Distressed Terra Cotta w/ Burro's Tail Succulent

Hi there! I thought I would share on a little project I did this weekend.

I found the perfect sized mini succulents at the local farmer's market early in January. I'd been looking to add some life (literally) to the bookcases I'm in the process of restyling {a post on this will come soon}.

The succulents were resigned to live in their 4 inch plastic containers for weeks as I've searched high and low for the right pots. I'm still looking, but in the mean time I decided to create my own. Or rather, put some crafty love on plain terra cotta pots.

This was almost too easy. I used linseed oil paint mixed with turpentine to make a thin coat {you could also use acrylic paint mixed with a little water}. Using a standard flat paintbrush, I brushed on the mixture, making sure to avoid any clearly defined brush strokes.

 Once I made sure every visible inch was covered, I took a paper towel and roughed it up a bit around the edges, the way natural wear and tear would look. The combination of turpentine and extremely porous terra cotta helped the paint dry in no time. I used some river rocks at the bottom (to help with drainage) and repotted.

The result is a rustic, distressed style terra cotta that is a perfect temporary home for the Burro's Tail succulent.