DIY Customized Herb Pots with Elmer's Single Painters ( #ExpressYourself )

I love my garden, but I am running out of room for all my favorite herbs. With the way I love to cook, can I ever have too many?

I wanted to decorate my front porch with decorative pots of herbs for a while now, but have you seen the price of painted Terra cotta pots in stores? Yikes! This was one project I knew I could tackle myself, but the #ExpressYourself campaign and Elmer's Single Painters Paint Markers gave me the final nudge to just try it. I couldn't wait to see how easy (or not?) it would be.

We had the perfect place all picked out to put them. I wanted them right next to my lonely rosemary and mint pots.

Our local Walmart carries the Elmer's Painters Paint Markers in a wide variety of colors and tips. Not only can you find packages with multiple colors, but now you can buy the colors individually for just $1.97 each! Ours were located with the craft supplies section with the craft paints.

I fell in love with the metallic colors, silver and gold, and also grabbed white and black paint pens as well. You can see our entire shopping experience in my Google+ Album.

Just shake the pen and hold the tip down till the paint begins flowing. I started mine out on paper first. After that, they are ready to go.

These pretty pots are simple and inexpensive to make. I purchased a variety of brushes, sponges and a roller, but a simple small paint brush worked the best for me.

You Will Need:
Clean terra cotta pots
Acrylic Outdoor Paint - in colors of your choice
Paint brush
Elmer's Painters Paint Markers for decorations and writing
Drop cloth or newsprint to put down
Painters Tape
Stencils or designs to use
Pencil

I started by taping off the rims and painting the pots one of three colors, red, orange or green. It was a beautiful day and they dried in under an hour while I was busy in the house.

Then I removed the painters tape and blocked off the body of the pot so I could paint the rim, inside and out. I chose a dark and neutral brown for both the rim and the bases.

I found a fun little design online, cut it out with my exacto knife and traced it with a pencil. Using the Elmer's Painters I could trace the design and fill in the gaps. The paint flows freely and did an excellent job of covering the paint underneath with a single stroke. I loved that it didn't require multiple applications or a long wait between use.

With the first pot I embellished, my hand wasn't as steady. When I went back to outline the design, my black lines were too thick. The pens dried so quickly, I didn't have to wait to go back over them with more gold. Again, it covered perfectly allowing me to hide the flaws easily. Does that look better?

I decided to write the herb names directly on the pot rim. I liked the simplicity and color on the body of the pot. The Paint Markers write exceptionally well.

For a final touch I painted some inexpensive wooden spoons to match the pots. I added the herb names, pronunciation and plant genus to the spoons with the Elmer's Painters Pens. I wish I had also purchased some fine tip metallic pens, but overall it came out well.

I love how they turned out! I have the expensive custom look at a fraction of the cost and loved every moment spent making them.

I am going to enjoy these pots on our front porch, but I might be making a few more to give away as gifts. I will need to go back and expand my collection of Elmer's Single Painters.

You can find other great project inspiration on Elmer's website as well as by staying connected to them on twitter (@Elmers) or their Facebook page.

Also check out the #ExpressYourself and #GluenGlitter hashtags on twitter.

*Disclaimer - I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric