How to Make Fabulous Faux Pottery Paint

I went a little crazy exploring textured faux pottery paint techniques and you get to benefit from the results! I am so excited to share this all with you.

Faux Pottery 101

Faux pottery paint has become all the rage. The look of textured paint is really attractive and the idea that you can take outdated objects and give them a new lease on life is awesome! Suddenly every ugly piece of ceramic has new potential.

Faux pottery paint is basically mixing a paint with a dry substance such as baking soda, plaster, soil, sand, Epsom salt, or baking soda. When mixed together they create a matte, textured paint that when applied to ceramics creates a faux pottery look that is fantastic and so much fun to work with.

Tips For Successful Faux Pottery Painting

Having played with faux pottery paint a number of times there have been a few valuable lessons learned. Let’s look at these:

Use a stenciling brush. You can use a regular paint brush but I find that this applies the paint on too smoothly. For Epsom salt I am going for mega texture and a stenciling brush helps create this.
If you want your faux pottery paint to match your decor go to your local Home Depot or other home hardware store and ask them to make a sample size (237ml) of your colour. You can pick from any colour they have in the system.
Cover the container you mixed the paint in with plastic wrap. This will keep your Epsom salt mixture nice and manageable for a couple of days. Just remix when you’re ready to use again.
I found it helpful to go back right after applying the second coat with a damp brush and swipe the wet paint away around the detailing. This will remove some of the puffy, wetness of the paint and allow the details to show through better.

Epsom Salt Paint: Faux Pottery Froggy

Epsom salt mixed with paint makes for an extremely textured paint.

You will need a ceramic figurine or vase. Sky is the limit on this one. Head on down to your local thrift store or check out a few garage sales and find a ceramic piece that speaks to you. Not literally of course. If the figurine actually starts speaking to you please seek medical assistance.

I decided to use this cute ceramic praying froggy. I liked him because he had a ton of interesting detail from his googly eyes to his folded hands and I just knew that covered with Epsom salt paint this humble frog would become a glorious prince!

Supplies You Will Need

Ceramic of Your Choice
Acrylic Paint
Epsom Salt
Bowl to Mix Paint
Plastic Spoon
Stenciling or Regular Paint Brush

How to Make Epsom Salt Faux Pottery Paint

Start by cleaning off the ceramic figurine and then drying it.
Next, mix 1 part acrylic paint to 3 parts Epsom salt. The salt isn’t that dense so it takes a fair amount to create a thicker texture. Don’t be afraid to add a little bit more Epsom salt if you think it needs it. In the end you want it to look like the picture. Thick and bumpy.
Using your paint brush, brush on the first coat of Epsom salt paint. Pay extra attention around the detailing on the ceramic by making sure that the paint isn’t too thick and that the details show through. I wish I had smoothed the paint out a bit more around the mouth. Let dry.
Apply a second coat of the Epsom salt paint to the ceramic piece. This coat should have the piece completely covered in colour and there should be a fair amount of bumpy texture going on. Again, let dry.
If there are still spots on the ceramic that need a bit more coverage or texture just spot correct and again let dry.

And voila! Super simple, super fantastic faux pottery Epsom salt paint. With his new stone look, he now sits in my kitchen praying that the food tastes good.

To see what else you can do with Epsom salt paint make sure you check out my rustic faux stone picture frame.

Baking Soda Paint: Faux Pottery Vase

This time we are going to mix baking soda into our acrylic paint. This is a technique that I have used several times At Jenny’s Place.

When baking soda is mixed into the paint the two create a chemical reaction that causes the paint to fluff up. It becomes puffy and light in texture. The paint then goes on matte and creates a delightful faux pottery appearance.

If you are interested in seeing what happens when using different amounts of paint and baking soda check out my post on faux stone bird and bunny figurines.

Supplies You Will Need

Ceramic of your choice
Acrylic paint
Baking soda
Plastic Container to Mix Paint In
Plastic Spoon
Paint Brush

How to Make Baking Soda Faux Pottery Paint

Start by cleaning and drying the ceramic figurine or vase.
Mix 1 part baking soda with 2 parts acrylic paint. You may need to play a bit with these measurements. Basically you want the paint mixture to look like melting soft serve ice cream.
Using the paint brush paint the first layer of paint on to the ceramic. Pay attention to the details and make sure that the detailing on the ceramic piece shows through. Let dry.
Once thoroughly dry apply a second coat of the baking soda paint. Don’t be afraid to apply it on thickly but again, pay attention to the detailing and make sure it still shows through
If you find that after the second coat there are spots that need a bit more just spot correct.
Now this step may or may not be one you have to do. This ceramic piece had a beautifully glazed interior that I wanted to leave as is and I wanted a clean line between the faux pottery paint and the inner glazing. Using my finger nail wrapped in a lightly dampened paper towel I was able to easily and carefully create a clean line.

I love the way the colour contrast between the light faux pottery and the inner dark glaze makes the vases heart shaped opening pop.

Jenny’s Finishing Thoughts on Faux Pottery Paint

I just can’t say enough about making and creating with faux pottery paint. It is a ton of fun to work with. Gotta love science! The results are modern and high end looking. You would pay a ton for something just like this at any home store. You are reducing by reusing. Faux pottery paint is just awesome. Cheers!

What kind of faux pottery paint would you like to see me create next? Faux terra cotta, faux cement, or antiqued pottery? Make a suggestion in the comments below.

Did you find this post helpful or inspirational? Save This Pin to your Faux Pottery Paint board on Pinterest