6 Using an ultra thin paintbrush and some contrasting paint, write the name of the herb on the side of the pot. You can pencil it on first, and then trace the outline with the paint if you’re not certain you’ll get it right on the first attempt.
7 Add little details like white or mauve dots in the corner of each checkerboard, and a delicate heart shape using a small corner of your sponge. Simply dab a little until you achieve your desired shape. This gives the pot a “finished” look. Using the thin paintbrush again, paint a tiny bow at the top of the heart.
8 Once the paint is dry, you can spray another coat of sealer on top to “set” the design.
9 Don’t forget to add some small pebbles in the bottom of each pot for drainage.
10 Add potting soil, filling the pot about 3/4 of the way full, and then follow the directions on the seed packet. Plant your seeds and water the soil.
11 Stick a shovel or rake (handle side down), inside the soil so that it looks as thought the busy gardener stuck it in the soil and left it there. This will also give your plants something to cling to and encourage some of the shoots to grow upward.
METAL WATERING CAN AND BUCKET:
1 First you will need to pound a few holes into the bottom of your metal cans for drainage. This can easily be accomplished by using a good quality hammer and awl (or a long nail will do just as well), as the metal is very thin and can be easily pierced.
2 Using a two inch section of sponge (tear this piece off, to create a more “rugged” pattern for this part), dab the outside of the cans with the color of your choice, starting with a very dark shade for a base coat. Dab the sponge quickly so that it coats the entire surface, but give it a “speckled” appearance, sort of like a robin’s egg.
3 Allow the first coat to dry thoroughly, then dab on a lighter color, allowing the dark color underneath to “peak” through slightly. Progress to yet another lighter shade once your second application dries, and finish the final coat using a stencil brush and some cream colored paint. Dip the stencil brush into the cream color, and brush most of it off in a clean area on the paper plate. Quickly and lightly, dab the brush all over the can, holding it straight up as you would when painting stencils. Now the cans have depth from the multiple layers of color.
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