Put away the hammer! You won’t be breaking dishes to make this mosaic stone planter. Decorative pebbles, tile adhesive, grout and an accent of paint turn an ordinary terra cotta pot into a work of art.

To save money, we went out back to collect landscape rock—after all, no one’s going to miss a few here and there. We sorted those with at least one flat side that could easily adhere to the planter but you could also buy a jar of decorative stones from a discount store to save you some time.

If you don’t want your hands to be candidates for a hand lotion commercial, wear disposable gloves when using tile adhesive and grout. Be sure to use sanded grout—not regular, as the crevices to be filled are quite thick. We mixed ours but will get pre-mixed next time as a shortcut.

how to make a mosaic stone planter
Ingredients
  • terra cotta planter
  • disposable gloves
  • decorative pebbles (enough to cover your pot)
  • mosaic tile adhesive
  • sanded grout for joints from 1/8″ – 1/2″
  • stir stick
  • pointed trowel or putty knife
  • damp sponge
  • non-scratch scour pad
  • cheesecloth
  • paint suitable for outdoors
  • disposable brush
Instructions
  1. First, put disposable gloves on so you don’t ruin your manicure. Select a stone from your collection, apply tile adhesive to the back of it then press firmly onto the planter starting at the bottom.
  2. Repeat for each stone, working your way around the planter until everything but the rim has been covered. Try to space them evenly apart. Allow the adhesive to dry overnight.
  3. After you’ve had your morning coffee, grab a stir stick and prepare the sanded grout according to the package directions (or use pre-mixed grout).
  4. Put on your gloves, protect your work surface then begin applying grout over and in between the stones. Work your way around, starting at the bottom of the planter. Be careful not to get any grout on the rim.
  5. Once grouted, allow the planter to set 20 minutes then gently wipe off excess with a damp sponge. Wait 2 hours then remove any remaining grout from the stones, using a non-scratch scour pad. Buff with cheesecloth to remove any haze.
  6. Paint the rim of your pot with exterior paint then allow the grout to cure a day before placing the planter outside.
Notes
This craft’s not hard but set aside some time for the adhesive and grout to cure.