Easy Craft: Clay Pot Photo Holder Tutorial

This cute little clay pot photo holder is a perfect easy spring craft! Few materials, little cost, and a lot of versatility! We made these at my MOPS group last week and mine now resides in my kitchen.

Here are the basic materials needed:

Small clay pot, craft wire (we used 20 gauge),  small styrofoam ball cut in half (or floral foam), and hot glue.

Those are the basics. If you wanted to recreate mine, then you would also need ribbon, 3 beads, and a small square of dark green fabric (about a 4 inch square). However, the various possibilities here are virtually endless! The pot could be painted a different color or other embellishments could be glued on (buttons, beads, etc.). If you wanted to make it a craft with the kiddos, let them decorate the pot–paints, stickers, glitter, etc.

For the inside of the pot, you could use a cute patterned fabric you like. Or,  using some spanish moss (or other craft moss) or even some small river rocks would be very cute! You could certainly vary the materials used based on the season, event, or person you’re making it for.

The wire shapes can be anything you can make. The only key is that there be an area in the middle (that can hold your photos). With the right wire bending skills, you could do flowers, hearts, egg-shapes for Easter, stars, or, just stick with your basic swirl pattern. Really, bending the wire is the only remotely difficult or time consuming thing about this craft. Starting with a (fairly) straight piece of wire, decide if you want any “squiggles” at the bottom. I started with those first, then laced the bead down from the top (still straight) part. From there, you could do a few more squiggles & then your shape. The wire is fairly easy to bend just with your fingers, but small pliers might help.

Assembly of this craft is SO easy! If you’re covering the foam with fabric, do that first and then stuff the unit into the clay pot. With the right size, it will be so snug, you don’t even need glue or anything. Once your wire holders are formed, stick them through the fabric & into the foam–if you place them deep enough, there’s no need for glue.

If you’re using moss, grass, rocks, etc. instead, then insert your foam farther down into the pot first–add a little glue if necessary. Insert your finished wire holders. Then, glue down your craft product of choice (moss, rocks, etc.).

Then, pick your favorite photo(s) and viola–an easy clay pot photo holder!

Or, keep it in the kitchen as a recipe holder!

These little clay pot crafts would also make cute place holders for a fun dinner or a great little gift for the kids to give grandma–maybe one wire holder for each grandkid with pictures attached!

What other ideas for these little clay pots do you have?

*This post was written by Sara, a contributing writer for the Happy Housewife. Read more from her at Mom Endeavors.