DIY Mini Marbled Painted Pots

I just love all things mini. Crafts seem somehow more fun in miniature – who’s with me on that? But I also think that a house becomes a home only when it contains those quaint (and mini) details that give it that distinctive, yet intangible, je ne sais quois quality (if I may invoke a little French!). It’s those little details – the colours, accessories, textures, and shapes – that inject a space with a dose of personality and, hopefully, a little whimsy, too. So today, in celebration of crafting ‘fun-sized’ decor (and, really, any excuse to craft works for me) I am sharing these DIY mini marbled painted pots with you.

Materials you will need:

mini terracotta pot(s)
acrylic paint colours of your choice
paint brush
white nail polish
a skewer (or two – at least 1 for every two pots you paint)
acrylic sealer (such as Mod Podge)
bucket (an old or disposable one is best) (not pictured)

Step 1: Paint Pots

Paint each mini pot in whatever colours you’d like. Since acrylic is a thin medium, you will need to paint a couple of layers to create a solid base. I paired a vibrant colour with white for each pot, like the one pictured below.

Don’t forget to apply paint to a portion of the interior so that no unpainted parts show through once you fill the pot with soil.

And don’t neglect to paint the plate that your pot sits on!

Allow the pot and plate to dry between each application of paint. Once the final layer is applied, let dry before moving onto the next step.

Step 2: Marble Pots

In order to create the smoky, marble effect on each pot, you’ll need some nail polish. For this step, you will be working pretty quickly, in one continuous motion (you’ll see what I mean in a moment) so be sure to have all your materials within reach. These include:

bucket (filled with warm water)
skewers (1 for every two pots will work)
painted pots (fully dried)
white nail polish

Note that using warm water to fill your bucket is absolutely crucial! This is because warm water (as opposed to using cold water) will slow the hardening process of the nail polish for these next steps:

First, pour the nail polish into the water. Pour as close to the surface as possible. This will prevent the polish from sinking to the bottom. Second, stir the nail polish using your skewer. There is no science to this so just move things around a bit, but don’t linger! The nail polish begins hardening as soon as it hits the water. The warm water will help slow this down a little. Third, gently dip your pot into the water as far as you wish the marble effect to show. For this project, I dipped each pot into the water until the surface touched the edge of the white rim of the pot. Fourth, gently pull the pot out.

Once you’ve removed your pot from the water, it should look something like this.

Repeat these steps for each pot.

Tip: I suggest dumping the water and refilling your bucket for each pot you want to marble. If not, you will have some sticky residue left in the water that may take away from creating a smooth and smoky, marbled finish.

Once the pots have dried, seal them by spraying Mod Podge on them – follow the instructions on the product. Let dry.

Now, simply fill your pots with soil and your favourite mini plants, such as cacti or succulents, and enjoy!

I had such fun creating these mini marbled painted pots. I love how cute they are and how sweet the little cacti look in them. And best of all, we finally have some indoor plants that our cat Napoleon won’t eat – he sniffed them soon after we brought them home, but after pricking his little nose trying to get at them, he decided they just weren’t worth the effort 😉

Napoleon’s eating habits (or lack thereof) aside, I hope you try these DIY mini marbled painted pots. They’re a great way to inject some pops of colour in your home decor.

Happy marbling 🙂