DIY "Chalkboard" Pots

For this week's Joyful Simplicity activity, we planted cactus seeds in "chalkboard" decorated pots.

Supplies

• Packet of cactus seeds (or any plant seeds of your choice, just make sure to do some research so you know how to take care of it)
• Small terracotta pots
• Pebbles
• Potting soil
• Black and white acrylic paint
• Fine-tipped paintbrush or white paint pen 
• Foam paintbrush

So I put "chalkboard" in quotes, because I painted these pots with black chalkboard paint that I made myself and originally drew on them with chalk. This morning, however, I saw that the chalk had faded because the clay pots had absorbed the water in the soil. So...I decided to do designs in white paint so it would have the effect of a chalkboard without the fading. 

Ok, so to get the look that I got on my pots, first paint your pots black with a foam brush. I watered my paint down a bit for easy spreading then painted several coats. The one on the left in the picture above has that chalky look because it's painted with chalkboard paint (I just used black paint mixed with some corstarch) and hadn't gotten wet yet. Not sure if it will still look like that when it absorbs the water, but it's up to you whether you want to use plain black paint or chalkboard paint. 

Decide what design you would like in white. I thought I would do lyrics to one of my favorite songs on one of my pots and paint, "Grow" on the other. It might be cute to paint the name of the plant you're planting and some care instructions! It would be easiest, I imagine, to paint your designs with a white paint-pen, but a fine-tipped brush works too with some extra care. 

After you're pot's finished drying, fill it with and inch or so of pebbles. This will provide for good drainage. Then, go mix your potting soil with some water in a container. This will make sure the soil is all nice and damp for the new baby seeds. 

Fill your pots almost to the top with soil. Now for the planting: all you need to do with the cactus seeds is sprinkle a pinch on the top of the soil and press them in just a little.  

                 

                 

Place your pots on a sunny windowsill. Cover them with plastic wrap or a plastic bag to keep in the moisture until your seeds have germinated. At that point, you're on your own! Hahaha. I imagine you would see which of the new plants look the strongest and pinch out the rest, but you should do some research on the internet to find out for sure. I'm no experienced gardener as much as I am fascinated with it! 

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Enjoy!

Lacey