DIY – How to make pots look like expensive stone planters!

Every time I walked through the Garden section of Bunnings, I would dream about concrete/stone planters instead of the giant ugly plastic pots in my alfresco. That is when I thought of giving them a makeover.. What if I could give my existing sad plastic pots a new life as funky fake stone planters?

The pots were old and scuffed, but as they were in sound shape I thought it was a great idea to give them a new life versus buying new and expensive pots.




I remembered I had some Dulux Design Stone Paint lying around from our house painting back in February. So, thought it would be just right for the makeover. Do not have the Design stone paint? Fret not. I have jotted down steps that you can use to recreate the look with items that are readily available.

So, here is how I refreshed the pots.

Supplies needed:

• A plastic pot to upcycle
• Sanding block/ Sandpaper
• Dust Mask for protection 
• Paint brush
• Container for mixing paint
• Disposable rubber gloves to protect hands
• Drop Sheet/Newspaper for protecting the floor
• Dulux Design Stone Paint
  OR
  Grey paint (or you can mix White and Black paint) - You could use regular wall paint.
  If using regular paint, you will need the following additional items to recreate the effect:
• Plastic bag for shading 
• Plaster of Paris

Directions:

1. Place the drop sheet on the floor, and start with sanding the pot with a sanding block or sandpaper. Wear a dust mask to minimize intake.
   
   
2. Wipe dust away thoroughly with a piece of cloth.
3. Take the paint out in a disposable container. If mixing colors to make paint, then do that here.
4. I straight away used the Dulux Design Stone Paint on the pot using a criss-cross pattern to get the realistic look.
   
   
   
   If using regular paint,  give the pot one coat of Grey paint. Work in criss-cross motion to get some texture. Don’t forget to do the internal ring of the pot too.
5. For the stone look, mix Plaster of Paris powder in one batch of paint and slap on the pot. Make sure you work with batches. Get details on this procedure in my DIY Copper Patina wall tutorial.
6. Use a plastic bag to scrunch out a lighter shade of grey to get patches like concrete. 

Large real stone/concrete planters retail for more than $150, so I’m thrilled that these ‘stone painted’ pots look close enough to the real thing! Just look at the transformation:

Love,
Divya