skip to main content

Garden & Flower Crafts

Connecting clay pots for 'people'

19 years ago

I know about the Bag of Bones, but even if I could afford those, I tend to like to do this with what I have on hand. I made a pot person last year, and used rope with knots tied inside each pot, but doing the knots was a pain and it wasn't as sturdy as what I wanted. I do want to be able to move the limbs for posing, but thought I would see what everyone else used to make the pot people/crafts.

Chey

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

kansasgail
19 years ago
I made a clay pot earthworm with my grandchildren and used copper plumbing tubing. I just used pliers to pinch the tubing between the pots, after I got them into position. If the tubing isn't round, the pot can't move. It was quick, easy and it worked. :-)

Gaila
debraintexas
19 years ago
I made a pot person and he is still in good form after at least 3-4 years. He is poised sitting on an old (broken) kitchen chair. He sits in my herb garden and his name is Herbie. I didn't really know what I was doing when I made him, but it worked. I used wire to hold the pots together and kept if from sliding thru the pot holes by wrapping the wire around approximately one-inch pieces of dowel rod which I cut up.
Related Discussions
Any UNIQUE clay pot / saucer crafts???
Q
Comments (14)
Gmathyme, I would think a heavy gauge wire strung through it and some floral sytrofoam pieces for anchoring would be good, but yeah if you have a welder in the fam...go for it. I have a pic (in an idea scrap book) of a dachshund shaped pot sculpture, they just continued the pots together but they were spaced [some spacer must have been used, probably can use big wooden round beads (crafts store)] to make his body and not the top ends glued together. I would LOVE to find a class in wrought iron welding...like some the of the big garden sculptures you see some artist making. one of those BUCKET LIST items you wanna do before you go.
...See More
Clay Pot People
Q
Comments (19)
Hello everyone. I popped back in here this morning to see how many others have shown their potmen. I love the different looks, but kyponder's is still my favorite. It looks more like the first one I ever saw in a Southern Living Magazine years ago which was was my inspiration. I like her's better than I like my own. I've saved her picture for something to refer to next spring. I still have my pots on the back porch waiting for next spring, because like msbeaniac, I'm going to build mine in the flowerbed instead of trying to move it after it is put together. When I built my first one I assembled the legs and arms in the living room and waitied til I had the torso in the flowerbed before attaching them, then I glued the top and bottom of the torso together. I stuck a piece of rebar through the hole in the top of the torso and then put it through the hole in the head to hold the head on. I'm interested in learning how some of you attached the heads to your pot people. Gramadelie has a link to her pot person in her post and it didn't come through as a link. I hope it's okay to post it here to make it easier for others to see her cute potman. Linda Here is a link that might be useful: Gramadelie's pot man
...See More
Why do People Plant Roses in the Ground While They are in Pots?
Q
Comments (7)
There are a number of reasons why people plant the pots. 1. It's a good way to winter a potted rose. The ground does provide good insulation. 2. It's a protection against voles or moles or whatever from eating the root ball. 3, You can temporarily plant the pot to see if the rose will grow in that spot, i.e. enough sun. There are probably other reasons as well but you get the idea. However, I don't think it would aid in drainage for you. Even though the potting soil will drain better where will the water drain to? It will stay in that heavy clay soil against the pot and not drain away freely as it needs to. Eventually the pot will fill up and be too wet for the rose anyway. I have lake bed clay soil as well and it is a problem but I just dig big, deep holes and hope for the best. I usually know right away if it's not working and there's too much water by the rose's behavior. Then I dig it out and try again. I did do some deep roto-tilling on the new bed we made and that seemed to help a lot with breaking up that layer of clay. The soil beneath it wasn't nearly as dense and with the clay broken it drains pretty well now.
...See More
Clay Pot People
Q
Comments (4)
This is a small one--but I guess you could just use larger pots. Have fun. Here is a link that might be useful: Pot Person
...See More
suibhan
19 years ago
Hi Chey: I put mine together with all-thread rod,great big washers & nuts. I believe it was 1/2" size rod. I cut milk cartons to washer size to make a cushion between the clay pot & metal washer. The all-thread can be purchases at a hardware store. It comes in 3' lengths. You can cut the rod to any size you want. My pot man sits on an old slat yard bench with wrought iron sides. I used a length of rod to go through my guy & the bench & jam into the ground to support him.
cheyjohn_z5
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for the ideas! I have the end of a tubular bunkbed frame that I am thinking could be a "swingset" for a Pot Person..... now to get started on him. :)

Chey
flowercrazy44
18 years ago
Here are a few websites for making different things out of clay pots which I thought was neat. I don't know if you were just interested in making people or different things but thought i would send it anyways.http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/applecrafts/l/blcpapple.htm

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/beecrafts/l/blcpbee.htm
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/catcrafts/l/blcpcat1.htm
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/farmanimalcrafts/l/blcpcow1.htm
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/claypotcrafts/l/blcpfrank1.htm
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/frogcrafts/l/blcpfrog1.htm
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/ladybugcrafts/l/blcpladyb.htm
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/snowpeople/l/blcpsnowm.htm
You may have to copy and paste them as I can't get them right. Enjoy
Patricia
cheyjohn_z5
Original Author
18 years ago
I will definitely check out the links. I love to find things to do with clay pots, not just people! Thanks everyone, so very much for all of your help!

Chey

Related Stories

HOME TECH 7 Ways to Charge Up and Connect After Disaster

Products and tips for communicating and keeping essential items running till the power's back on

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Connecting Work and Play in South Australia

Travel mementos and eclectic finds show a shop-keeping family’s love of diverse styles

GARDENING GUIDES How to Stop Worrying and Start Loving Clay Soil

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Clay has many more benefits than you might imagine

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: A Modern Garden Pavilion Sprouts Up on an Ex–Pot Farm

By Mitchell Parker

This compact Dallas house now connects to its leafy surroundings in a gorgeously irreproachable way

GARDENING GUIDES Gardening Solutions for Heavy Clay Soils

By Falon Mihalic

What’s a gardener to do with soil that’s easily compacted and has poor drainage? Find out here

TASTEMAKERS Interview: Heather Knight of Element Clay Studio

By Becky Harris

Nature, architecture and a creative community inspire an Asheville artist

CONTAINER GARDENS Solve Your Garden Border Dilemmas With Planted Pots

Set your containers free from the patio — placed among plantings in the ground, they fill unsightly gaps, let you experiment and more

CONTAINER GARDENS Container Garden Basics: How and When to Water Potted Plants

Confused about soil moisture, the best time to water and what watering device to use? This guide can help

HOUSEPLANTS One Pot, One Big Shot of the Tropics

By creative jewish mom.com

Give your rooms exotic flair in a single stroke. Tall Kentia palm fits the tropical bill beautifully

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Tour a New American Garden in New Jersey

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

See how James Golden built his garden in a depression with wet clay and rogue cedars

Sponsored

Structural Remodeling

Franklin County's Heavy Timber Specialists | Best of Houzz 2020!