Painted Pots (ISBN 0754804607)

Pretty Painted Pots:
This book is wonderful! So many craft books show examples of projects that you would never want in your home or that would require a very specific theme. This book isn't like that! The instructions are detailed and easily understood and you can easily find ways to adapt the instructions for other projects. The pots they show are beautiful and they are projects that anyone can do. I have trouble making stick figures, but I can make these pots! I loved this book!

Pretty but may not be practical...:
I bought the hard cover version of this book, and it's certainly worth the 12 dollars. There are 20 projects described in the 64 pages filled with detailed information including materials you will need, template designs in the back of the book, and photos showing you how to make your project. Projects include indoor and outdoor containers for multiple purposes from herb containers to flower vases. I bought the book because I want to make colorful pots for my patio (outdoors), and there are several projects devoted patio type pots. The authors use various containers for their projects including metal pails, ceramic jars, clay pots, and glass vases. One project demonstrates how to create a weathered copper look on an aluminum pail. Another project involves painting "Kitchen Herb Jars." The patio-type pot projects include a number of ideas for creating colorful Latin-inspired containers (bright colors, bold designs). If your kids are responsible, you might consider engaging them in a pot-painting party on a warm afternoon outside. My concerns with the paints (other than children) is what will be the long term effect of plants on pots and pots on plants. 1) As every gardener knows, salts and other chemicals from watering tend to discolor pots over time. The pots shown in the photos are clean, clear and crisp and obviously not tested. 2) What is the effect of the paint on the plants growing in them, would the chemicals leach into the roots of your tomatoes for example?? I suppose the best idea would be to create the painted pot and then place a plant in a "real" pot on the inside. This would mean starting with two pots, one larger than the other. Most of these items will probably suffer the wear and tear of weather, so it might be wise to bring them inside or store (sans plants) in the garden shed over winter. All this fuss won't keep me from painting pots.