School Holiday Craft Under $20: DIY Chalkboard Pot Plant
I remember when I was at school I always hated the winter school holidays. It was always cold, sometimes rainy and generally not “holiday” weather in my mind. We didn’t go away at this time of year and as we got older my mum went back to work so we were left to our own devices watching endless movies and cartoons and eating lots junk food. I think by the end of the first week of holidays we were bouncing of the walls in boredom and high on sugar. Ha. Sound familiar with your kids? Although we haven’t hit the school holiday boredom in our household yet I do find particularly on the rainy and cold days children seem to be a bit more trying. They can’t seem to entertain themselves and my guy in particular whinges A LOT and hangs off my leg for what seems like the entire day. This little DIY chalkboard pot project is a great little project to undertake with bored kids. It will take a good day to complete or over two days if you need a little longer to let the paint dry.
I got the inspiration to create this little project on one blustery, misty day when J.D was climbing the walls and I needed a break of the monotony at home. I had to go to the hardware store to pick up some paint chips for our bathroom renovation (more to come on that project) and we were wandering through the plant section when we stumbled across these little baby ferns. J.D was captivated with their size and was immediately drawn to the “bubby plants”. He reverently picked one up in his little hands closely inspecting the tiny leaves. I adore ferns so when he took such interest in these miniature ferns I knew we had to make his own pot plant to care for himself. I kneeled down in front of him and asked him if he would like to take his “bubby plant” home with him. He looked up at me in sheer delight. “Yes pwease Mum”. I then asked should we get a pot to put it in? It was a resounding YES! He carefully placed his “bubby plant” in his mini trolley and scooted off with me to find the perfect pot. I didn’t want to spend a lot so I went straight to the terracotta pot section. I picked up the pot and saucer for around $3 and the plant itself was $3 so it wasn’t a huge expense. The chalkboard paint was the most expensive item and this can be used for multiple projects. Always buy a pot twice the size of the plant you are going to plant in it to allow for growth. I love terracotta pots as they make a great blank canvas to create all sorts of designs on.
For this project you will need:
- 1 x plant of your choice ( I chose one of these)
- 1 x terracotta pot, size of your choosing
- 1 x matching terracotta saucer
- Chalkboard spray paint
- Acrylic paint, colours of your choice
- Paint brush
- Paddle pop stick
- Blue tac
- Craft foam, cut into shape of your choice
- Disposable plastic plate
- White chalk
Step 1:
In an open space (preferably outdoors) paint the pot and saucer with the chalkboard spray paint. *
An adult might need to do this step*
Leave the pot to dry for 1-2 hours before adding a second coat. Let it dry completely.
Step 2:
Add your choice of colours to the disposable plastic plate. Ensconce children in old clothes before letting them loose with the paint.
Step 3:
Squish the piece of blue tac to the back of the craft foam triangle. Stick the paddle pop stick into the blue tac. Voila easy foam stamp.
Step 3.
Let the kids go wild creating their own unique designs. Let the painted designs dry completely before letting the kids add their chalk drawings.
Step 4:
Carefully plant up your chosen plant using a quality potting mix. Decorate around the potted plant with some decorative pebbles, stones or shells. This might be a fun activity to do with the kids beforehand searching for interesting stones etc.
Step 5:
Give the plant a little water and set in desired position. A spot that gets little morning sun or dappled afternoon sun is a great spot. Depending on the weather most indoor pot plants only need to be watered every 7-10 days.
J.D had a blast helping me create his own decorative chalkboard pot. He was at my side in an instant when I asked him if he wanted to help me paint his pot. He loved helping me add the decorative stones on top and was particularly interested in adding the shells. I put his “bubby plant” in his room high up in his bookshelves. I didn’t really want him having full access to it as I could envisage dirt strewn across the bedroom floor and cars being driven through it like it was his own personal sand pit. Yep that’s life with boys!
