Dress up a cheap pot

I'm not sure this fits this forum because the items I use I bought new, but it kinda fits.
I grew way to many peppers this year, and even after giving the extra to family and coworkers I still have to many peppers. I really don't want to only grow peppers in the garden, and I don't want to compost them. I decided to try to grow them in pots. Most of the pots I have are too small. Good pots are expensive. Grow pots dry out to fast in our hot summers. I probably will use some 5 gallon buckets, but they are so ugly.
I found some nice sized pots and the dollar tree for 5.00. I bought 4. They aren't bad pots, but quite thin. I worry the soil will get to hot in the summer.
I saw a video on YouTube where the person covered a plastic pot with joint compound. To be honest I didn't actually like the results that person got, but was still intrigued.
At the store I looked up what compound was for exterior use. I found one and bought it for 12.?? ( Though I don't see it say it can be used outside anywhere on the box.)
I gave the pot a light sanding to rough up the surface, hopefully helping it adhere better. I cleaned it up, and slathered on the compound. It was fun. I really liked the texture I got. It didn't take long for a bunch of cracks to show up. The next pot i used a much thinner coat. It didn't have as nice of texture, but it still looked good, and no cracking. (I tried not to get much compound or paint on the inside of the pot)
I let them dry for 24 hours. Then I painted them with exterior paint I got on clearance for 1.66. I hope this will help it withstand the weather.  I painted lightly with a little white paint to highlight the texture.
I'm happy with the results, I think they look nicer than the original pot. I hope the the extra layer, and lighter color will keep the soil from getting to hot. I also hope it lasts for a while.  This is not a how to because the outcome is uncertain. I do like the look. I spent less than 35.00 for 4 pots, and have tons of joint compound left for repairs, and projects.