Terra Cotta Toad Motel and Cafe

Terra Cotta Toad Motel and Cafe

Posted by DecoArt on Feb 25th 2016

Turn terra cotta pots in homes for garden critters using Americana® Multi-Surface Acrylics.

SUPPLIES

    • water container
    • palette or plastic plate
    • paper towels
    • pencil
    • #3 round brush
    • 3/4" flat brush
    • 1/4" flat brush
    • sea sponge
    • #12 flat brush
    • terra cotta pot
    • hammer
    • terra cotta saucers
    • dremel tool

    INSTRUCTIONS

    NOTES:

    Let dry completely between painting steps.

    1. With a pencil, sketch out a half circle at the rim of each terra cotta pot for the opening. Using a Dremel tool, carve out the line drawn.
    2. Instruction #1
    3. Once the Dremel tool has gone about halfway through the width of the pot, stop drilling. Using a hammer, lightly tap on the opening until the piece breaks away. (If a larger chunk is taken out, it can be worked into the design.) If needed, dremel the opening to make smooth.
    4. Instruction #2
    5. Paint the smaller terra cotta pot in Vanilla Shake using a 3/4" flat brush. Paint the large terra cotta saucer in Red Hot. Be sure to paint the insides, outsides, and edges of both pieces.
    6. Instruction #3
    7. Free-hand circles on the Red Hot saucer, using a 1/4" flat brush in Vanilla Shake. Apply additional coats as needed, allowing to dry fully between coats.
    8. Instruction #4
    9. Using a #3 round brush, free-hand "Toad-Stool Motel" in Woodland Green. (This does not have to be in a perfectly straight line.)
    10. Instruction #5
    11. Mix together (2) parts Cocoa Bean with (1) part Black Tie. Paint the larger terra cotta pot in the mix. Paint the rim and inside of the saucer in the mix. Save the mix for next step. Paint the top of the saucer in Brown Sugar. (Refer to photo.)
    12. Instruction #6
    13. Using the #3 round brush, free-hand circles to create a wood slice using the mix from the previous step. Dry-brush on the edges and some areas within for a more realistic look.
    14. Instruction #7
    15. Mix (2) parts Black Tie with (1) part Cocoa Bean. Using a #12 flat brush, pounce random bark-like shapes onto the outside of the larger pot. Allow some of the lighter color to show through between the dark shapes.
    16. Instruction #8
    17. Wet a sea sponge and ring out until damp. Using the sponge, lightly pounce on Green Beret near the opening and the top of the saucer to create moss. Let dry. Once dry, pounce Woodland Green in the same areas for added dimension.
    18. Instruction #9
    19. Using the 1/4" flat brush, paint a larger whimsical rectangle and a smaller rectangle below it in Vanilla Shake. While the paint is still wet, blend in a small amount of a mix of (2) parts Black Tie and (1) part Cocoa Bean for added dimension. With the #3 round brush, add a Black Tie line to the bottom and right sides of the sign, softly blending out.
    20. Instruction #10
    21. Using the #3 round brush, free-hand "French-Fly Cafe" in the larger sign. Use the same brush in Red Hot to paint "Toads Only" on the smaller sign.
    22. Instruction #11