Give your old vintage flower pots new life with this easy styling tutorial anyone can do with faux plants.

I’ve been collecting McCoy flower pots for a while now and wanted to start displaying them instead of putting them in a cabinet.

History of the McCoy Flower Pots

McCoy flower pots are probably the most collected pottery in the nation. The McCoy company of Roseville, Ohio, started producing flower pots back in 1910. The city of Roseville was chosen as the area was rich with clay, and the land was given to the company free of charge in recognition of the employment opportunities and revenue it would bring to the area. The company changed hands several times and continued till 1991 until they closed down due to declining profits.

According to the McCoy Pottery Collectors Society, there were dozens of lines of McCoy pieces, each produced in a variety of colors and glazes. These include white, yellow, blue, brown, coral, and other shades. Some included multiple colors.

A few examples of McCoy Pottery lines

• Onyx – This line featured a beautiful swirled glaze that resembled stone.
• Blossom Time – Displaying gorgeous floral elements, this multi-colored line from the mid-1940s is highly collectible.
• Jeweled – This 1950s pattern featured elements like flowers and butterflies with applied glass gems to add sparkle.
• Strawberry Country – Produced near the end of the McCoy Pottery company’s existence, this simple pattern features strawberries on a basic white glaze.

collecting McCoy pots

What makes this pottery so desirable is the trademark on the bottom of the pot as shown in the picture above. You know you have a McCoy with that classic signature stamp. But, McCoy didn’t start stamping their pots until 1929. You can see a full listing of marks used with photos at the McCoy Pottery Collectors Society Trademarks Library.

There are several patterns, so look at photos of other pieces on the McCoy Pottery Collectors Society site, and read the pattern descriptions on McCoy Pottery’s Pattern Index which may help you identify any McCoy pots.

where to find McCoy pots

I have found most of mine at antique stores and while thrifting. Yard sales and estate sales are great places to find them too. But, I’ve had great luck on eBay and Etsy. Every once in a while, I will see a great price on a pot and snatch it. I’m now looking for a pink pot, but it’s a desirable color and a bit pricey. But I can wait. I just love these little pots.

I recently picked up these nice McCoy pitchers on eBay and will use them in seasonal decor settings. They look lovely with flowers or artificial leaves, stems, etc. I’m not sure how people used these for liquid pitchers because without liquid, they are really heavy.

Let’s style this pot

I have a 7″ wide McCoy USA 0373 Pottery Planter with a bamboo pattern circa the 1970s. This guy is heavy but is perfect for this little DIY project.

I used items that I already had, so this was really an easy project.

• McCoy pot
• Rosemary Topiary
• Silhouette Cutter
• Cardstock
• Sphagnum Moss

At first, I had just put the topiary inside the pot, but it didn’t look right because you could see the topiary pot and there was too much dead space in there.

I realized I could make this look prettier with a couple of touches.

I cut out a circle on cardstock on my Silhouette cutting machine to put over the top of the topiary pot. This will keep the moss from falling down into the McCoy pot and making a mess. You could also draw out your own circle by tracing around a round item.

You can see how the cardstock circle covers the top of the pot.

I then laid the moss on top of the cardstock and I’m done!

I love how this easy DIY project turned out. It looks so nice sitting on my vintage cabinet and is so much cleaner looking now too.

Do you collect old pottery? I would love to hear about them if you do.

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