Aging Terra Cotta Pots

I want to make a succulent dish garden and I found a nice terra cotta bowl shaped pot at Walmart but it just looks too new. Does anyone have suggestions for a neat way to "age" the pot so it looks a little more rustic? I thought about making a hypertuffa one, but I'm not sure how to get the shape right but that's kind of the look I want. I wonder if I could coat the outside with some mortar compound somehow? Would it stick to the terra cotta?
Any suggestions very much appreciated!
Deb

Deb,

You could try one of those Make It Stone Aerosol Faux Finish Spray Paint.
http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=8&productid=1770&content=product_details

If you search "aging terra cotta" at marthastewart.com, you'll find a couple of suggestions. There's one project where she used a solution of powdered lime and another where she used diluted milk paint to get an "aged" effect. See if this link works: http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=ee0d608f8532f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=aging%20terra%20cotta%20pots&rsc=header_8

Thanks! I've used the "Make it Stone" spray on a couple of pots before and it holds up well and looks nice-I'm just looking for something a little different-the Martha link is a good one-I might have to try that.
Deb

Those terra cotta pots also "age" pretty quickly once something is planted in them... a little water, a little sun, a little dirt... :-)

I buy the dark brown colored stone spray paint & lightly dust the pots with it. Works especially well on a slightly breezy day. You don't see the paint, just the terra cotta with a little dust. You can even do it with plastic "terra cotta" pots to make them look more genuine. Sometimes I just use regular brown spray paint, but it needs to be breezy.

a 50/50 mixture of beer and either yogurt or buttermilk will add a very nice, natural look to your (already planted) terra cotta containers. Moss will grow on the shaded parts & lichens on the sun-exposed surfaces. I also grow moss on wood boards this way by painting with the mixture, then just misting them when they dry out.

Al

I may have to get a few dishes and try a few different techniques-thanks for all the great ideas!

I thought about the buttermilk/beer/moss idea... but I didn't suggest it because I figured growing conditions for a succulent garden wouldn't be especially conducive to growing moss.

How long does it take for the beer solution to grow moss? It probably wouldn't work well for succulents, but it might be fun to try on a different container . . .

You should start seeing something in 2-3 weeks... If you want to be more sure of it, blend a handful of moss into your solution. If there's moss in your yard, there are probably plenty of spores around.

That's much easier than the buttermilk & manure recipe!!!