What You'll Need
I grabbed some three-inch peat pots at Walmart for this project. They're cheap and perfect for a quick craft that looks like it took way more effort.
- 3-inch peat pot
- Masking tape (painters tape works too)
- Navy blue paint
- Red and white paint
- Star stencil (or freehand if you're steady)
- Pouncer sponge (Dollar Tree has them)
- Brown wax
- Blending tool
- Stylus (Dollar Tree again)
- Rusty wire
- Pencil
- Coffee-stained tag
- Spanish moss
- Small candle (grubby or plain)
- Coffee-dyed muslin
- Optional: rusty star, patriotic cutouts
Step-by-Step
1. Tape off the pot
Run masking tape around the pot about halfway down. The pot slopes, so you'll need to bunch the tape a little to get a straight line. Don't stress about perfection — the paint will cover any small gaps.
2. Paint the top navy blue
Paint the top half of the pot with dark navy blue. One coat should do it since peat pots absorb paint fast.
3. Mark and paint stripes
Mark one-inch spots all the way around the bottom of the pot. You'll get four red and four white stripes on a three-inch pot. Paint them in alternating colors. Don't worry if you overlap a little — it adds to the rustic look.
4. Add stars
Cut a star out of a stencil to make it easier to work with. Use a pouncer to stamp a star above each stripe. You can also paint them freehand if you're confident. I got stars all the way around the pot.
5. Apply brown wax for aging
Mix a little brown wax with water to thin it. Run a line of it along each stripe edge — between the white and red. Let it dry. Peat pots absorb everything fast, so it dries in seconds. Then use a blender tool to work more wax into the pot for that vintage look.
6. Add wire handles
Use a stylus to poke a hole on each side of the pot, making sure they're even. Thread rusty wire through both holes. Wrap one end around a pencil to create a curl, then push the curl into the pot. Repeat on the other side. Cut the wire to whatever handle length you want.
7. Make the tag
Coffee-stain a tag and write "USA" on it. Don't try to make it perfect — primitive and rustic is the whole point. I added a rusty star to the top of the tag, but that's optional.
8. Fill the pot
Stuff the pot with Spanish moss. Cut off the excess — that stuff gets wiry and messy. Set a small grubby candle inside.
9. Attach the tag
Run a piece of coffee-dyed muslin through the tag and tie it to the wire handle so it hangs off the side.
10. Add finishing touches
I added a little patriotic cutout of a girl and boy on top. Found them on Amazon. Totally optional, but cute.
That's it. This whole thing takes maybe 30 minutes and looks great on a tier tray or in any Americana vignette. I love primitive decor and this one hits all the marks.
If you want the link to those cutouts, let me know in the comments and I'll post it.
