I was walking through my local craft store the other day and saw a huge display of terra cotta clay pots for sale. I figured this was the perfect time to try my hand at some clay pot crafts.

Clay pots can be used to make many different craft items. You can decorate them with paint, markers, or rubber stamps. Add details by using rub-on decals, stencils, decoupage techniques, or shaped sponges. You can even find many free stencil patterns on the Internet.

Embellish them with pom-poms, felt, pipe cleaners, feathers, buttons, and just about any other item you can think of.

I found the pots were very easy to work with; plus, the more I made out of them, the more ideas I got. Try making some of these and I bet you will get even more ideas too:

Decorations
Find fun ideas you can craft and use as fun decorations. They also make good gifts.

Decorative Containers
A decorated clay pot can make a perfect container for holding your treasures and other items.

Bells
Learn how easy it is to make a bell out of an upside-down clay pot.

Bird Baths
You can create small bird baths to use as decorations, or you can make full size baths that the birds will really use.

Clay Pot Plant Stand
Discover how easy it is to make unique plant stands out of one or more clay pots.

Terra Cotta Pot People
Learn how you can dress up your garden or any outside area by using a variety of clay pots to create people.

Candles and Candle Holders
These pots can be use not only to hold candles, but also as the base for homemade candles.

Gift Baskets
Clay pots are a wonderful way to wrap up a collection of small gifts.

As you are trying to figure out what to make with your clay pot, keep in mind that these terra cotta treasures aren't just for planting flowers in anymore; although, a personalized planter would make a perfect gift for someone special.

I hope you enjoy making your clay pot creations as much as I did. If you make any of these crafts, make sure you send in a photo to be included in this collection. You can also get your terra cotta pot crafts published. If you want to be one of the first to know when new craft projects are posted, take a few moments to sign up for the Family Crafts Newsletter and you can also chat about crafts with others in the Family Crafts Forum.