The clay pot can be used to create various Christmas crafts from a Christmas clay pot snowman, holiday pen and pencil holder, decorative candy cane cup, clay pot water or snow gauge, personalized photo coin cup, Christmas planter or mini-tree decor, or a Christmas silver bell without the use of any paints. These easy step-by-step Christmas crafts using clay pots can actually serve as great Christmas gifts and can be created by young children as well as adults. Please use adult supervision when needed.
Highly Recommended Clay Pot Snowman:
Items needed would be one clay pot, standard glue, one piece of black construction paper, one small pack of white snow flakes (found at most craft stores), one round Styrofoam ball (also found at craft stores), one sheet of newspaper, one small to medium paint brush, one long brown pipe cleaner that is easy to bend, 5 small black beads (snowman's eyes and buttons), one 1" of black yarn, scissors, and one orange cone shaped bead (found at craft stores).
First you will begin at the body. You will take the glue and spread it all over the outside of the clay pot by using the paint brush. Make sure you do this over the newspaper. Then sprinkle the white snow flakes all over the glue. Make sure that you place three black beads on the "front" of your snowman to display buttons going down the front. You simply press the black beads lightly into the snow as the excess glue should allow them to stick to the clay pot. If you need more glue simply glue three beads of glue where you plan on sticking the three black beads. Allow to dry.
Next you will focus on the head of the snowman. Lay the round ball onto the newspaper against an object such as the side of a book so that it does not roll away. Place a bead of glue where the eyes would be and place a black bead onto the glue then put a bead of glue where the nose should be and place the nose "bead" onto that section. Take a very small amount of glue and stick the yarn onto where the mouth should be. Allow to dry.
While this is drying you can work on the top hat. You can create your very own black hat for a snowman by using black construction paper. How? First you cut two small circles and then one strip that would measure around one of the circles. Glue the long strip between each circles so that you created a small round shape with flat top and bottom. Allow to dry. Cut a larger circle out of the construction paper and glue the already created shape on top of it. You have created your snowman top hat. Make sure that your hat measures the head of the snowman.
Now, turn over your clay pot so that the opening is on the bottom of the pot. Place the brown pipe cleaner on the center of the the top (what you can see) clay pot and glue down. You want the measurements to equal on both sides. Allow to dry.
Place a large bead of glue onto the brown pipe cleaner and clay pot and press the head lightly down, hold for two minutes then let go. Allow to dry. Last, glue the top hat on and allow to dry. Your snowman is complete!
Holiday Pen and Pencil Holder:
Items needed would be one clay pot, one square foot your favorite wrapping paper, one small or medium sized paint brush, one 1' piece of thin white ribbon, scissors, and standard glue.
All you do is hold the wrapping paper against the pot as you roll the clay pot around it. Do not let go of the wrapping paper against the clay pot. Once you have gone around the clay pot once use your fingers to cut a small slit at that spot to indicate where you are going to cut the wrapping paper. Place the clay pot aside and cut the wrapping paper at that spot, straight down in a line to the bottom of the wrapping paper. Place the wrapping paper face down. Spread glue around the pot by using the paint brush then place the clay pot on the bottom portion of the wrapping paper and roll it again. You should go all the way around the clay pot with no or little wrapping paper to spare. If there is wrapping paper to spare then glue that down cautiously. Allow to dry. Now cut the extra wrapping paper above the clay pot and below the clay pot. Wrap the white ribbon around the clay pot and tie in a bow. You have created a wonderful holiday pen and pencil holder.
Decorative Candy Cane Cup:
The Christmas candy cane cup is done in the same exact way that the pen and pencil holder is created. The difference would be the wrapping paper used. Many stores offer the classic candy cane striped wrapping paper. If you the candy cane wrapping paper you could create a delightful candy cane cup.
Clay Pot Water or Snow Gauge:
Items needed would be one clay pot, white waterproof pottery paint, light blue waterproof pottery paint, one ruler, and one permanent magic marker.
This Christmas clay pot crafts idea is quite easy and can be educational to children. Just paint the clay pot upper portion light blue and the lower portion white. One symbolizes the sky, the other a snowy ground. Allow to dry. Measure in inches by placing the ruler along the side of the clay pot and use the marker to place dots where each inch begins. After this, take the marker and from the bottom write 1 where the first mark is, 2 where the second mark is, 3 where the third mark is and so on. They are equal to inches in the same measurement you applied. Now set your water or snow gauge outside just to see what mother nature has been up to.
Personalized Photo Coin Cup:
Items needed would be one clay pot, standard glue, one photo not larger than the cup side measurement, one sheet of green tissue paper, one sheet of red tissue paper, scissors, and one 2' white thin ribbon.
First you will cut the tissue paper, both colors, into small 1" square pieces. You should come up with plenty of small pieces of tissue paper but make sure that you do not combine the two colors. Place them aside. Glue your photo onto the clay pot face by placing a small bead of glue on each of the four edges of the photo, evenly and equally. The face is located in front of you if you place the opening upward, just as if you sat it on a table to place a plant into it. Allow the photo to dry.
Now for the fun part! Take a small square of red or green tissue paper and place your fingers in the center pushing up the edges. It will appear like a flower bud. Drop a small bead of glue onto the center of the tissue paper (located closest to your fingers) and place the tissue paper opposite of your photo, on the other side of the clay pot. It should stick nicely. Continue using any color you wish until you have covered the entire clay pot. Be creative, you can even spell names with one color and use the other as a background. Once you have reached the photograph, be cautious. Fill in the spots with the tissue paper after placing small beads of glue in without touching the photo. Allow to dry. You have created a great personalized photo coin cup.
Christmas Plant or Mini-Tree Decor:
Another great Christmas craft idea would be to use the clay pots to plant into instead of placing coins into, or use as a gauge, place pens and pencils into or candy canes.
Christmas Silver Bell (without the use of paint):
All you need would be a clay pot with hole on the bottom, one small or medium paint brush, sheet of newspaper, glitter, standard glue, one 1' piece of floral wire, one medium bead, one small bell that rings, and one 6" thin white ribbon.
Simply brush the glue onto the clay pot using the paint brush. You can place beads of glue onto the clay pot and begin there. Make sure you are over the newspaper and sprinkle the silver glitter onto the outside of the clay pot until it is covered. Allow to dry. Twist the end of the floral wire onto the bell to secure it to the bell. Place the floral wire into the bead hole and when the bead is one inch away from the bell wrap the wire around the bead and pull the wire through the opposite side into the bead hole, again. This will secure the bell at the measurement of one inch from the bead. Pull the floral wire through the hole located at the bottom of the clay pot.
You will notice that the bead stops the wire from going straight through and that the bell hangs loosely inside of the clay pot. Place one more bead into the floral wire that comes out of the clay pot hole and do the same to this bead as you did to the last. This will secure the bell from slipping through all together. Tie a bow using the ribbon where the bead meets the clay pot. You have just created a Christmas silver bell without using any paint.
With these fun and easy Christmas clay pot crafts ideas you can use them as Christmas gifts, Christmas centerpieces or simply to enjoy a moment of Christmas craft creation.