When I bring them in my new plant room/entertainment room, they look hideous, ugly.

The clay ones look ok. In fact the weathered ones look the nicest, but the plain ole black plastic ones, like the ones nureseries stock their plants in, look terrible in a room that I am trying to keep clean and neat. Not classy at all against new walls, rugs and furniture..I don't mind even terracota, if they had some handmade designs and different shapes, other than the same ole regular shaped ones Home Depot sells..

Does anyone have any pictures of their pots to show off, or any ideas? Maybe handcrafted ones, or painted ones? Some with nice designs?

Where did you get yours?? Any companies other than the big box stores or local nurseries that sell really unique ones that plants do well in? Beautiful designs? I would love to stock up for next spring..

Some here must have some gorgeous container pics..:-)

Thanks so much...

For inexpensive pot coverings for houseplants, try baskets. Of course the plant remains in its original pot, either plastic or clay, and you just slip it into an appropriately sized basket. These can be found anywhere - groceries, nurseries, florists and florist suppliers, discounters, import shops, junk and second hand stores, garage sales, etc. Many already come with plastic liners to protect the basket and any surfaces. Just slip the plant out to water, let it drain, and slip it back in. (Tip: often these are sold as waste baskets, etc. but they work swell for larger plants also.)

All of my houseplants are in decorative pots. A few are planted directly but most are still in their nursery pot and just disguised with a decorative cachepot. And I've found these at all sorts of places as well. I collect blue and white china, so many are in these colorings. Pier One is a great source but I look for attractive containers anywhere.....nurseries, gift stores, antique or secondhand stores, garage sales (wonderful source for all sorts of plant stuff). I look for them when I travel or go on vacation - you should see what I haul home from Mexico! And some have been received as gifts - just recently received a gorgeous blue and white Talavera cachepot from a design client as a thank you 'tip':-) My brand new Meyer lemon is residing in it as we speak.

Garage sales and flea markets are excellent sources for these types of items. And it doesn't necessarily have to have been originally intended as a plant pot - anything you can slip a potted container into easily and that you find appealing or attractive will work. Old china, tin boxes, metalware......you get the idea!

I wanted some flash plant holders one year for Christmas plants and I brought square refrigerator storage containers and gorilla glued them with old CDs that I had cut into triangles. It made nice sparkle pots to hold my holiday plants.

I gave in last weekend and went looking for yardsales..LOL
I found quite a nice pot there..lol

I am on a quest to find more now, thanks to you all..:-)

Unglazed clay is my preference, but I also collect the blue and white Dutch bulb planters, bulb glasses, and unique ceramic planters.

I despise plastic pots, but will use them if I have to. Unglazed clay is not that expensive, though... unless we're talking about the decorator types.

Wicker baskets make nice cache pots for more utilitarian ones. Painting or other techniques, such as grouting tile or mirror pieces, can hide unsightly pots.

I'm really more interested in the health of my plants than in how well the pots match my decor... my apartment is decorated in early unglazed clay!

I wish I knew someone that sold Mexican terracota pottery..All different shapes and designs...

Mike..:-)

I'm not sure where you could find good Mexican pottery for a reasonable price... most everything these days is so expensive. Keep your eyes open, though... I find sweet deals all the time at flea markets and garage sales... and secondhand stores are a great place to find old clay pots and pottery that still have life left in them!

One trick I sometimes use, so I don't harm the integrity of my clay pots, is to paint the rim only. I use craft paint and stencils, and I paint a little decoration on the rims of a few pots... making them all match. And it doesn't hurt the benefits of the pots' porosity, which I want to keep.

When my son got his first place, I made him a little set of 3" clay pots with cacti in them... I pained the rims white, and I used black and gold paint pens to write little sayings on them... like "reach for the stars", "dream big"... little inspirational sayings. I painted the edges of the saucers to match. He still has them. Just another little idea...

I would probably buy some new clay ones, since I refuse to grow mine in plastic, or any other things that doesn't allow the roots to my plants to breathe through the pot from their perspective..
Then I could paint the rims black, brown, or other colors that match the walls, area rug, and furniture..
Nice..
I am having a hard time finding anything these days.

Jodik, what kind of paint do I use and where to buy?

This is a project for me this weekend.

If you ever want to post a pic of a couple of pots like this, do so, I would love to see them..:-)

I'm sure if you look, there is a specific type of paint that is made for painting on porous surfaces that might be moist at times... I'm not incredibly interested in how long the paint lasts on the pots, so it doesn't matter to me. I'm sure you could find sealer, as well.

Michael's and Hobby Lobby both carry a nice selection of stencils, too. I've used pieces of a sponge to dab the paint on, using a stencil. The English Ivy pattern is one of my favorites, as are other types of vines or country type motifs.

I don't have a photo of the pot set I did... I never thought to take one. Most of the pots I have currently are either plain, or they're so ratty looking, a picture wouldn't be worth taking! But I'm sure you get the ideas...

You could also use a clear/transparent bathroom silicone and glue little pieces of tiles or mirror around the rim... or colored glass pieces, or whatever... a mosaic!

Take a look around your local craft store... you just never know what sort of ideas might be waiting! Think "pot rim"... and let your imagination go wild!