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DIY Mini Marbled Painted Pots

Add some lovely pops of smoky colour with these DIY mini marbled painted pots. A fun DIY project for your home.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:

Supplies - Mini Marbled Painted Pots

  • 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.

First Painted Pot - Mini Marbled Painted Pots

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.

Paint Interior Rim - Mini Marbled Painted Pots

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

Painted Pot and Plate - Mini Marbled Painted Pots

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.

Marbling a Painted Pot - Mini Marbled Painted Pots DIY

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

Mini Marbled Painted Pot

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!

Pot and Display - Mini Marbled Painted Pots

Green Mini Marbled Painted Pot

Mini Marbled Green Painted Pot - Up Close

Mini Marbled Blue Painted Pot

Mini Marbled Blue Painted Pot - Up Close

Mini Marbled Painted Pot DIY - Dusty Rose Up Close

Mini Marbled Painted Pot DIY - Dusty Rose Up Close

Add some lovely pops of colour with these mini marbled painted pots. A great DIY to add to your home decor.

Add some lovely pops of smoky colour with these mini marbled painted pots. A fun DIY project for your home.

Add some lovely pops of smoky colour with these mini marbled painted pots. A fun DIY project for your home.

Ducks in a Row - Mini Marbled Painted PotsI 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 πŸ™‚

Add some lovely pops of smoky colour with these DIY mini marbled painted pots. A fun DIY project for your home.

 

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For more craft, decor and DIY inspirations from around the web, check out: Inspiration SpotlightMonday FundayThe Handmade HangoutLink Party PaloozaPeace/Love Link UpCreate It ThursdayTurn It Up TuesdayCraft Schooling SundayBest of the WeekendTalk DIY To Me,  Create.Link.InspireShow and TellInspire Me MondayMeet Up MondayTutorials & TipsThe Wednesday RoundupBloggers Spotlight Link PartyCreative Spark Link PartySaturday SharefestDare to Share, Saturday SparksMad SkillsThe Creative Corner Link UpNo Rules Weekend Blog PartyFlaunt It Friday,  Funtastic FridayBFF Open House,  Creativity Unleashed,  The DIY Collective,  The Creative Exchange,  Welcome Home Wednesdays,  The Wednesday Round UpCreate.Link.Inspire, Tutorials & Tips,  Mad Skills,  The Creative Corner Link UpThat DIY Party,  Happiness is Homemade,  Snickerdoodle Sunday,  the DIY Link PartyShare It One More Time,  Sweet Inspiration Link Party,  Pretty Pintastic Party.

46 Comments

  • Reply
    Katrin
    April 30, 2016 at 9:55 am

    They look gorgeous! I love the pretty happy colours! I’ve marbled eggs this easter with nailpolish and it was a fun project, I think this is even a better idea, to marble little pots! Thanks so much for sharing at Sweet Inspiration #4, I love all your projects!!! Have a lovely weekend!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      April 30, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      Thanks Katrin! That is so nice of you to say πŸ™‚ The marbled eggs project sounds like it would be a lot of fun, too – I’ll have to put that one in my back pocket and save it for next year. Take care!

  • Reply
    Marie, The Interior Frugalista
    April 30, 2016 at 11:00 am

    They are so pretty! Love how you used pretty colors on the pots and white nail polish for the marble effect. Perfect for Mother’s Day gifts or I’m thinking on guest tables at my daughter’s wedding in her peacock feather color scheme. Thanks fo the tutorial and the inspiration. Pinning to share ☺

    • Reply
      Jelica
      April 30, 2016 at 1:22 pm

      Thanks Marie! I’ve seen marbled projects of all kinds and loved all the colours people have used, but I really wanted to create something soft and ‘smoky’ and so I settled on using white to accomplish this. So glad I did! It’s definitely a great Mother’s Day gift. And I absolutely LOVE your idea of using the craft at your daughter’s wedding. It would be a great alternative to traditional centerpieces. Would love to see it if you do πŸ™‚ Take care!

  • Reply
    Pamela Smith
    May 1, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    So cute! I love this idea! it really pretties up a basic pot. Thanks for sharing!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 2, 2016 at 5:33 am

      It was a great excuse to use up some of my white nail polish, for sure. I am definitely happy with the final result and those little cacti look so cute in them, too πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Jamie
    May 3, 2016 at 1:31 am

    Thanks so much for sharing these cool painted pots at The Pretty Pintastic Party! We love them so much we are planning to feature them at the party coming up this weekend. We hope you’ll stop by, grab a featured badge, and share some more great posts!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 3, 2016 at 8:20 pm

      Yay! That’s wonderful Jamie – thanks so much for the upcoming feature. Will definitely visit again this Friday. You always have so many great ideas lined up each week πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Casserole Gals
    May 4, 2016 at 8:10 am

    So cute! I will be pinning this to our Craft Pinterest Board, with hopes to do it in the future!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 4, 2016 at 8:13 am

      That’s great! I do hope you try it – it is simple to create and adds nice pops of colour too πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Helen Fern
    May 4, 2016 at 12:25 pm

    I need to make some of these!
    Thanks for sharing at the DIY party at Pleasures of the NW!ο»Ώ

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 4, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      My pleasure Helen πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Julie
    May 4, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    I marbled some plastic hearts last valentines and loved the process – so much fun. These pots are really pretty and would make such lovely gifts

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 4, 2016 at 7:06 pm

      That’s one of the advantages to marbling – there are so many applications. Love your idea. I may try that myself πŸ™‚ Thanks for stopping by!

