Can I paint a clay pot with a plant growing in it? If so-with what type of paint?

Here is a search engine full of ideas.

AOL Search results for "painting old clay flower pots" (http://search.aol.com/aol/search?invocationType=topsearchbox.search&query=painting+old+clay+flower+pots+)

Hope they give you some good ideas on exactly how you would want to do it.

I looked some more and found this

Make sure no water is trapped in the terra cotta.

Now, you are ready to put a coat of oil based primer.

Whether you are using a Terra Cotta Flower Pots or plastic flower pots this is a very important step. Your paint will not stick to your surface if you don't prime your Flower Pots.

Allow your oil based primer to dry completely.

Put on a coat of your base paint, this should be a warm color like green or blue.

Let this dry for at least 24 hours.

Any good arts and crafts store should be able to help and give suggestions.

I was thinking the paint they use for tole paint should work.

Oil may be more toxic.
Try to use no fumes and non toxic and you should be okay.
Like I said a good arts and crafts store or even a flower shop should be able to help with suggestions.

My sister in law uses regular craft paint and does fine with it, you can get the paint at places like Hobby Lobby, or Walmart.

I have painted plain clay pots with Cheap-O latex paints. One has been outside for 4 years--no fading or flaking, etc. I would NEVER use oil paints. There are chemicals in them which can seep into the soil. If you eat any part of the plant those chemicals can go into you. That's why all the old master painter's were pretty much crazy in some way or another--serious heavy metals in the old oils and the new ones, too. It's the price they paid for getting pretty colors. marymack55

Can I paint a clay pot with a plant growing in it? If so-with what type of paint?
You can buy Patio Paint by ceramcoat at any craft store and it will work. There are other brands of outdoor paint for terra cotta pots. You just need the pot to be as dry as possible or it won't dry and "cure" as well as it should. I have some that I have left outside for three winters here in the midwest and they are still fine. It is best to paint the entire pot with these paints, though. I wouldn't recommend using oil based paints- they may leach toxins out to your plants.