Making and crafts
Decorate a plant pot
A plain pot decorated with paint, paper or twine, ready for a plant or herb to live in.
Who might enjoy it: People who have grown herbs or houseplants, or who enjoy painting and practical projects. A nice fit for someone who likes to see a small job finished and put to use.
- Setup
- About 10 minutes
- Activity
- 20–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Mess
- Some mess
- Where
- At a table, seated-friendly
- Help
- Someone nearby
Materials: 6 everyday things, listed below
What you need
- A small terracotta or plastic plant pot
- Non-toxic, water-based paint and a thick-handled brush
- Garden twine or yarn (optional)
- Paper napkins or magazine pictures with a glue stick (optional)
- Newspaper to cover the table
- A small plant, herb or bulb, and a little potting soil
No need to buy anything special
- No pot? Use a clean food can with no sharp edges, a yogurt cup or a tin with a hole punched by the helper.
- No paint? Wrap the pot in twine, ribbon or strips of fabric held with tape.
What to do
- Cover the table and put the pot and materials within reach.
- Offer two ways to decorate, such as paint or wrapped twine, and let them choose.
- Paint the outside of the pot, or wrap twine around it while you hold the end in place.
- Leave paint to dry for about an hour; twine is ready straight away.
- Smell the plant or herb together and talk about where it might sit.
- Spoon soil into the pot and set the plant in it, taking turns if that suits you both.
- Water it lightly and put it on a windowsill or table where you can both see it.
It is okay to stop or change it
It is fine to stop once the pot is painted. Let it dry and plant it another day, or use it as it is for pens, buttons or dried flowers.
Make it easier or different
- Make it easier
- Paint a base coat in advance and offer one color for stripes or dots, or a ready-cut strip of paper to glue on.
- Less to see, hear or touch
- Skip the soil and paint, and wrap the pot in soft yarn while it sits on a clean tray.
- In bed or an armchair
- Decorate a small plastic pot on a lap tray with twine or a glue stick, and pot the plant later at a table.
- With children
- A child paints the pot while the older adult chooses the plant and shows how to firm the soil.
- For a group
- Each person decorates a pot and the group plants a row of herbs to share on a common windowsill.
Safety
- Use non-toxic, water-based paint, and wash it off skin with soap and water.
- Wear gloves or wash hands after handling potting soil, and keep it away from mouths.
- Choose plants that are safe to touch and not harmful if nibbled, such as basil, mint or parsley.
- Check food cans for sharp rims before use, and tape over any rough edge.
These are practical suggestions, not medical advice. You know the person best.
Decorating a pot ends with something useful: a home for a plant that can be watered and watched in the days after. The smell of soil and herbs adds another sense to a simple tabletop craft.