• Pot (We went with a set of 5” terracotta pots here. Or you could buy white pots, if you’re short on time.)
• White acrylic paint (to prime the pots, if needed / desired)
• Colored acrylic paint (for decoration)
• Foam Brush
• Paint Brush
• Potting Soil (if your plant is smaller than your pot)
• Plant (we chose ribbon ferns) 

Step 1:

Prime the terracotta pots using a foam brush and with white acrylic paint. You may need an extra coat (applied after a few minutes) depending on the quality of the paint. Let dry a few hours. (Or buy white pots if you’re short on time.)

Step 2:

Paint the pots! 

I wanted to limit the color palette here, but everyone wanted to choose their own colors (and a lot of them) so we did that. James mixed all the colors together to surprisingly great effect. A good reminder that letting them have choice, even if you don’t agree, can lead to something special. :) 

Choose your own painting method! Lines, circles, splatter! I let them do whatever they wanted, but it can be helpful to offer guidance if they’re unsure: “Let’s paint lines! Lines can be straight or curly or jumpy!” 

Let dry overnight or at least till it’s dry to the touch, maybe 2-3 hours depending on the amount of paint applied. 

Step 3: 

Fill ¼ of the pot with potting soil if the pot is bigger than the plant like ours was, then add the plant and fill in with more potting soil if needed. Keep watered until you’re ready to gift according to the plant care instructions. Enjoy!