DIY Vase Makeover with Paint and Baking Soda

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I can’t stop transforming vases from thrift stores! See how I transformed this $3.99 Goodwill vase into a designer beauty using paint and baking soda.

I like to stop by my local Goodwill at least once a week because I never know what I’ll find there!

Last week, I found this old pot that looked to be handmade.

It was super wonky and extremely heavy but I loved it and had to have it.

Let’s make it beautiful!

Materials Needed To Transform a Pot

Joint compound or tile adhesive (I use both depending on what I have available)
Gloves
Sanding block
Paint (you can choose whichever colors you like!)
Baking Soda

Step 1: Apply Texture

I applied a layer of tile adhesive all over the pot. Typically I use joint compound for this step but I had tile adhesive on hand.

This particular pot was already super textured so I really only had to apply the adhesive to the top part to smooth it out.

Step 2: Sand

After the tile adhesive dried, I went back in with sand paper and smoothed it out a little.

You don’t need to do much…the more texture, the better!

Step 3: Paint a base coat

I always paint the entire pot one color so you have a nice base to start with. I used SW Tricorn Black for the base of this pot but most of the time I will just use flat black spray paint.

Step 4: Paint Layers

This is the fun part! I grabbed a handful of leftover paint from the garage and started painting in layers.

I made a 1:1 ratio of baking soda and paint. The baking soda gives a matte, worn look to the pot.

I always start with my darkest color first and then start adding in lighter colors for dimension.

Here is the order of paint colors I used for this pot (all mixed with baking soda):

SW Caviar
SW Duncan Chestnut
SW Less Brown

One of my favorite tricks is to brush on a thin layer of paint and then use a slightly damp paper towel to wipe off excess.

I also like to “dry brush”…so I get a tiny bit of paint on the brush and barely dab it on the pot to create small spots. It gives it a super aged look.

There is really no way to mess this part up…just keep adding colors until you get a look you love!