Adventures in Spray Paint

Okay folks, let me just tell you... I LOVE me some spray paint. Spray painting is definitely my favorite way to paint. As I've mentioned before, I think anything and everything can be made beautiful, even if it takes some work. I'm not scared of ugly things! Which is good, because I'm also hopelessly attracted to cheap things... The cheaper something is, the better it looks to me.

My whole thing about making things beautiful... Well, not only do I believe all things can be made over into little beauties, but I also want all my things to be made over in such a fashion. The truth of the matter is that the more visually appealing I find something, the more excited I am going to be to utilize that something.

Now, long story short, my momma has been blessed with some green thumbs. I have not. But I've been envious of her overflowing garden {stocked with fresh herbs, veggies, and flowers} for years now. So I decided that I was going to plant some plants!

So I wanted to plant things... But alas, I had nothing to plant things in. So I hijacked an old planter from my mom's {said planter will be here-on-out referred to as the SPIDER PLANTER, because I found and killed the TERRIFYING spider pictured right inside said pot}. Then mom and I headed to IKEA in search of $0.99 pots. But alas again! IKEA is under construction and their accessories section is simply the saddest... No pots. So off to Lowes, where I found little, perfect-sized self-watering pots for $1.77 each.

My pots were your very, very standard "pot colors": terra cotta and olive green. Fine colors, don't get me wrong, but I wanted my pots to be special! I wanted them to be visible on my adorable balcony! My pots needed a makeover.

Obviously, I opted to spray paint them all! Even the drip tray (essentially a clear plastic circle) for underneath my spider planter. Of course I was on a deadline to plant and of course I ended up spray painting on the windiest day of the year, I swear. Folks, don't spray paint on windy days if you can help it. That advice was once given to me by a creepy man trying to hit on me in the spray paint aisle at Home Depot... Thanks, creepy Home Depot shopper! ;)

SO ONTO MY DIY: 

You will need:

a large planter & small pots
a plant tray
some bricks, rocks, or wood scraps (must be taller than your pots, but fit inside of them)
spray paint for plastic
a spray paint trigger attachment (optional)
old cardboard (like a flattened box)

Now like I said, this was the windiest day ever and I was spray painting under a tree... It made for an exciting experience. There was a lot of waiting between gusts of wind and picking little leaves out of freshly applied paint, but I'll leave those steps out for you all. ;) 

Be sure you buy spray paint that will adhere to plastic... If it doesn't say anything about plastic on the front, read the back of the can carefully to see. For this project, I used Rust-Oleum Painters Touch. Also worth noting: this spray paint trigger has been a godsend. Anyone who's spray painted before knows that the can trigger can wreck havoc on one's finger tips and coat your hands in drippy paint. I got this one as a stocking stuffer last Christmas, but I'm fairly certain you can pick one up at Lowes or Home Depot -- and they're cheap! 

1. Flip both your large planter and your plant tray upside down.

2. Attach your spray paint trigger attachment to the spray paint can you'll use for the planter and tray. Apply a full coat to both, being sure to fully cover the sides and of the plant tray and the crevices in the planter. You'll want to do these first because the tray may need another coat and the planter will need to be flipped right side up to finish.

3. Next grab your little pots. Start by painting a light, thorough coat onto the top inside rim. 

4. Flip your pots over onto the rocks/bricks/wood scraps you have so that the pots are elevated. Be careful not to touch the wet rim or to scrape the rim against the bricks (or whatever). 

5. Apply a light, full coat to the bottoms and sides of the pots, being sure to coat the bottom of the lip as well. 

6. Let your little pots dry and check your large planter. If it is dry to the touch (should be within 20 - 45 minutes), flip it over. Paint the top and inside rims. Be sure to paint down about 4 - 5 inches on the inside of the pot. 

7. Check your large planter and plant tray for touch-up spots and apply those now. *Note: Do not worry about painting the other side of your drip tray. If your tray is clear like mine, painting the bottom will make the topside look flawlessly painted and shiny.

8. Let dry, and voila! You have beautiful pots! If you'd like, you could coat the pots with spray acrylic sealer as well (you can get this at Michael's or another craft store). 

*Please forgive the sloppy-quality... Camera phones & losing light...

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