Planter Banter: How to Paint Ceramics + Transform a Cookie Jar into a Cat Planter

I’ve had this ceramic cat cookie jar for years. Seriously…YEARS! And it resurfaced again when we moved to the new studio. So I decided to give this little guy an update, and turn him into a planter.

Why? Well, two reasons really. 1) Cats are the official mascot of the internet. 2) Let’s face it, I don’t really need a cookie jar anyway because the cookies are never around long enough to make it into a cookie jar. SO, planter it is!

And while it wasn’t necessary to give him a new paint job before adding a plant, I wasn’t a fan of the brownish green color. So, I grabbed some paint and primer…and here we are! The process of painting over store-bought ceramics is pretty painless. So I thought I’d share a quick tutorial, along with some photos of the upcycled cat planter…

FYI – Here’s what this little guy looked like before…

Materials:

• large upcycled cookie jar (mine was a $7 thrift store find)
• primer
• sandpaper
• flat interior paint
• paint brushes
• small rag
• gloss finish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Make sure the ceramic container is clean and free of debris. You don’t want any dust, dirt, etc on the surface. Then paint two coats of primer over the entire surface, with a paint brush… Being sure to sandpaper in between coats (then wipe clean with a dry rag).

2. Next, add 1-2 coats of colorful paint, for the base. I chose lilac.

3. Once dry, begin painting the detail areas with a smaller paint brush. Wait for the paint to dry.

4. If desired, add a gloss finish for a shinier look. I skipped this option because I like the matte finish.

5. Add a plant! All done.

Have any ceramics that could use a makeover like this one? What other household items could your use this technique for?