DIY Hand-painted Pots

Embellish your windowsill with these unique, DIY hand-painted tin pots.  Transform the humble coffee tin into a vibrant plant pot, perfect for adorning a windowsill or adding a pop of color to an open shelf.  This one-of-a-kind pot is the ideal companion for any plant or treasure stash, adding a touch of your unique creativity to your space.

It all started with a love for a particular brand of coffee, which came in these large, reusable tins. Instead of tossing them into the recycling bin, I found a clever use for them in my garage and studio-they became the perfect storage solution for all my odds and ends. 

My journey with these tins began with a simple idea: why not add a splash of color to them? I started by slapping on some leftover house paint and placing a plant in one. The following year, I took the decoration a step further, spending time mixing vibrant colors in oil paints. The result? A collection of chic, hand-painted pots that brought me immense joy.

After a year of collecting coffee tins, I dedicate four days to cleaning and preparing the tins for the fun decorative painting stage. Once all is done and dry, I will use up the oil paint left on my palette after completing a fine art painting. Painting the tins is like the cooldown exercise after a vigorous stage of creative energy. 

What to do with those old socks for the studio? 
One day, I thought about what to use that is FREE to keep my sleeves from running over my fresh paint. Why do the old socks with worn heels turn out to be the best painter's gloves?  

• Snip a circle in the heel of your sock for the thumb.
•  Cut off the sock toes to your finger length. 
• Put on disposable plastic gloves first, then slide on the sock glove.

Now you have a comfortable glove to hold your sleeves out of the paint and keep the plastic gloves tight. 

When I am painting the tins, I put my whole hand into the tin and rotate the tin on my arm as I paint. 

Coffee Tin Preparation Steps:

• Take labels off.
• Use Goo Gone to take off the label glue.
• Wipe down with soapy water to remove the Goo Gone.
• Wipe with a paper towel to let dry, or gesso/paint will be patchy.
• Gesso paint 2 coats to add a protective coat, as well as the oil paint, which will stick easier and make the decorative brush move about more evenly. 
• Let dry.
• Enamel House Paint (using up old stock we have leftover), Oil paint if you have it, makes for the best surface quality that is durable. It does require ventilation and longer drying times, but it is worth the effort. I keep one brush in a plastic bag wrapped and store it in a cool place until the next coat is needed. At the end of the job, I will dispose of the brush rather than using a variety of cleaners. Just buy cheaper acrylic brushes.
• Do two coats of base paint for coverage and durability. This is your base coat before the decorative painting, and can have an underlining coverage, so you do not need to detail paint if you are not up to it.
• Use the artist's oil paint for decorative painting on the base coat. Oil paint in artist quality will give the painter much more time to maneuver and make strokes.

JUST REMEMBER THE RULES WITH PAINT TYPES: 

YES, you can under-paint with acrylic paint, and YES, you can then add OIL PAINT over top of the acrylic. 

BUT DO NOT USE oil paint first, then try to add acrylic paint over top... this will not work out!

Never keen on following patterns or doing stencils, I decided my designs are intuitively inspired, and so I put the brush into the oil paint and made a mark to follow the mood of the lines and strokes. I will work on 3-4 tins at a time to keep it in the creative groove.

The time period to complete my pots started from March 8th to April 11th, so I only do this pot painting once a year. Now that the hand-painted tin pots are done, they can dry and next get photographed for the blog. I had fun giving each pot its own unique name.

There are several ways to use the decorative pot. Since it is food grade, having previously contained coffee, I use mine as the CHIC POT on the counter and refill it with fresh coffee grinds.

Primarily, I enjoy using these painted pots for both indoor and outdoor plants. Great size to fit window sills, tables, counters, etc. BONUS: The tin's lip along the top is useful when watering to keep the drips inside the pot, rather than spilling over the edges, which I am infamous for.  

When using pots for plants, it is essential to create holes in the bottom for drainage; otherwise, your plant will suffer severe damage. Place the plastic lid on the bottom, and using a thick nail, hammer several holes through both the lid and the pot bottom simultaneously. The lid on the bottom provides the tin edges with protection from rusting, similar to the old plate saucers.

NOTE: These tin pots, when used for the plant, will last approximately three years before they start to rust inside the can. At this point, they are ready for disposal, and a new one should be made.

To start the slide show, click the image.

VIEW 17 Funky Chic  

Hand-Painted Tin Pots

designed by Minaz Jantz

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

I love the plants in colorful tin pots sitting on the windowsills, as they bring joy when the weather can be grey. The plant sticks are my designs, adding that POP when the plant has no flowers. I collect old plates and layer them with my pots. In the photo, I am growing spider plants and outdoor daisies that will go back outside when the season warms up. 

These hand-painted tins are paired with a daisy plant and 'Adam & Eve' plant stickers. The 'Adam & Eve' stickers feature a unique design that adds a playful element to your plant display.

• find old plates that might have a chip or get a bit weary for table wear to use for plant bases. The dinner plates are a good size for the tin plant pot. 
• To make plant stickers, start by printing your chosen plant images on photo paper. Then, cut them out and glue them onto both sides of a chopstick. This simple process adds a decorative touch to your plants and can be a fun project to do with kids.

Make these funky, chic pots for your home and garden. 
Great to give as gifts, the perfect pot!

Enjoy the process of creating, as it takes your soul out for a stroll while it unwinds the weary mind!

Creatively Inspired, Minaz