The pot sizes that we recommend for this project are just suggestions. You can use any size pot you wish and make the project as big or as small as you’d like. Although you can make this project with plastic pots, it’s best to use terra-cotta pots. Terra-cotta is a porous material that paint sticks to well.

The smaller flower pots will be the arms and legs, and the larger pots will be the body and head, so paint accordingly. If you have an overabundance of brush strokes, you may have to paint two layers to get a smooth surface. Let the paint dry and then seal the paint with several thin coats of clear acrylic sealer.

Place a small pot on a table upside down. Cut a piece of macrame cord about 3 feet long and run it through the drainage hole on the pot. Tie a knot onto the end of the macrame cord inside the pot, making sure the knot is larger than the size of the drainage hole. Pull the knotted cord up until the knot is flush with the bottom of the inside of the pot. Repeat with the other small pot.

Take the end of the macrame cord that runs through the small pot (the side that isn’t knotted) and run it through the drainage hole on an upside-down larger pot that represents the body of the flowerpot person. You will now have a cord running up through the arm and down into the body pot drainage hole, peeking out at the bottom. Do the same with the other “arm.”

Take the unknotted cord that is peeking out from the bottom of the body pot, and run it into the drainage hole of an upside-down pot that represents the leg of the flower pot person. Tie a knot and pull the cord so that it is flush against the inside drainage hole of the smaller pot that represents the leg. Pull the arm and leg to level it out against the body. Repeat on the other side.

Place the flower pot person in your garden and then attach the head. You can place the head directly onto the body without gluing it and fill it with soil and flowers. However, if you wish to make your head more secure, glue the head onto the body. Pick some pretty plants or flowers to represent the flowerpot person’s hair and plant as you would a normal flowerpot.

If you are a bit stuck as to how to decorate your flower pot person, visit Pinterest for inspiration. You will find hundreds of painted flower pot people to guide and inspire you.

Flowerpot people are so easy and fun to craft that you’ll want to make many versions of this project with your kids who are age 8 or older. Once you understand the construction process, you can whip up a clay flower pot person in no time.