Design

Happy Pots

August 17, 2011

We believe we should all love where we live.

We’re a couple of homebodies, working to uncover the home our home wants to be. And we’re so happy to have you here. 

Portfolio

Projects

Design

We're Chris + Julia

read more

What we're                   right now

Loving

browse the shop

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here. 

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen. 

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.

browse all

browse all

browse all

02

01

03

Popular Posts

1.

2.

3.

Top Categories

We’re adding little pops of color in the kitchen today….errr, posting about it–I actually did this yesterday.  Remember our little succulents on our new open shelving?  When we bought them, we also picked up three plain, ceramic pots for 49 cents a pop at Ikea to house our little plants.

When I was pot-shopping, I was looking for something that was plain so that I could paint them whatever I wanted to, and these little putty-colored ones were the perfect blank canvas:

I busted out my acrylics and came up with a game plan–I would do a green-yellow one, a blue-purple and an orangey-yellow one.  So, what is that?  Grellow, Burple and Oranellow (which you have to say to the tune of the old Caramello candy bar commercials).

Each pot took me about 7 minutes to paint, which was a few minutes too long for Greta’s curiosity.  Lucky for you, I sped the whole process up to 3:40 and added a Goodbye Elliot track (Ticket to Love), so you could catch me (and Greta) in action:

After just under 30 minutes total (in real time), my little pots were all happier:

 

And they were ready to meet their tenants:
It looks like THAT was a really awkward first meeting.
With some extra potting soil, I transplanted the succulents and stood back and admired.

And then put them up on the shelf and admired some more.  The changes we have made to the kitchen (painting the cabinets, painting the countertops, adding a roman shade) have all been very neutral colors, and these bright planted pots (and a few chartreuse dish towels) are just what the space needed to bring it home.

 

And sidenote: At 49 cents a pot, don’t you think this would be a fun party idea?  Date night? Mmmhmm, me too.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

What do you think?

  1. Farah says:

    great one… yes a very fun craft idea…
    i will try some soon… I am your newest follower, waiting for some more fun ideas…
    love from
    http://craftaworld.blogspot.com
    Farah

  2. meaganbriggs3 says:

    BRILLIANT! That vid was hilarious. I looooved that you sped it up too. So creative! Love how the pots turned out. Perfect touch, and ummm you and ikea are bffs. jealoussssssss

  3. This was so FUN to watch Julie! Your iMovie skills are awesome, now with music and speed up! I loved the song, I loved getting sneak peaks of Greta, I love the finished product: my favorite post of the summer thus far

  4. I got the pots for 49 cents a pop at Ikea. They are ceramic. I ended up sealing it with a clear high gloss spray sealer. You can get it at a craft store or even home depot. I haven’t put mine outside, but I did rinse them out quickly without a problem. Hope it helps!

  5. Kdjess says:

    Were the pots orginally porcelian? Where did you get the pots? Also what product do you suggest to seal the pain with? Will you be able to leave outdoors after they are sealed (wondering if rain may take paint off the pots even if sealed).

  6. Hansmith88 says:

    They have the ability to withstand the heat of this sort of material is fine with the activities within the kitchen. As for kitchen countertops are considered, the’ use of granite inserts a rich look to it.

  7. Iomay says:

    Great little update! They came out beautifully.

  8. Ginger Bradley says:

    I always wondered how you did all these projects with little Greta right there…..now I see! Very nice touch.

  9. I love the way the pots turned out. The color combinations are very pretty. Did you end up sealing them with anything??

  10. I haven’t yet, but I definitely need to so I don’t panic every time I go to water the plants.

  11. Lullieloo says:

    Hs nj wkenfjd

  12. Excited for you and your new place! I just used whatever acrylic paint I had around the house and a few acrylic craft paints as well and a brush for acrylics. I haven’t sealed them yet, but I plan on doing that to prevent scratches.

  13. SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!!! our new condo (moved in Saturday!) is FILLED with gorgeous new plants or all interesting textures. I got this stunning cactus-thing with huge pink flowers I put in my night stand, cherrier than a lamp! not wild about some of the pots, lovvvvvvvvvved you video and am inspired to paint. Was scrolling quickly, what type of paint and brush do I need?

all the latest

We believe we should all love where we live.

We’re a couple of homebodies, working to uncover the home our home wants to be. And we’re so happy to have you here. 

HI! We're Chris + Julia

read more

Load More

Reader Faves

SHop all

What We're                     Right Now

What We're                 Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop. 

Loving

looking for inspiration? 

A reader recently asked me if I’m starting to fully embrace traditional style and whether we still consider our house to be a “modern Colonial” and why. It was a really great question and so timely — I had really just been thinking about my approach to this home and how my style has changed […]

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

Follow Along on Instagram

Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations

@chrislovesjulia