

Even Kevin who was a skeptical gingerbread traditionalist agrees… we’re never going back!

#nevergoingback #gamechanger #rowhomes #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbread #reelsinstagram #instagood #christmascrafts #christmasdecor #reelinstagram #christmasreels #holidayseason #christmasvibes
When I found this sleigh in the Target dollar sect When I found this sleigh in the Target dollar section, I knew it needed to be part of our holiday decor this year. Only problem? It needed a little something extra- queue for the stain! 

This updated sleigh is so cute and the perfect addition to our mantle. I found this pine cone filler and mini ornaments to complete the look! 

#christmasdecor #sleigh #pinecone #miniornaments #mantledecor #merrychristmas #holidaydecor #holidaycrafts #reelsvideo #merryandbright #stain #sleighride #christmastime #holidayseason #reelforyou #christmasmantel
Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Our How-To Home · Theme by 17th Avenue