Sweet Pots for Sprouting Spring Plants

Spring is finally here! Never mind the heaps of snow still languishing in our yard, we are getting ready for the gardening season. My son is ever so happy to help me plant seeds and dig in the pots with his little shovel. I wonder if it actually helps the seeds...

So, we sowed some seeds, and our tomatoes have already sprouted into tiny seedlings. They have a long way to grow, and it will also be some time before we see flowers and insects in the yard. We're yearning for the bright colours of spring! I think it was this longing that inspired my son and I to paint some pots into bright (yellow and red) colours, then turned them into a ladybug and a bee.

If you and your kids want to join us in brightening your windowsills, grab a couple of unfinished terracotta pots, a set of acrylic paints and some brushes and permanent black markers.

1. Make sure that the pots are clean. Any dust and grease may prevent the paint from sticking.
2. This part is optional! Consider how long you want these pots to last. If you want the pots to last longer, think of covering the inside of the pots with varnish. Better yet, give it a couple of layers! If you leave the walls unfinished, moisture will be soaking through the walls of the pots, and over time it will probably make the paint on the outside of the pot peel off. If you want to have fun for the afternoon and then enjoy the pots for a couple of months, skip this step.
3. Paint the outsides of the pots with red and yellow acrylic paints. Let them dry, then paint the inside. If the pot has just a tiny hole at the bottom, make sure not to clog it with paint. Allow the pots time to dry.

4. With a black sharpie marker, decorate the red pot with dots and the yellow pot with stripes. Add faces and antennas of the insects.

5. Use white acrylics to make the eyes, and once they're dry, make pupils with the marker.

All we need now is for something to start growing inside the pots!