My latest obsession has been the front of the house. And boy, do we have big plans for lots of areas on the front and around the outside! BUT, until then, I have been focusing on things I can actually fix myself. You can see the really cute little home front update I have done so far here and all the products I used to create it.
So I pack up the girls to head to the store because we needed toilet paper. And then I accidentally found myself in the gardening section with new pots and plants in my cart. I had a little front porch table idea pop into my head and immediately called Matthew to let him know of the new addition to his "honey-do" list! Yay! New projects!! And so we went home to get started! And....then I forgot the toilet paper. Oops...
Since cute pots can actually end up being pretty expensive and I had no exact idea in mind, I went with the classic (and cheap) terra cotta pots. But I was not feeling their orange clay. Since we are a few weeks away from getting the fireplace redone, I have had a lot of "whitewashing" on my mind. So I figured, why not try it on the terra cotta? If I hate it, I'm only out like 2 bucks so whatever. As you can probably guess, I loved it! It's literally the easiest thing you could possibly do and has a transforming effect.
I took some leftover Dove White paint by Benjamin Moore from the entryway remodel and put it in a little cup. I basically just dipped my paint brush in the tub of paint and then rubbed the brush off into the cup a few times. You DO NOT need a ton of paint for this. Then I added water until it was watered down and running off the brush when I lifted it.
Dab the brush onto a dry paper towel to get all the extra paint and moisture off to it is as dry as possible.
Paint it on. I did small sections as a time because the terra cotta absorbs the paint super fast so you need to be a little speedy for these next steps. I just swooshed the brush side to side. It does not need to look clean or be completely covered.
Then take a clean paper towel and rub it off. Rub in the direction of the paint strokes. Do this after you paint each section. So paint a section and then immediately run it off. Then work your way around the pot. Don't forget the bottom as well as the inside lip of the pot that the dirt won't completely cover. And bam, you're done. Literally. Because it's already dry and ready for a plant. That fast!
I really love the versatility of this project. Start light and then you can add more if you want. Add more uniformly or make some areas heavier than others for a different look. Started too heavy? Just rub more off while it is still wet, or sand some spots once it has dried. You really can do any direction with this and it will be stunning in the end. It is SUCH a cheap project which makes me love it twice as much!
