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A $10 Hardware Store Staple Turns Plain Pots into a Rustic-Chic Centerpiece

Megan Baker Detloff
Megan Baker DetloffDirector of Home Projects at Apartment Therapy
I cover home upgrades, DIY projects, hacks, how-tos, and plants. I’ve written about home decor and renovations for more than a decade since earning my degree in Magazine Journalism from Northwestern University. Before AT, I was an editor at HGTV Magazine and This Old House Magazine.
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published Apr 7, 2021
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Before: stack of plain terracotta pots and saucers
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Credit: AT Video

The hallmark of great DIYers? The ability to turn something boring into something show-stopping — and on a budget, to boot. That’s why last year, we created a new challenge for some of our favorite makers and creators. As part of Megan’s Mystery Makeover, we mailed every participating DIYer a mystery item and had them make it over with just $50 in materials. The challenge is back, and this season, we took a cue from spring and Apartment Therapy’s Plant Month. For this round, we sent each of our featured DIYers a different terracotta pot, plus some starter supplies and a $30 budget.

A terracotta pot is the perfect canvas for DIYers of a range of skill levels: It’s paintable, glue-able, and even drill-able, which means there are tons of options for customization. Plus, terracotta pots are affordable and easy to find — they’re available at hardware stores, nurseries, grocery stores, big box stores, and (of course!) online.

In this season’s first episode, KC Cibran of @thecasaverde showed how she turned her plain, cylindrical terracotta pot into a disco-style hanging planter. Then, last week, Hana Sethi of @hanashappyhome showed how she gave her bowl-shaped planter a textured honeycomb pattern.

This week, we passed the challenge to designer Ruqiya Imtiaz of Studio RIU (@ruqiyaimtiaz). Ruqiya’s background in architecture gives her a unique perspective when it comes to designing her contemporary-meets-traditional spaces — and she’s not afraid to roll up her sleeves and do a little DIY, either.

Ruqiya received a surprise package featuring four shallow terracotta pots with saucers, plus brushes, craft paints, and a budget of $30 to buy anything else she needed. With visions of antiqued vases dancing in her head, Ruqiya hit up her dollar store to find some cool textured bowls — then raided her DIY stash for glue, powdered drywall compound, and baking powder to bring her idea to life.

Check out the video above to see how Ruqiya’s terracotta pot project came together. And don’t forget: This season, we want to see what you make, too. Show us your best terracotta pot makeover by posting a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #megansmysterymakeover for a chance to be featured on the @apartmenttherapy account. We’ll unveil our picks next week. Happy DIYing!

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