Raise your fin if you love the summer! It is a season for shell-ebrations! The warmer weather enriches our souls while creating an enticing allure and need for adventure, creativity, and most importantly, gardening! Don’t clownfish around, make the most of the season with a fun family activity by creating your own mermaid-themed crafts such as DIY Mermaid Flowerpots.
Plus, enjoy our free daily plant care journal to keep your little fish entertained during their summer break, it is a fun and educational activity for kids of all ages. It will encourage them to learn about plants in a new and exciting way while teaching the responsibility of plant care.
Transforming an Ordinary Flowerpot into a Magical Mermaid Garden
DIY flowerpot painting is a fun and easy way to get creative with your family. For this family-friendly craft activity, all you need is paint, Terra Cotta Pottery, and your thumbs! No artistic skills required! You will use your thumbs to create the magical scales of a mermaid’s tail that shine with a spectrum of iridescent hues. Thumbprint art projects are easy painting ideas for kids and it’s an excellent way for adults to unwind too.
Begin your creative family bonding time with the proper supplies that you will need to create your DIY Mermaid Flowerpots.
Materials and Tools Required for Your DIY Mermaid Flowerpot Project
- Terra Cotta Pottery
- Craft paint in satin or matte and iridescent or metallic
- White paint or white spray paint
- Flat tray or surface to blot paint
- Towel and water
Personalizing Your Mermaid Flowerpot: Painting and Decor Tips
STEP ONE:
First, wipe your terra cotta pottery to remove any dust or dirt. Paint your pots white using craft or spray paint and allow them to dry completely. This will create a clean canvas for your thumbprint artwork. Prep a bowl of water and a towel of your choice, one that you don’t mind getting dirty. You will use these tools to wash your thumb between each paint color.
STEP TWO:
Next, start creating the scales for your mermaid tail. Make your personalized art with thumbprints. Hold your pottery upside down and start from the bottom. This will create an upward layering effect for the scales when you are finished.
There are many ways to approach your thumbprint pattern. Use acrylic multi-surface paint in a mix of finishes. Combining matte or satin paint with iridescent or metallic colors will help shape the under-the-sea essence of a mermaid’s tail. To avoid smudging the paint colors, allow each thumbprint to dry for a minute or two. This will produce a better-defined scale pattern.
Your DIY flowerpot painting can be colorful with a wide mix of ocean hues, or you can design an ombre color scheme. Start with a collection of blues on the bottom and transcend the gradient into a sea of purples. Add some sparkle and glitter to a few thumbprints for a final touch and allow everything to dry completely. Seal with a clear acrylic topcoat, especially if you are displaying your creation outdoors.
Have fun making your personalized art with thumbprints! Use your imagination and enjoy your creative family bonding time.
Choosing the Perfect Plants for Your Mermaid-Themed Flowerpots
For this themed gardening project, you can use any of your favorite summer plants. Fresh herbs and annual blooms will shine in your mermaid flowerpots or complete your garden decoration idea with the best tabletop plants for a stylish houseplant display. Indoor plants are a fantastic way to spruce up your home and they are ideal for kid-friendly garden crafts.
Ready to make some waves? To complete your DIY mermaid flowerpot, choose plants that have arching leaves and sprawling growth to resemble the fin of a mermaid’s tail. Here are a few of our sea-riously cute options from our vast indoor plant collection, available now at your local Calloway’s or Cornelius!
BROMELIAD NEOREGELIA
Bromeliad Neoregelia provides long-lasting colorful foliage. The graceful green leaves contain bright pink stripes that will perfectly complement your mermaid-themed crafts. They are relatively low maintenance indoor plants that should be grown in bright, indirect sunlight, either indoors or outdoors.
Bromeliads inspire educational gardening for children too. The watering routine differs from other indoor plants. Bromeliads are tropical epiphytes, meaning they naturally grow on trees for support. In nature, the roots cling to branches so they absorb little water on their own. The cup or vase in the center of the plant is what catches water in its natural habitat, and it is the ideal location for watering your Bromeliads at home.
While the plant is growing and blooming, fill the cup at the base of the plant with water on a weekly basis, remove any stagnant water, and maintain evenly moist soil conditions.
DRACAENA LEMON SURPRISE & SUCCULENTS
For more indoor gardening ideas, Dracaena Lemon Surprise and Succulents are also great options for your mermaid flowerpot. We love the slight twist and curl of Dracaena’s leaves and the bright stripes of dark green, chartreuse, and white give this houseplant a little extra interest. Ideal for small space plant décor, succulents are cute and stylish. They provide a subtle accent with their thick and soft green leaves.
Dracaena Lemon Surprise is a tropical, upright indoor plant. It is easy to care for and one of the best air purifying houseplants. It requires even moisture, good soil drainage, and it will not tolerate standing water. Use Calloway’s Premium Container Potting Soil for its superior drainage. Our Potting Soil allows for proper moisture retention and aeration, helping to prevent overwatering and root rot. Dracaena thrives in bright indirect sunlight, but it can withstand lower light levels inside your home. To keep your plant happy and hydrated, water thoroughly when the soil feels dry to the touch.
Succulents, also known as Echeveria, are one of the most popular choices for low maintenance indoor plants and they will complete any decorative planter for your tabletop. It is recommended to display your stylish succulents near bright windows or tables for proper sun exposure.
Succulents require minimal moisture as the leaves store water to maintain hydration. Allow the soil to dry out completely before watering again to keep your plant thriving. Because they are so drought-tolerant, ideal soil and drainage are key. Use Black Gold® Succulents & Cactus Potting Mix for your gardening success.
Introducing Kids to the Wonders of Planting and Growing
Even though school is out for the summer, that doesn’t mean we can have to stop learning and growing! Keep your family entertained and introduce a new and exciting hobby. Growing indoor plants is educational and rewarding. Teaching kids about plant care also teaches them to be more responsible. Start your children’s gardening education with a DIY plant care journal!
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE MERMAID PLANT JOURNAL!
Combining garden-themed crafts for kids with a daily plant journal creates an interactive gardening experience that they will never forget!
First, let them engage with their new plant. Spend time together learning about their plant variety and the necessary care instructions. Each day, they can examine their plant and take notes in their DIY plant care journal on how it looks, if it needs water, if it is getting enough light, and if it’s time for plant food. Plus, they have a chance to be creative with each entry. They can create a new and unique design every day as they enjoy quiet time coloring in the mermaid tail artwork.
Throughout the summer, they will have something to take care of and look forward to each day. It will excite them to learn more about nature and may even pave the way for a life-long hobby.
Shop with Ease
At Calloway’s and Cornelius, we have everything you need to start your DIY Mermaid Flowerpots! Visit us today and explore our entire collection of indoor plants, stylish pottery, and so much more! Shop one of our 28 neighborhood stores, serving our loyal customers for over 35 years.
Have questions? Ask our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals; they are here to help!
