Aging pots and metal in the garden
by Sue Langley • January 15, 2013 • Creative Containers, How to: Easy projects • 21 Comments
Aging things to make them look old can give your garden an antique and timeless look that many gardeners crave. Here are some things to try!
Depending on what kind of garden or yard you have, sometimes it’s fun to make new clay, stone, or concrete containers look old, like they’ve been in the garden for decades. These techniques work really well,…and they’re fun! Try this with “urn shaped” containers, which because of their classic shape can look like they have sat for eons.
Old wood, old terracotta, old rusty flower pail
Of course, concrete and terracotta pots will age into beautifully into works of art after years of sitting in your garden, but why wait that long? These aging and antiquing techniques are fast, easy, and inexpensive to do.
Jane Krauter’s mossy pots
Mossy patinas
Terracotta, stone and hypertufa containers and sculptures all lend themselves nicely to having moss grown on them, giving each one an antique look. Just leaving the container outdoors on the wet ground under some leaves will achieve an old look within weeks. Decomposing leaves give off low concentrations of acid which is why they can etch glass bottles if left outside.
Get plain yogurt and sprinkle in some moss spores. You can buy these at a garden store or collect moss from your garden or neighborhood….look in shady woodsy spots. Chop the moss finely and stir lightly with a spoon. Then, use a brush to apply this mixture to your terra cotta pots. Cover with a clear plastic bag and let them sit outside in the shade for about 10 days and you should see beautiful moss beginning to grow on your terracotta pots.
Rusty brake left out to weather, but preserved with Penetrol.
Preserving Rust
Sometimes you have a rusty container or wheelbarrow that you want to keep at just the right stage of rust ‘patina.’ Penetrol, a product normally used as a paint additive to improve flow and adhesion, also seals and stops rust. It can be used alone as a base coat on bare metal and will fix the rust while preserving the appearance. The finish will be darker than dry rust but similar to rust sprayed with water or oil and can be top coated with a polyurethane for a more durable finish.
Aging copper
Copper pots and even pennies can be aged and used in the garden for an ancient and antique look.
The ‘penny ball’ before being sprayed with Marie’s solution
Marie Niemann says “Here’s my penny bowling ball I made last year.. I sped up the aging process by spraying with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and a little salt. And of course Mother Nature helped too!” This is Marie’s formula for aging metal. She says, “I used a cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 cup of white vinegar and two tablespoons of salt and put it in a spray bottle. I’ve also used straight vinegar before with salt to get similar results but the hydrogen peroxide seems to really speed it up! This can be used on anything you want to create an aged patina, copper, brass, galvanized or steel.”
After being sprayed
Aging Galvanized metal
Galvanized metal is hard to etch because it is intended to resist oxidation. An alkaline solution might do the trick to age it. Acids are more likely to impart a rusty result.
Try ammonia and salt with a bit of soap for a mild etch. Try caustic cleaners like Drano or bathroom cleaners like Lysol toilet cleaner next. Paint the acid on in an outdoor location and wear eye protection when using any of these caustic solutions.
Rusted flower bucket, after the acid spray, a year ago.
Cindy Barton created this project from an old vent she aged. She says, “This was an aluminum house vent that we didn’t use in our potting shed. I saw the potential of a vertical garden between those slots. Since this was a used house vent it had black netting on the back to prevent critters from getting into the house. I added landscape fabric on top of the netting to make sure the dirt stays in. Then I bent the individual slats to make a larger pocket to plant in. Stuff it with dirt leaving some space to tuck the succulents in. Then top it off with more dirt. Pack the dirt in tightly and water well. Oh my husband sprayed it with muriatic acid to age it before I decided to plant in it.”
Cindy Barton’s planted metal vent
Aging fabric
Annie Steen ages fabric and flags with wood stain. Just look how it blends well with her own little tricycle from her childhood. Annie uses stain to age many of the materials she uses in her workshop creating primitive art pieces.
Annie Steen advises using wood stain to age fabric
Paint and stains
Wood stain is a fabulously easy way to add some character and antiqued look to new terra cotta pots. I like to use either gel wood stain or liquid wood stain. A darker color like a plantation walnut is perfect for this project. Simply dip an old t-shirt or sponge into the wood stain. Or use house paint for terracotta like these below.
Old carpenter’s bench and chippy pots. These pots were painted two years ago and have weathered nicely
Naturally occurring crackle finish. Now you can create this same effect easily!
Two layers of paint were applied over the years and allowed to weather and crack on this wheely bin that belonged to my grandfather. You can get the same effect now, by painting on one layer of paint, then applying a thin or thick layer of waterproof Elmer’s glue. Paint another layer of paint on and watch it crack.
Wheely bin, painted in two colors long ago
Supplies Needed for Crackle Finish:
- First, a base coat latex or acrylic paint, then
- Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Glue and finally
- A top coat latex or acrylic paint
With mossy green paint, you can also add a “patina” or even a “faux moss” look to a terracotta container that will give it its own special beauty, and a sense of timelessness. I hope you try some of these fun methods to age up your containers… start now, and you’ll enjoy their vintage charm this spring and for many years afterward. Make some history in your garden.
I would love to recieve your emails….i just love all your ideas! Thanks!
Thanks, Carol, I can sign you up for the weekly updates…. Thanks so much for your comment!
what was the base of the penny ball and what did you use to adhere the pennies.
thanks ~K
Hi Karen, the base of the penny ball is a bowling ball! The glue used is GE Silicone II for exterior windows, in clear. You can see all the BB ideas posted here:
Beautiful Bowling Balls?
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.519080818126068.120949.192440100790143&type=1
Fabulous use of bowling ball & so decorative as well as utilizing old pennies.
please add my name to your distribution list to receive great crafting news and ideas.
thanks, jane.
Some really cool ideas here, Sue! I really love how Marie’s penny BB changed in looks after she sprayed it with that mixture shared in this article. And that shiny flower bucket you did …wow, that sure looks great! Lots of good information here. TFS!
Thanks, Jeanne, between spraying the galvanized bucket with muriatic acid and leaving it our for a winter, it becoming nicer and nicer. Some would call it trash!
I love all of the tips for aging items in the garden. Thanks so much for all these great ideas.
Thanks, Becky,…more moss on more pots this year, I’d like to do….
Love these ideas and techniques! Have already bookmarked this post for future reference when I try my hand at aging some garden decor… Hope mine turn out as well! Thanks so much for sharing, and with great photos to inspire!
Thanks, Elaine, I seem to like ‘old’ more than ‘new’ any day… nutty, huh?
Great article. I love this site. I have truly enjoyed all the great ideas, articles and pictures. Thanks for the work put into coordinating all of this and sharing.
Thanks, Sue, I’m glad that you’re enjoying the page…..we are kindred spirits…
Just found your lovely site, thanks for the great tutorial!
Thanks, Deb, I don’t know if what we do is art or obsession, but we gather here for ‘support meetings’…
Sue,
Thank you for this treasury of ideas and directions. I imagine the “new” antiques hold up better than the older ones. Another reason for faux. Cindy Barton’s vent cover is super. I need to see what lurks in my pile of “one day this could be useful.”
Thanks, Jackie, I do love Cindy’s succulents planted in this humble way… guess we never like to throw anything out.
Soo love it all! You just made my day. A real picker upper! Would you kindly sign me up for your weekly newsletter or email?? Thank you kindly. Some of your ideas are so easy I believe I’m going to start today today
( I just signed up belowthe for weekly email email so maybe I already just did it)
Sue, I love your pictures and ideas. Marylee
Oh, I am so glad I read this. Lots of great info.
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