Painting is an extremely therapeutic activity for people as it is calming, relaxing, and creative. You can create your designs and use any color that you want, so people enjoy painting objects in their homes to make them individual, unique, and suited to their style.
If you have ceramic pots at home that are looking a little plain, the idea of painting them yourself may have crossed your mind. You want to make sure that they look professional and of good quality, but how should you prepare and paint them?
This article will take you through how to prepare and paint ceramic pots to ensure that they are of high quality. It is important to make sure that you are happy with your ceramic pots and that they look as good as you had hoped!
How To Prepare A Ceramic Pot For Painting
If you have decided to paint your ceramic pots, it is very exciting! However, you need to make sure that you do not get carried away and try to paint the pot straight away.
You need to prepare the pot so that you are working on a clean surface that the paint can stick to. If the surface is dirty, it will affect the quality of your paintwork.
Firstly, you need to soak the pot in hot water. Scrub the pot with a brush to remove any stubborn dirt or stains to ensure that your canvas is blank and clean.
Once you have cleaned the pot, leave it in the sunlight and make sure that it is completely dry before you start painting it.
What Paint Should Be Used?
There are lots of different paints that are suitable for painting ceramic pots, such as acrylic, latex, and epoxy paints. If you are looking for long-lasting paint for your pots, epoxy paint is very durable and will not need repainting as often.
As epoxy paint is durable and strong, it is more expensive to purchase. The other paints are cheaper to purchase, but they will not last as long. It is up to you which type of paint you would rather use for your ceramic pots.
Can You Design The Pot Yourself?
If you have decided that you want to paint your ceramic pot, then you can most definitely design it! You can use this as an opportunity to get creative with your designs and colors to create a pot that you are proud of!
If you haven’t got experience with painting a pot yourself but you love designing, you should give it a go.
If you do not feel confident enough to paint a large pot as a beginner, try practicing on a smaller one first! This will help you to experience painting on a ceramic surface so that you will feel more comfortable designing your pot on a larger scale.
How To Hand Paint A Ceramic Pot
Before you begin to hand paint your ceramic pot, you will need to make sure that you have the right equipment. You will need paint that is suitable to be used on ceramics, a small brush, a medium brush, a plastic bowl, cotton swabs, and clear spray acrylic.
You also need to clean your pot before painting.
Prepare The Paint
After you have cleaned the pot and it has dried in the sun, you can start to prepare the paint that you will use. Put your chosen color of paint in the bowl and add water to thin it. This will make it easier to apply to the pot as it will have a smooth finish.
Paint The Pot
When you are painting your pot, make sure that you are painting in broad strokes and repaint thin layers every few minutes. This will create a neater finish on the surface.
Leave the bottom of the pot unpainted as you need to make sure that your plants can drain and paint will prevent them from doing that, causing them to die.
Leave To Dry
Once you have applied the first coats of paint, leave the pot to dry. You will then be able to see if you need to apply more paint as you will see the pigment once the pot has dried. Ceramic absorbs paint very well, so you may find that one coat is enough.
Apply The Paint
If you think that your pot needs more paint, apply it when it has fully dried. Make sure that you are still painting in broad strokes and leave the pot to dry again. Continue to apply paint in thin layers and repaint them every few minutes.
Apply The Top Coat
Clear spray acrylic helps to keep the paint glossy and protected, so it is important to apply it to your ceramic pots. Make sure that the paint has dried before applying to avoid the paint smudging.
How To Spray Paint A Ceramic Pot
To spray paint a ceramic pot, you will need clear spray acrylic, warm water, a brush, and spray paint of your choice. This is a very easy method for painting your pots and it can allow you to become very creative with your designs.
You still need to clean your pot before spray painting it and ensure that it is completely dry before painting.
Choose Your Paint
Plan what color paints you want to use and keep them within reach for when you start painting. Having your design thought out before you paint it is beneficial as you will feel more confident when you are following a plan and will be happier with your design.
Begin Spraying
Keep the bottle 12 inches away from the pot and begin spraying in a motion that resembles sweeping. Do not go over the same area without letting it dry first, so apply light coats before repainting every few minutes to complete the first layers.
Spray The Second Coat
If you have decided that the pot needs a second coat of paint, spray it 10 inches away from the pot in a sweeping motion. Leave the pot to dry completely after you are happy with the paint, but make sure that you do not paint the same area too many times.
Now Apply The Top Coat
Once the pot has dried completely, apply the clear acrylic to keep the paint protected. This will prevent the paint from cracking so it is very important, even on spray paint.
How To Stay Safe When Painting Ceramic Pots
Wear Safety Goggles
To protect your eyes, wear safety goggles. Paints contain chemicals that can affect your eyesight, so it is important to always wear eye protection when you are using the paints as there is a chance that your eyes could come into contact with the paint.
Keep Paint Away From Heat
Paints should never be stored near heat as some paints contain chemicals that can burn and turn into flames when exposed to heat. As well as it being very dangerous, this can also damage your paints and make them unusable.
Protect Your Skin
If epoxy paint gets on your skin, it can irritate you as it has not been designed to be painted on the skin. Protect your skin by wearing gloves and covering your arms and legs when you are painting.
Why Does Paint Crack?
When you are painting ceramic pots, you want to avoid the paint cracking as it can ruin your design. There are a couple of reasons why your paintwork might be cracking, but how can you avoid it to keep your pots in good condition?
Painting In The Sun
If you are painting in the sun, the heat from the sun will heat both the pot and the paint and cause it to bubble. This will then cause the paint to crack.
To prevent this from happening, you need to paint the pots in a cool area to ensure that the heat will not interfere with your designs.
Painting Layers That Are Too Thin
You need to make sure that you are not applying the paint too thin on the ceramic pot as this will cause the paint to crack. Paint the same area lightly every few minutes to get a solid color and leave to dry before applying more.
If you do not apply multiple layers, the paint will dry too quickly and crack.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, you need to prepare your ceramic pots to be painted as it can affect your paintwork if the surface is dirty. You need to clean the pots properly in warm water and scrub away the dirt with a brush.
The surface should be clean and smooth for you to work on so that the outcome looks neat and professional.
When you are painting the pots, you need to make sure that you are painting them in cool temperatures to prevent the paint from cracking.
Make sure that you repaint thin layers over the pot before drying so that the paint isn’t too thin. Finish the paintwork with clear acrylic to give the pot a protective shine that will keep it in good condition.
