Clay Pot Planter Without Clay

Hai all,

In this Instructable, I will be showing you how to make a clay pot planter without using normally available clay. I always had a passion for indoor planting and I believe that using plastic pots may decrease the natural beauty of plants. So I planned to make a clay pot. But I was not having any clay with me and I felt that bricks may help me. And fortunately, it did! So now let's see how we can make such a beautiful clay pot using bricks.

Supplies

1. Brick (light red color is most preferred)
2. A bowl
3. Water
4. A sheet of paper
5. Wire brush
6. Paint (optional)
7. A small grill

Step 1: Make Brick Powder

Rub the brick with a wire brush to make brick powder. Make sure that the brick powder contains only fine particles. If larger particles are present use a filter to separate it. Then transfer the powder to a bowl.

Step 2: Add Water to the Powder

Add potable water to the clay powder and mix it thoroughly. Mix clay powder and water in a ratio of 3:1.

Step 3: Shape the Clay

Make a ball shape out of the clay and start modeling by putting a depression on it. Afterward, increase the size of the cavity by pressing it with your fingers as shown in the figure. Use hand gloves if required.

Step 4: Dry It

Dry the pot in the sunshine for an hour before firing it. Give a curved look to the bottom edge of the pot.

Step 5: Fire the Pot

Prepare fire under a grill and place the pot on the grill to fire the clay pot. Make sure to fire both the top and bottom sides of the pot. Do the firing process for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Inspect the Pot

Take out the pot and inspect for faults. Rub with water if you have found any cracks on the surface. Even though you haven't any faults, fire the pot for another 45 minutes. So a total of 1 hour of firing process is to be done.

Step 7: Finishing Works

I have sanded the top of the pot to make it flat. This is optional. Then paint the pot to give it a nice look.

Step 8: Place a Plant of Your Choice in the Pot

Since the pot is made of clay it will be the best for your plants and clay will help to provide cool surroundings for the plant. You can pour water to the plant without any worries of leakage. Give a fresh new natural look to your indoor plants by using these clay pots. Enjoy planting.

Comments

[Matthew Yang]

I can, instead of using brick powder, use clay I get from my own soil.

[casualhobby]

Unique idea, I wonder if it will work with bigger pieces and how durable it will be. I liked it.😃

[Vishnu robotechs]

Applying water to the surface and burning again for some more times will increase the durability :)

[casualhobby]

Nice to know that

[LeslieGeee]

Hi Vishnu, This is a great instructable and thank you for sharing your process. When I saw the pictures of the brick you used and the wire brush scraping it the first thing I thought was...that can't be a brick made in the USA it is soft. So I looked how bricks are made here and low and behold bricks are made from clay and cement. SO...that being said I am now as curious as a cat and need to try this procedure lol.

[Vishnu robotechs]

Thanks for your comment. And what you told was a new knowledge for me too that bricks in USA are made of clay+cement.

[LeslieGeee]

I should have said clay and or cement. Clay alone OR a mixture. My head goes too fast sometimes. :)

[Feelunike]

I never knew one could reuse a clay brick! not in this way! Thank you.

[Vishnu robotechs]

Yes, I just gave it a try and it was a success. We can use this method to create many wonderful things right :)

[v4utech6]

OMG! you recycled the brick!!!

[rocket radhi]

Nicely done 👌

[Vishnu robotechs]

Thank you