Terracotta clay pots are my new favourite material to work with. There are soooo many craft ideas using clay pots. Here’s how to make terracotta clay pot Christmas decorations.
I did this craft with a bunch of my art students ranging for 6 to 13. They all loved making decorations with the terracotta pots, so I thought I would share it with our Kiwi Families readers.
The pots are super cheap and you can get them from most plant shops. In New Zealand you can source them from Mitre 10 and Palmers. And the cute small ones only cost around $1.50 each. These would make adorable Christmas DIY gifts for your kids to give to teachers, family and school friends.
DIY Clay Pot Christmas Craft – Gingerbread house decoration
The Gingerbread house is a good activity for kids a little older, from about 6 to 7 upwards. The fine detail just needs a little more fine motor control.
You will need
Small terracotta clay pots
Small paint brush
Resene Test pots in – Sea Fog, Tree Frog, Glitter Bug and Wild Thing
A fine tip black pen
A white gel pen
Ribbon
Needle
What to do
1. Using white (I used Sea Fog), paint around the top of your clay pot adding drip lines to make it look like snow is sitting on the roof of your pot. Then continue with the white and paint the bottom rim of your pot.
2. Paint a white arch at the front for the door.
3. Mix some of the Sea Fog together with Resene Tree Frog to make a pastel green. Now use this colour to paint in the arch of the door.
4. Using Glitter Bug paint an arch around the green door, then let this dry.
5. While the door is drying add some Candy Canes and peppermints using Sea Fog and Glitter Bug next to and above the door. I also mixed Wild Thing and Sea Fog together to make a pale yellow colour, and used this to add some candy down the bottom by the door.
6. When your door is dry, use a thin black marker to draw around the door (I gave mine some heart handles). You can also add some white lines to your candy and the arch of the door with a white gel pen.
7. Cut a ribbon about 8cm long. Tie a knot in the bottom and thread it through the hole so the knot is on the inside of the pot. I used the blunt end of a needle to help push the ribbon through
8. Lastly tie a knot to create a loop for your decoration to be hung from the tree!
DIY Clay Pot Christmas Craft – Melted Snow and Star Decoration
These decorations are great to do with any age, but especially with little ones. Preschoolers love glitter so let them go a little crazy with it. If you’re not so keen on how messy glitter can get, you could place the pot in a tray so when your kids sprinkle the glitter the tray will catch it.
You will need
Small or medium terracotta pots
A wide paint brush
Resene test pot in Glitter Bug
Glitter
PVA Glue
What to do
1. Paint your pots in Glitter Bug and let them dry. This shouldn’t take long as the pots soak the paint in so fast. You can easily add a second coat in around 10 minutes.
2. Use the glue to add your design. You don’t have to create a star. Your child might like to make dots, snow flakes, or even wiggly lines. Then, let them go a little crazy and see what beautiful sparkle creations they come up with. We did a star one, and one that looked like snow was dripping off the top.
3. You can use different coloured glitter to sprinkle all over the glue.
4. Depending on how thick the glue is you will need to put it aside to dry. If it’s a sunny day place it in the sun and it will dry much faster.
5. When the glue has dried cut a ribbon about 8cm long. Tie a knot in the bottom and thread it through the hole so the knot is on the inside of the pot.
6. Lastly tie a knot to create a loop for your decoration to be hung from the tree.
If you’re in the Christmas spirit and want some more DIY Christmas craft ideas check out our eco friendly Christmas tree, our Air Dry Clay Feather Decorations and these Whimsical Wooden Christmas Angels. Or, check out 100s more crafting ideas in our Creative arts and crafts section.
