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Home » DIY & Crafts » Garden & Outdoor » How to Spray Paint Plastic Planters in 7 Easy Steps

How to Spray Paint Plastic Planters in 7 Easy Steps

July 29, 2021 By Amy Leave a Comment

29 Jul
Step-by-Step-How-to-Spray-Paint-Plastic-Planters
Spray painting plastic plant containers, step-by-step
Spray paint plastic planters step-by-step

Save money by reviving your garden containers. See these step-by-step instructions (w/ printable) on how to spray paint plastic planters.

When you’re not sure if your potted plants will survive the entire season, do you really want to spend a lot on plant containers? I know I don’t. Here in the midwest, humid as heck for weeks with no rain in sight at times, going just one day without watering the planters, and guess what, the plants are D.E.A.D.

So yeah, while I love all those gorgeous (expensive) planters, it’s simply not in the budget to go crazy. What’s the alternative? Spray painting the planter pots you may already have instead.

Grab the free printable instructions at the bottom of this post!

Related: The best spray paint for plastic plant containers

garden containers

Friends, this couldn’t be easier and think of the bucks you’ll save.

You can have new-looking planter pots in just a few simple steps.

How to spray paint a plastic planter pots, step-by-step

Follow These 7 Steps to Spray Paint Plastic Planters

The supplies you will need

  • Spray paint for plastic. I used Rustoleum Universal Aged Metallic Paint and Primer In One. Color: Metallic Rust
  • Degreasing cleaner
  • Liquid sandpaper
  • Several soft cloths
  • Scrub brush
  • Garden hose or buckets of water to rinse the planters
  • Cardboard, foam board, or tarps

Clean the containers

Degreaser, planter pots

The first step is to give the planter pots a good cleaning. I did this by spraying them all down with a degreasing cleaner and letting them sit so the cleaning agent can do its work. 

Related: How to spray paint resin garden furniture

scrub brush, hose, containers

Next, I used a scrub brush to work all the degreasing agents in and help loosen debris.

After that, I hosed them down and allowed them to dry completely.

Roughen the surface of the plastic planters

liquid sandpaper

Moving on, I applied liquid sandpaper to a soft cloth and rubbed the mixture all over the pots to help create a roughened surface. This step allows the spray paint to grip onto the surface better. Rinse the planters thoroughly again.

Optionally, you can sand the containers lightly with regular sandpaper.

Place tarps down for protection

Before painting, I laid down cardboard and foam board tarps, but almost any kind of tarp will do.

Apply the spray paint to the bottom of the containers first

garden containers on cardboard tarps, spray paint

Placing the planters upside-down first, I sprayed several light layers of the paint onto the pots allowing 10 minutes in between, until I was satisfied with the coverage.

The spray paint will need to dry for about one hour before flipping the containers to spray the tops.

Paint the tops of the planters last

plastic platers, copper-rust spray paint

Repeat the same spray painting steps to the top portion, including the upper inside area of the containers.

Apply a topcoat

Decide on a clear coat finish type, i.e., glossy, satin, or matte. Apply the clear coat starting with the bottoms first and then flipping them upright, following the same steps for the spray painting process.

Allow the spray paint and clear coat to dry completely

copper-rust spray painted plastic plant containers

Finally, I allowed the pots to dry for 24 hours before starting the planting process.

Related: Does plastic spray paint really work?

Spray painted plastic planter with flowers

Now, if I can only remember to water my new planters every day, I may have a happy-looking yard until fall. So far so good. Let’s see what August brings.

PRINT the instructions for yourself, below—>

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  • 18 Fabulous Spray Painted Furniture Ideas.
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Filed Under: Garden & Outdoor Tagged With: Spray Paint

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