Clay Pot Craft: Make a Bell for the Porch

 Clay Pot Craft: Make a Bell for the Porch

Clay pot crafts are a cute way to make home decorations. In clay pot crafts, clay flowerpots can be made into a variety of decorative objects that appeal to gardeners. Usually the craftsman starts with new pots. Pots are often decorated with paint and tied together with rope or cord to create objects.

Pots for clay pot crafts can be purchased in many different sizes, from small ones no larger than 2 inches in diameter to larger ones over a foot in diameter. For a beginner project, start with smaller pots. The beginner should also choose clay pots that do not use too many pots in an overly elaborate design.

An example of a good craft for someone new to clay pot crafts is to make a bell from two clay pots. Buy a pot about five or six inches in diameter and one very small. You will use the small one as a clapper for the bell. You will also need a decorative cord, two large wooden beads and paint in the colors you want. You can also purchase glue-on jewelry to decorate the bell. The bell makes a beautiful decoration for a porch.

Cut the cord two feet (60 cm) long. Fold the end over 3 inches (8 cm) and tie an overhand knot, making a loop. This loop is used to hang the bell on a hook or a nail. Now flip the larger clay pot. Pass the free end of the cord through the hole in the pot. Lay the jar on its side and slide one of the large wooden beads along the cord until it is about 10 inches (25 cm) from the free end. Now tie the cord around the bead so that the bead cannot slip out of position on the cord. If you did this correctly, you can lift the pot by the loop. In clay pots, the beads should be large enough to prevent the cord from coming through the hole in the bottom of the pot.

On the free end of the cord, you will attach the potty in the same way. Slide the potty along the cord to make it easier to attach the other large wooden bead to the end of the cord. Now when you lift the whole arrangement by the loop, the smaller pot should hang freely inside the larger pot, making a pleasing sound as it slams against the larger pot.

Decorate the outside of the larger pot with paint as desired. You might like to paint it in black and white spots for a Holstein cow theme. You can also decorate the top of the bell with silk or dried flowers and greenery and a ribbon bow.

For a variation of this craft, make three of the bells and hang them from a horizontal piece of driftwood or another interesting piece of natural wood. When making hanging clay pots, always make sure the beads are large enough and securely attached, as clay pots will break if dropped on the floor.

Other clay pot crafts include making a large doll or scarecrow of chained and painted nested pots. The doll can sit in a chair or on a porch step. Paint his face to look like a scarecrow, jack-o'-lantern, gnome, or child. Clay pot crafts are particularly suitable for outdoor display.