Painted Tiered Planter

The farmer's market in my town opened yesterday for the season.  Yeah!  I bought some super delicious strawberries.  They were so good, I returned to the market later to buy some more.  It has been strawberrypalooza at my house this weekend.  Besides just eating them by the handful {only a slight exaggeration} I made balsamic strawberry pops and strawberry pie. {This recipe is top secret so no link.  Just kidding, I did a quick search and couldn't find one exactly like the recipe I used from the church cookbook.}  This morning I made a strawberry and nut breakfast wrap and for lunch strawberry balsamic bacon pizza.  {This pizza was so good.  I highly recommend.}  I love strawberries!  {especially locally grown strawberries}


But enough about strawberries.  I want to share with you this project I did over Memorial Day weekend.  Ever since I bought four new cans of exterior paint for this wooden floor mat project, I've been looking for something else to paint.  Then I stumbled upon these polka-dotted tiered planters by Positively Splendid and I knew what I had to do.

I choose to make a two-tiered planter because I thought that would fit my patio best and to keep the cost down.  So I gathered up my supplies and set out to create my new planter:

2 clay pots from Lowe's - 8.25" and 14"

1 clay saucer from Lowe's - I think this one is 16" 12"

paint

paint brushes

Martha Stewart circle foam pouncer {not pictured}

painter's tape

Thompson's water seal spray {not pictured}

While I love the polka dots on the inspiration piece, I thought that might be a little much for me.  So I chose to just dot the smaller top pot.  I used a circle foam pouncer to randomly paint the polka dots.

For the larger bottom pot I chose to do stripes.  I call them rugby stripes.  {They remind me of a rugby shirt but maybe that's just me.}  Of course, as I was taping off the stripes I was questioning my decision to do this.  It wasn't as easy as I thought and definitely more time consuming than anticipated.  But the end result looks good.  {Just don't look too close because there are a few little flaws.}

To make my planter even more colorful, I picked my two favorite colors and painted the saucer.

A coat of Thompson's water seal spray was the final touch on the pots.  Except for the flowers of course!

I placed four bricks {which I got from my dad} in the larger pot and set the smaller pot on them to create the tiered effect.  I filled the pots with potting soil and planted my flowers.

1 geranium

3 petunia

3 dusty miller

Ta Da!  I put my planter on a wheeled plant stand so I can just roll it all into my garage for winter storage.  {Those clay pots are heavy.}

Now it's time to sit back and enjoy my flowers.  {When it's not so hot of course.}

I am sharing at these fun parties.