painting flower pots--simple and special gifts

This year for Mother's Day, I leaned on an old faithful: painted flower pots!

I really think that you can't go wrong when you take a little time to jazz up a clay pot, add some daisies, and throw in a little bit of love.

First, while Maddy and Owen were at school one morning, Cora and I painted the three pots and dishes white.

Big strokes with a flat brush and the challenge of covering the entire pot with paint was super fine-motor practice for my little Cora. Plus, we had a chance to talk--uninterrupted--about puppies, ponies, and mermaids while we were busy at work.

Our palates--filled with Crayola washable paint and some
leftover craft paints.

I keep everything--everything. These handy little palates? Many thanks to Costco for super-packaging on their mini-quiches!

Owen adds a heart stamp to his pot for Grandma.

I really wanted to keep this gift simple for the kids and--okay, me.

So made hearts and tulips out of a few sponges I picked up at the Dollar Store a while back, and I gave Maddy, Owen, and Cora a quick lesson on stamping. Owen was totally up for trying it out and even threw in some blending on top.

Cora has been totally into blending colors lately, so there was also a whole lot of blending going on. . .

Owen wanted to make his for his Nana,
so he added a pink 'N' and painted away. .

. . . and before we knew it, we had three gorgeous flower pots.

We let the pots dry, and the next afternoon, we put on our garden gloves (even though we didn't really need them--my kids just love wearing them!), added some potting soil, and re-potted our daisies.

With a gerbera daisy in each, these pretty pots were ready for Mother's Day!

Not a whole lot of learning on our painting day, but I think that when kiddos walk through the process of creating something, especially if it's something that requires several steps, they tend to feel more invested in the activity. This gift began at the nursery when Owen, Cora, and I picked out the daisies and the clay pots. The next morning, Cora and I put on the base paint, and that afternoon, we decorated. The following day, we added flowers and notes on the bottom. It was a simple, but several-step gift.

Whether it be cooking or making a gift, re-modeling a room, or anything, kids feel a real sense of pride when it's time to hand it over a gift like this to the recipient. I know that Maddy, Owen, and Cora could hardly wait to give their special pots to their Nana, Grandma, and Nanny, and when they see the daisies at their houses the next time we visit, they'll really smile!