How to Paint Outdoor Resin Wicker Planters

Have you ever wondered if you could paint plastic outdoor plant pots? Here’s how I updated our outdoor resin wicker planters with just acrylic craft paint and changed them to a colour I love! This easy project can transform your outdoor space for only $5 in paint. Check out how I painted resin wicker, changing it from grey to a lovely warm driftwood taupe-y tone.

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For this project, I decided to throw caution to the wind! I wanted to see if I could paint resin wicker with simple acrylic craft paint… no spray paint, no primer, no sealant. Just $5 worth of acrylic paint purchased from Michaels and an old paint brush. Here’s how it went!

I was really tired of looking at these grey resin wicker planters out on our patio… it was just too much grey, especially with the grey stone pillars that they sit beside. These planters were the best option that I could find at the time, and even though I didn’t love the colour, they are great planters overall. They are super durable and can be left outside all year (which is important when you live in a condo and don’t have anywhere else to put them), so I wanted to keep them.

I decided it was finally time to change the colour of these planters! Cue my trusted acrylic craft paint… here’s what I did to transform these planters from a boring grey to this lovely warm driftwood colour with just paint!

Here’s a quick summary of the process:

Clean the planters to remove any dirt and debris.
Apply a light coat of paint, not worrying about completely covering the colour underneath. Allow it to dry.
Apply a second light coat and then a third coat in another colour. (The number of coats needed will depend on your planter and the look you are wanting to achieve.)

Step 1

First clean the planters to remove any build-up of dirt and grime. This will help the paint adhere better. I used this outdoor garden sprayer to hose them off (try this one, this one, or this one for similar available options). Then let them fully dry before starting to paint.

Spraying off the planters with a portable garden spray

Step 2

Add your first layer of paint and apply a light, thin coat, not worrying about making it perfectly even. I used the colour “Light Taupe” by Craft Smart (or this Warm Buff colour is similar). You want to intentionally apply it lighter in some areas than in others in order to get variation in the tone. Real wicker has different tones throughout the weave and we want to mimic this.

You can use a dry-brushing technique in some areas to help with getting this variation in tones (sweep your brush over the planter with your brush almost dry- this just adds a light dusting of paint).

Applying the first coat in colour Light Taupe

I find it helpful to use an old brush where the bristles are a bit sparse. This helps get a more rustic texture with the paint. Be careful not to apply the paint too thick in any areas; you don’t want any thick blobs of paint to get caught in the weave of the wicker.

If you look at the original grey colour in the picture above (the unpainted side on the right), you can see that there are different shades of grey woven throughout it… we want to try and keep some of that tonal variation. Here’s how it looked after the first coat of paint:

How it looked after the first coat of paint

Step 3

Add a second light coat of paint. After the first coat, I could tell that the colour was looking a bit too “cool” and a bit too grey. I decided to add another layer of paint on top of the first layer, but this time in a colour that was a bit warmer with a slightly yellow undertone. This colour is called “Camel” by FolkArt.

The planter after the second coat of paint in colour Camel- it looked a bit too “yellow”

I painted it the same way as I did the first layer- a thin coat, with some areas having more coverage than others. Depending on the overall look you’re going for and what the original colour of your planter is, you may not need this layer.

Step 4

Add one more light coat in another colour. After the second coat, they were looking way too yellow. So I added one more layer of paint to tone down the yellow undertone, this time in a taupe-y colour that was a touch darker and warmer than the first colour. This one is called “Fawn” by Americana– again, applying it lighter in some areas and a little more concentrated in others.

This colour was very close to the Light Taupe I used for the first coat, but I liked that it was a touch more beige. I was trying to add as much dimension as possible by layering of slightly different colours.

The acrylic paint colours I used for this project

The Craft Smart paint and the FolkArt paint both state on the bottle that they can be used on plastic and resin, while the DecoArt Americana one doesn’t specifically state this, although I decided to give it a try anyway. DecorArt Americana does make options in multi-purpose paint that can be used for plastic and outdoors, like this one.

And here’s how they looked after the final coat of paint!

And that’s it! I am really happy with these and am loving the new colour! This is exactly what I was hoping for, and now our patio is one step closer to being that dreamy cottage-y vibe I’m hoping for.

In the future, I may add another coat of paint. But for now, these are a huge improvement. I wanted the colour of these to be similar to the round woven basket planter shown in the above right photo. The colour is so similar… yay!

Check out the FAQ section below to learn more about this project!

Frequently Asked Questions

The paint seems to scratch easily, so that’s something to be mindful of. This is probably due to not using a primer or a sealant. I am ok with this for now, because I think it will be really easy to do touch-ups as needed. I recommend placing your painted resin planters in a sheltered location if possible, and be cautious with them when moving them around or planting inside of them.

Yes! The painted finish is water-resistant. Ours have already made it through heavy rain and wind without any damage. However, the paint DOES seem to scratch easily, so I’m unsure how they will perform if they get hit with a bad hail storm. I will update this post when more time has passed! I do think it’s best for these to be placed in a somewhat sheltered location.

Yes, you can, however make sure that it states on the bottle that it is suitable for plastic (and ideally for outdoors too). This will ensure that the paint adheres to it. You can even buy acrylic paint that is specifically made for outdoor use, however, I found that there were limited colour options available. I would recommend checking if there is an “outdoor paint” colour option that would work for your project!

I wouldn’t recommend this method for large pieces of wicker furniture where they will get a lot of use (being sat on). It would probably also be very time-consuming to paint a large piece with a little craft brush instead of spray painting. However, I do think this method would work for small items like a side table. Keep in mind that the paint does scratch easily in my experience, so this method is best for items that won’t be touched frequently.

Yes, you can totally use this painting technique on real, natural wicker too! However, real wicker can be prone to mold or rot when exposed to too much moisture. Real wicker is best suited for sheltered areas or for indoors.

I hope this has given you some inspiration! Save this post to Pinterest: