Spring is the time to start planting seeds so you’ll have seedlings to transplant to the garden come summer. Make your pots unique by decorating them yourself with bits of beach glass, pottery, sea shells, or beads. This is a great project to do with kids, but be careful of sharp pieces of glass or pottery.

Materials

Putty knife

Ceramic tile grout

Terra cotta flowerpot

Pieces of beach glass, broken pottery or mirror, tile, beads, charms, etc.

Directions

1.  Use the putty knife to spread a thick layer of grout around the outside of the flowerpot (at least ¼ inch thick).

2.  Press the pieces into the grout and add more grout around each piece to cover any sharp or rough edges.

3.  Allow pot to dry thoroughly. Then wipe away any grout residue from the pieces with a damp sponge.

Tip

Look for nontoxic grout online or at your local hardware store. Alternatively, you can make your own grout by mixing one part Portland cement to two parts sand in a tub. Add water slowly while stirring until the mixture is thick like mud. If desired, add natural iron oxide pigments to the grout for a more colorful background for your mosaic.

For an even simpler “faux grout,” mix two parts white sand to one part white glue. Add acrylic paint or concentrated natural dyes as desired. The “faux grout” won’t be as strong or as smooth as real grout, but it will work in a pinch.