Spooky season has arrived, and even your house plants can get in on the festivities this year with terracotta jack-o-lanterns! This DIY is easy, inexpensive, and way less messy than carving pumpkins. These terracotta jack-o-lantern pots add the perfect seasonally-appropriate touch to a home while preserving that boho plant parent vibe. Whether you prefer spooky, silly, or cute jack-o-lantern faces, the options are endless!
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Materials Required:
- Terracotta pots of various sizes
- Chalk pencil
- Matte black acrylic paint
- Paint brushes
- One fine detail brush
- One number 4 round brush
- Paint palette (optional – you can use a plate, a plastic lid, or a piece of tin foil instead!)
Step One: Sketch Faces
To get started, you’ll want to sketch out the jack-o-lantern faces on your terracotta pots. Using a white chalk pencil for this allows you to be precise, and if you make a mistake, it’s easily erasable. Don’t worry about drawing perfectly, as it’s just a rough draft. As far as facial expressions go, think of jack-o-lanterns you’d carve as a kid – use triangles and squares for eyes and noses! – or look up some photos online for inspiration.
Step Two: Outline and Fill Shapes with Black Paint
Next, pour out a dollop of black acrylic paint. Use a fine detailing brush to outline the shapes and fill in any tiny details. Switch to a slightly larger brush to fill the shapes in with solid black paint. The paint may be patchy in some areas, but you can always go in for a second coat once the first is dry.
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Step Three: Let Dry (and Paint More Pots!)
Set your first pot aside to dry. Drying won’t take very long because terracotta is so absorbent. Use this time to repeat the process on a few more pots – they look so cute clustered together when they’re all different sizes with different facial expressions!
Step Four: Erase Chalk Lines and Add a Second Layer of Paint
Once the pots are dry, you can erase any visible chalk outlines. If certain areas of black paint are patchy, go in for a second coat to make sure it’s nice and opaque.
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Step Five: Add Plants!
For maximum versatility, keep your plants in their plastic nursery pots and pop the nursery pot inside the terracotta pot. That way, you can swap the pots out seasonally with your decor without disturbing the plant’s roots!
Images courtesy of Amanda Roberts
