Creative Clay Pot Projects

As gardeners we all are familiar with clay pots. We plant our flowers in them each year, there are however other great things you can do with clay pots.

A number of fantastic projects can be created with these versatile little pots.

A Bell For The Garden Or Porch

Materials Needed:

    2 Clay Pots - 1 about 6" and 1 about 2"
    2 Large Wooden Beads
    About 2 foot of heavy cord (Any Color You Wish)
    Assorted craft paints

First you will need to tie a small loop in one end of the cord. This will be used to hang the bell. Next you will want to turn the larger pot upside down. Now feed the loose end of the cord through the hole on the bottom of the clay pot. With the pot on its side, slide one of the wooden beads about 12 inches up the cord. Tie the cord around the bead tight enough to ensure it cannot move. You should now be able to hold the pot up by the cord. Be sure the wooden bead is large enough to not slip through the hole in the pot.

Now take the smaller pot and feed the loose end of the cord through the hole just as you did on the larger pot. Slide it up the cord until it fits inside the larger pot, at the desired position. As a rule you will want the smaller pot, which will act as the clapper, to hang inside about 1/2" above the rim of the larger pot.

Now that you have the smaller pot in the proper position on the cord, reach inside and grasp the cord at the bottom of the pot. This is where you will want to position the second wooden bead. Keeping hold of the cord so as not to lose your position, slide the pots further up the cord. This will give you room to work when tying the bead.

Now you will need to slide the bead onto the cord. Slide it up to the point at which your fingers are grasping the cord. Tie the bead securely at this point, being sure it cannot slip. Now you should be able to lift the bell by the hanging loop. The smaller pot will hang loosely inside of the larger one. As they clap together they make a very pleasing sound.

You can now paint the outside of the larger pot. Be creative and decorate your bell to reflect your personality. You may even want to add a bow just above the bell. Have fun with it.

A Vertical Planter

Materials Needed:

    3 Eight or Ten inch Clay Pots
    A Metal Stake About 4 Ft. Long. I use electric fence stakes. These are readily available at any farm supply store.
    1 Clamp to fit around the stake. I use the metal ones that screw together on both sides. The ones that are normally used to hold electrical wire.
    Assorted Paints

This is a very simple project that can be completed in an hour or two. I have made several of them for family and friends.

The first thing you will need to do is paint and decorate your clay pots. Just like with the Bell, be creative when painting and decorating the pots.

Now while the pots are drying you will want to place the stake. Once you have decided on the location, simply drive the stake into the ground with a hammer. You'll want the stake at least 12" into the ground, this ensures a solid foundation to support your pots.

Now place the clamp onto the stake about 12" up from the ground. The pots will rest upon the clamp so make sure it is tight. Next you will slide the first pot onto the stake, using the drain hole at the bottom. Repeat this with the two remaining pots, ensuring they each face a different direction. This will allow the bottoms of each pot to rest on the rim of the pot beneath it. Additionally it will evenly distribute the weight.

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