Painting pots and pebbles is a great kids garden activity, both timeless and ageless. We have used traditional terracotta pots which are easily picked up at garden centres. Any paint used needs to be made waterproof and weather proof. So we used a mixture of two parts acrylic paint to one part PVC glue for the pots shown on this page. You could also use chalk based paint such as the Annie Sloane paint and then use a varnish. These paints are really practical to use with children as they are water based and can be easily wiped off and the brushes cleaned.
Your kids can cover the whole pot with a colour and base layer of paint to change the whole colour of the pot. Smaller detail can then be added later. Flowers, rainbows, butterflies, birds and bees all made lovely subjects.
Alternatively use stencils. One of the easiest methods is to place stickers on the pot and rim and then paint around the sticker. Once the paint is dry carefully peel the stickers off and hey presto you will have a beautiful shape. Large stickers that stuck really well work best.
Painting Pebbles
All of the comments about pots apply equally to painting pebbles. You need to choose large flat pebbles. The smaller surface area and flatter configuration may well make them easier to paint, especially for younger children. I love the idea of painting a child’s name or initials on a stone. Great for them to place on their own plot of garden.
The painting of this whale perfectly fits the shape of this stone.
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