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    Home » Crafts » How To Make A Plastic Flower Pot Look Like Granite

    How To Make A Plastic Flower Pot Look Like Granite

    Modified: Mar 15, 2023 by Kathy Owen
    This post may contain affiliate links

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    Make a plastic flower pot look like granite with a paint and sand mixture. 

    I had a bag of sand in my stash of stuff so thought I would experiment a little bit. You guys know I do that all the time. I mixed the sand with some paint to see if it would look like granite or rough cement. It worked. The plastic pot I painted looks like weathered gray granite.

    How A Paint And Sand Mixture Makes Plastic Look Like Granite

    How A Paint And Sand Mixture Makes Plastic Look Like Granite

    The flower pot has depth and character now and it looks anything but plastic. Plastic pieces are great for experimenting with new paint techniques!

    plastic flower pot or planter

    This is how the pot started out. I think I picked it up at my favorite junk shop but not sure. If that’s where it came from the price was probably a dollar. I liked the lines on the pot. Kind of art deco-looking.

    how to make a plastic flower pot look like granite

    This is how the pot looked after I worked my magic. This was definitely a trial-and-error project. But that’s the way I work most of the time.

    Behr paint sample from the oops paint shelf at Home Depot

    I started the project with this small sample of Behr paint in off-white. The sample was on the oops paint shelf for 50 cents. I can’t pass up those deals.

    how to use a mix sand and paint to paint a flower pot to look like granite

    I have this bag of sand in my DIY supplies. I would tell you where my sand came from but it could be that I did something illegal  (not meaning to of course). You can buy bags of sand at the craft store or dollar store and from now on that's where I will get my sand. You can do what you like but just laying the info out here for you.

    mix sand and paint to make granite looking paint)

    I mixed the sand and paint together without measuring anything because that’s how I roll. Probably the mix is equal amounts of sand and paint. This is something you can play with. More sand means a rougher finish. I did learn you can add too much sand and the paint will just crumble off the brush when you try to paint it on your project. If you make this mistake as I did just add more paint to the mix.

    sand and paint mixture

    This is how the paint looked when it was wet. Right after painting the plastic pot, I decided the color was too white.

    how to paint a plastic flower pot to look like gray granite (2)

    I found a gray color in my stash and mixed up more sand and paint. The sand and paint mixture goes a long way. Next, I brushed that mixture over the white paint.

    how to paint a plastic flower pot to look like gray granite (5)

    It was still too light for me. I found dark gray paint and added black to the paint to make it darker. Then I added the sand to the paint.

    plastic flower pot painted with paint and sand mixture to look old

    I brushed the dark gray mix on and let it dry. Then I mixed more of the black paint with the dark gray mixture and just brushed it over a few areas on the pot.

    how to paint a plastic flower pot to look like gray granite (4)

    This is the last step I promise. I went back to my original too-light paint and sand mixture and added gray paint to it until it was light to medium gray.

    how to dry brush white paint mix over dark paint

    Then I dry brushed that mix over the dark gray pot. If I would have used the white mixture I started with to dry brush the planter it would have been too much of a contrast. The white would have stood out way too much.

    make a plastic flower pot look like old granite with a rough texture using sand and paint

    I love how the pot turned out and now that I know how to do it there will not be as many steps. There is nothing wrong with trying a new technique or making up your own. It’s okay if you don’t get the look or effect you're going for the first time around. Keep working on it. That’s what I do…….all of the time.

    DIY a plastic pot to look like gray granite or concrete

    The flowers I bought for the pot are Kalanchoe. I know the name because I saved the tag. They sure are pretty. Three of my favorite colors.

    beach sand and chalk finish paint make plastic look like granite

    The plastic flower pot now looks aged and weathered and like granite or rough concrete. My next sand and paint project will be off-white with various shades of white. We'll see how many steps I have for that project. It all comes down to getting the right combination of colors for the different layers. Three layers of color should be all you need.

    How to make plastic look like granite using paint and sand

    Sand gives a lot more texture to the paint versus the baking soda technique I tried a couple of weeks ago. What do you think of the planter and my painting technique? Leave a note if you have time and thanks for being here, Kathy

    More Projects from Petticoat Junktion here.... All DIY

    Kathy Owen
    Website

    Author: Kathy Owen (Petticoat Junktion)
    Kathy is the founder of PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, old hardware, rusty stuff, and thrifty finds into unique home décor. Kathy’s projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Read more about Kathy here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bonnie

      June 23, 2022 at 9:25 am

      What a great idea! Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Karolyn

      May 10, 2022 at 12:07 pm

      Oh my gosh, I love this! I have a pretty large pot I painted a few years ago and really never like it so this technique is something I am going to try!! Thanks so much for sharing this cool idea!!

      Reply
    3. sylvia Gorton

      May 07, 2022 at 5:04 am

      I loved the pot, I will be doing several, as I enjoy container gardening, You did a great job teaching us how you roll, are you sure you aren't my daughter. I loved it all.Thank you so much.

      Reply
    4. Tammy Scott

      May 06, 2022 at 3:54 pm

      Hello from Jacksonville, Fl! Love your methods and style, Kathy. Nothing wrong with flying by the seat of your pants. That's exactly what attracted me to your blog. Your flower pot turned out awesome.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        May 06, 2022 at 5:39 pm

        Thanks Tammy! What a nice comment.

    5. Barb

      May 05, 2022 at 11:42 am

      That looks amazing.
      How will it hold up with watering or rain?

      Blessings
      Barb

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        May 06, 2022 at 5:40 pm

        I don't know. It is sitting on a covered porch. I didn't seal it because I wanted to see what would happen. It can always be sealed with clear outdoor polyurethane in either a flat or glossy finish.

    6. Kathy Smith

      May 04, 2022 at 9:49 pm

      Love the planter, thanks for the information! I love watching your paint techniques on furniture too!

      Reply
    7. Christine

      May 04, 2022 at 2:37 pm

      Great Job! Can you tell me how this would hold up with rain, etc.?

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        May 06, 2022 at 5:41 pm

        I'm waiting to see, lol. It is sitting on a covered porch. I'll do an update on it later after it's been weathered for a while.

    8. Tammy

      May 04, 2022 at 12:25 pm

      How would you protect it from water damage?

      Reply
    9. CC

      May 04, 2022 at 7:45 am

      love the texture & the color! and also your realness on sharing ALL the steps!!
      I have some sand......so 😉

      Reply
    10. Geri

      May 04, 2022 at 6:10 am

      Great idea, I buy those 50 cent oops paints too! Great way to experiment!
      Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Tess

        May 04, 2022 at 6:16 am

        Would you seal it to make it more durable? Do you think it needs it because of moisture outdoors, etc?

    11. Christine

      May 04, 2022 at 5:29 am

      Awesome idea. Thanks for sharing. I have a pot like that could definitely use this. Have a blessed day.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kathy!

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