  • Reply
    Charlene Asay
    May 4, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    These are so fun. I am going to have to pin this for later. THanks for sharing with us all.

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 4, 2016 at 7:05 pm

      Glad to share. I hope you do try them sometime. Each one will turn out differently which makes it all the more fun!

  • Reply
    Shehla Ahmed
    May 5, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    What a cute idea! I love the idea of having little pots of succulents around but this would make it so much nicer. Thanks for sharing!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 5, 2016 at 4:19 pm

      Succulents would definitely work for this project as well – just love them!

  • Reply
    Petite Words
    May 6, 2016 at 6:14 am

    These are SUPER pretty! And look really simple too. Thanks for the inspiration (:

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 6, 2016 at 6:22 am

      Thanks so much! Sometimes the best crafts are the simplest ones. The best part is coming home each day to see them lined up along the window sill πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Lisa B.
    May 11, 2016 at 8:24 am

    Good Morning! I wanted to let you know that your post has been chosen as a Featured Post for the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party!! Stop by this morning to see your post linked up and grab a Featured button as well!! ~Lisa~

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 11, 2016 at 8:10 pm

      I so appreciate being featured at the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party! Thank you so much πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Carol
    May 12, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    Oh these turned out great and thanks for the easy to follow steps. Featuring when my link party opens up tonight.

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 14, 2016 at 7:03 pm

      That’s wonderful Carol! Thanks so much for the feature. I so appreciate it. And thanks for hosting the link party πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Mary-the boondocks blog
    May 16, 2016 at 11:02 am

    Jelica I really love this effect. It almost looks like water marks. Which is actually pretty when you think about the fact that we add water to the plants. Beautifully done! Pinning.

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 16, 2016 at 1:50 pm

      Thanks Mary! My intention was to create a subtle effect, for sure. Never thought about watermarks per se, but I see it now!

  • Reply
    Dara
    May 21, 2016 at 10:08 am

    I like these a lot! I need some little pots of cacti to protect my bamboo my cat keeps eating ???? Do you think it would work as well if I did white pots with colored polish?

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 21, 2016 at 1:26 pm

      Absolutely it would! Coloured polish looks so great against white. Any polish would work, though I have read that the cheaper the nail polish, the better it sticks. Either way, I would first do a test on a small piece of the pot to see what works and what doesn’t. Wipe clean with a rag (also, nail polish remover works well) and then start fresh once you are ready to do it for real. Hope you try it. I would love for you to share here or on my facebook page πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Erin
    May 21, 2016 at 12:36 pm

    Love. Love. Love these!!

  • Reply
    Ginger Wroot
    May 25, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    These oh-so-cool pots are such a great gift idea! I have someone special who has lots of little succulents plants, and these pots will totally rock her day. Pinned, Thanks!
    –G
    http://gingerwroot.com

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 25, 2016 at 5:41 pm

      These would definitely work nicely with succulents – and any small houseplants for that matter. So glad you enjoyed the post!

  • Reply
    Pili
    June 20, 2016 at 6:24 am

    Jelica you amaze me! You always come up with so many great DIYs which don’t require a lot of effort but they sure look so cute!!

  • Reply
    Marie
    June 20, 2016 at 10:11 am

    Wow! These are so pretty! I love how each of them turned out… Such a smart DIY. Thanks for sharing your tutorial with us at Merry Monday this week!

  • Reply
    Jes
    June 21, 2016 at 6:27 pm

    These marbled planters are SO cool! My kids would love helping me make these! I help run the “Talk DIY to Me” link party and we will be featuring DIY planters from this week’s link up! You should add this one to the party! http://mydiyenvy.com/outdoor-decor-ideas/

    • Reply
      Jelica
      June 21, 2016 at 7:21 pm

      Thanks very much Jes! I will definitely pop over and add this project. Thanks for the invite πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    creativejewishmom/sara
    June 27, 2016 at 5:49 am

    Really gorgeous! I’m thinking this might work with traditional marbeling techniques as well, namely with oil paints and gelatin in a tray. One could tape off the rim and then roll the pot in the marbeling solution. Thanks so much for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      June 27, 2016 at 9:05 am

      Absolutely! You’ve just given me some more inspiration πŸ™‚ Thanks for stopping by!

  • Reply
    Natalie
    June 29, 2016 at 6:14 pm

    Cest vraiment très beau,
    merci beaucoup pour le tuto☺

    • Reply
      Jelica
      June 30, 2016 at 1:15 pm

      Merci Natalie! So glad you found the tutorial useful πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Hannah@unsophisticated+jejune
    July 7, 2016 at 5:55 pm

    They are super! What a great idea – my mum will love it too, she has just discovered Modge Podge and wants to use it on everything! Haha πŸ™‚ Hannah

    • Reply
      Jelica
      July 7, 2016 at 6:58 pm

      Thanks Hannah! Mod Podge is one of my favourite products to use – so versatile. Your mom is a very wise woman πŸ˜‰

  • Reply
    Christene Holder
    July 14, 2016 at 12:06 am

    These are awesome!!!! I love how they turned out πŸ™‚

    >> Christene @ Keys to Inspiration

    • Reply
      Jelica
      July 14, 2016 at 6:30 am

      Thanks Christene!

  • Reply
    Ashleigh
    July 14, 2016 at 8:39 pm

    Thanks for sharing at Peace, Love, Linkup! Hope to see you next week for more posting fun : )

    • Reply
      Jelica
      July 14, 2016 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks Ashleigh – glad to share πŸ™‚

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