Before, they were plain terracotta pots from a crafts store that sold for about a dollar each.

We bought some "Patio Paint," and the girls went to work painting stars, stripes and fireworks on the pots with the vibrant red, white and blue patio paints we selected at the crafts store. Cost of paint: about $1.99 for each bottle. We already had assorted paintbrushes at our house. Besides ending up with some colorful pots for your party, this is a great way to keep children busy and have them help out with the party preparations.

The pot paint dries quickly, and the children enjoyed planting flowers in them when they were dry.