These little Christmas pots are reminiscent of the spring season, with green peat moss. The candles are strictly decorative and are not to be lit.
Christmas Pot Materials
• Small planting pots — metal, terra cotta or ceramic
• Clean rag
• Masking tape
• Black chalkboard paint
• Ribbon, 1/2-inch wide
• String, twine or floral wire
• Bells
• Preserved peat moss
• Tapered candles, slightly taller than the pot
• Chalk — not dustless
Instructions
1. First, you’ll need to paint the planter pots. After wiping them clean with a damp rag and allowing them to dry, place masking tape around the pots where you don’t want to paint. I placed tape over the top half of my pots, so only the bottom half shows the chalk paint.
2. In a well-ventilated area, set the pots on a surface covered with newspaper, and spray all the way around them with chalkboard paint. Let them dry for an hour or so. Apply a second coat of paint, and let dry for a few hours.
3. When the pots are completely dry, pull the masking tape off. If there are areas where the paint seeped under the tape, don’t worry, as they will be covered up with ribbon.
4. Cut your ribbon into pieces long enough to wrap around the pot and tie in a bow. I used sheer white and red ribbon so I could layer them, and still be able to see both colors. To keep the ribbon from sliding down the pot, use a couple dots of super glue or hot glue to keep it in place. Using string, twine or thin wire, tie a small bell onto the center of the ribbon bow.
5. If your preserved peat moss is in a large chunk, break it into smaller pieces. Hold your candle in the center of each pot, and begin filling the pots with peat moss, packing it lightly around the candles. Some of my peat moss was slightly brown, so I placed it at the bottom and left the greener, better looking stuff for the top. Another option would be to fill the pot about halfway with dried beans or rice to keep the candle upright, and then fill it the rest of the way with peat moss.
6. When the pots are full and the candles are upright, you can leave it as is or write well-wishing holiday messages with chalk on the painted surface.
Note: If you’re looking for decorating ideas for a large holiday gathering, these little pots would make perfect centerpieces. They’d also be great as place holders ? simply write the names of your guests, one on each side of the pot, and place the pot between two table settings.
Want more rustic holiday decoration ideas? Read DIY Holiday Decorations With Rustic Charms to get more great holiday décor.
Kellsey Trimble is Web Editor/Assistant Editor for GRIT magazine. She spends most of her spare time reading, cycling with friends, or planning her next adventure.
