Mud Painting: How to Transform Old to New with Mud -

Let me show you how to transform the decor you already have by mud painting. Yes, actual mud! You will love this easy and cheap DIY!

Who knew mud painting would become a trend in the DIY community? I am seriously loving this trend! Can you believe I used actual mud to transform this planter?! Actual mud!? I love the idea of taking something old and making it look new, especially when using mud!

Playing in the mud brought me back to my childhood in the best way. You will love this simple, easy and essentially free DIY! Let me show you how to transform your planters, vases, trays, and decorative bowls with mud painting!

To be completely honest, I don’t know if “mud painting” is the correct term but I never claimed to be an expert. No matter the name, this method can help you save money by redoing decor you already have. The mud gives old boring pieces and interesting and unique texture that you will love!

This post is all about mud painting!

Shout out to my friend, Nikki for this awesome idea! Check out her Home & DIY Instagram page and give her a follow!

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How to Make something Old look New with Mud

My Mom has had this artificial tree since I was a little kid, so when she no longer wanted it, I knew I had to revive it. This fake tree was a part of my childhood! Anyone else weirdly attached to decorations or household items from your childhood? Just me? Any who, I’ve been wanting to give this mud painting technique a try for a while now and figured the base of the tree would be my perfect guinea pig! I planned to replace it with a belly basket if I didn’t end up liking it. Spoiler alert: I love it!

Step 1 of Mud Painting: Paint Planter

The first thing you will want to do is paint the planter (or whatever you are mud painting) using spray paint, chalk paint or regular craft paint. I went with an off-white spray paint for my base to brighten it up a bit. Check out my spray painting tips here on my laminate cart makeover post. I have spray paint down to a science!

Step 2 of Mud Painting: Make Mud

Once the paint is dry on your planter, it’s time to make some mud. Unless it just rained, dig up some dirt and mix it with water. I decided to leave my mixture fairly thick, like a smoothie, for more of a textured look. However, be sure to take out the bigger clumps or small rocks to avoid the paint from chipping off later.

Step 3 of Mud Painting: Smear Mud on Planter

Once you are happy with the consistency of the mud, it’s time to get messy! Coat the entire planter with the muddy mixture. You could use a brush, but I urge you to channel your inner child and use your hands. Using your hands is a lot quicker too!

Again, if I was to do this over, I would remove the bigger clumps to avoid the paint from chipping as much in the next step.

Step 4 of Mud Painting: Let Mud dry in the Sun

Once your planter is completely covered with mud, set the planter in a sunny area to dry. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours for the mud to dry. If you are in a crunch (or impatient), try using a blow dryer to speed up the drying process.

Unfortunately, I didn’t do this until the end of the day so mine didn’t dry as fast.

Step 5 of Mud Painting: Clean off the Mud

This one got messy and my photographer (my husband, Alex) was busy, so I didn’t get pictures of this step. You will want to do this outside. I sprayed the planter down with a hose for the most part and wiped away any excess mud with paper towels… lots of them! You want the planter to have a pottery-like look, so be sure to wipe in the same direction each time. Be gentle when wiping to avoid the paint from chipping off. I like the smaller chips, but I am hiding a really big one in the back.

Step 6 of Mud Painting: Style your Creation

Once the planter is dry, you can decorate with your new masterpiece! I love the way this one turned out! However, I don’t recommend filling your planter with real dirt (*facepalm*), but I forgot to buy Spanish moss, rocks didn’t look right, and I needed to snap some pictures for this post. Hopefully, I remember to replace it with moss before one of our younger nieces or nephews finds it :/.

If you are looking for more easy DIYs, be sure to check out the Easiest Wreath Ever or my other DIYs here!

Free Decorating Guide

Want some more decorating inspo? Snag my FREE decorating guide to help you make your home a space you can be proud of! This guide take you through my simple process of decorating.

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This post was all about mud painting! As always, thank you for following along with me on my creative journey. Be sure to tag me and use #meagannicholedotcom when sharing your own Mud Painting creations! Thanks for stopping by MeaganNichole.com

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Mud Painting: How to Transform Old to New with Mud

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