Adorable DIY Pot Head Planters with Sneakers

I’m at the age where I get strange looks when I play with dolls and there are no little people involved. But in my defence I’ve always enjoyed immersing myself in a fantasy world and a big part of that is creative play. And I happy to report I found a way to give the doll playing, plant lover inside of me a way to express herself; these easy to make and oh so adorable pot head planters with sneakers.

With their happy faces and wild hair, these little planters add such a playful vibe to a dull corner on our porch.

My pot heads look like they’re having a bad hair day in the sweetest way possible.

And don’t even get me started on those sneakers.

Aren’t they the cutest things ever?

In this easy planter tutorial, I’ll show you how you can make your own pot head planters and add sneakers. But, before we get there, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

 

What you need

• Polymer clay
• Doll sneakers
• Masking tape
• Rope
• Towel
• Outdoor sealer
• Drill and carbide tip drill bits
• Suitable plant and planter

Look for plain planters with straight sides. They can be square or round and shouldn’t be too big. You don’t want them overpowering the doll’s shoes. I used two round 16cm (6”) diameter terracotta pots, which I painted white a few years back.

How to make a pot head planter

This is a simple DIY project. We’ll start by making some cartoon hands and then I’ll show you how to add arms, legs, facial features and those cute little sneakers onto the planter.

Making little cartoon hands

Mmmmm, I was in two minds about making little hands for my pot heads. I could either take the easy way out and just make a knot in the rope or  craft some cartoon hands from polymer clay. Since I haven’t shared a tutorial for making clay hands on the blog, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to show you how I made them.

You can watch the video to see it in action or follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Cartoon clay hands are super easy to do. You just need two balls of clay (one big and one teeny one), and a thin rolled out sausage.

Take the large ball of clay and stick the backend of a paintbrush into the ball to make a hole.

The hole should be big enough to glue a rope arm into. Bend the one end of the ball so it curves inwards.

Take the rolled out sausage and place it around the hole to form a cuff.

Flatten the cuff using your fingers and smoosh it into the palm.

Add the small ball to the side of the hand.

Easy right? Just be careful when adding the thumbs. You want to make sure they’re on opposites sides of the hands. You don’t want to end up with two left thumbs 😀

Smooth the clay out and bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the clay has cooled down the little cartoon hands can be painted to match the pot heads.

While you wait for the cartoon hands to bake we can prep the planters for the next step; adding arms and legs.

Drilling holes for the arms and legs

Put strips of masking tape on the bottom and sides of the planter and mark off where to drill holes for the arms and legs. The tape protects the pots and helps prevent the drill bit from jumping all over while you’re making the holes.

Place the pot on a towel and use a suitable drill bit to make the holes on the marks. I used a carbide tip to make mine. Diamond tips work too. The size of the drill bit will depend on how thick your rope is. Set the drill to a slower speed when you start. Once the bit has gone through the masking tape and made a dent in the pots you can increase the speed.

Don’t push down too hard. Let the drill bit do the work for you. Once done remove the masking tape.

We’ll add the arms and legs once we’ve given these little guys some character.

Giving the pot heads character

What would a pot head planter be without a big goofy smile on its face. You can either hand paint their eyes and smile or take the easy way out and use a stencil.

If your planters are round like mine, it’s a good idea to tape the stencil down to stop it from jumping all over the place.

To protect the pot head planters, apply a clear, waterproof sealer over the top. Now all that’s left to do is add the arms, legs, and those delightful doll sneakers.

Adding the arms, legs, and sneakers

You need two pieces of rope for the arms, and one longer piece for the legs. If you’re using a natural rope I would treat it with a mineral oil first to stop it from rotting in the planter. Or use a synthetic rope.

Cut the arm rope so it’s at least double the height of the planter.

Use tape to stop the ends of the rope from fraying and thread one end through an arm hole.

Knot the rope end on the inside of the planter. Repeat for the other arm.

For the legs, I cut a long piece of rope. I wasn’t sure how “leggy” I wanted my planters to be. Tape the ends off and thread one end into a leg hole and then out through the other leg hole as shown below.

Adjust the length of the rope arms and legs before gluing the shoes and clay hands on.

You should end up with something like this. Oh and make sure your pot head planters have drainage holes if you’re going to add real plants.

Fill the pot head planters with your favorite plant. I added a Ticky creeper (Ficus pumila) in mine. It’s a beautiful evergreen climber that you often see hugging the walls of countryside cottages. She likes living in moist soil, so you’ll need to check up on the pot heads a few times a week to make sure she hasn’t dried out.

Place the planters on in a spot where they’ll get all the attention they deserve. My one little guy sits on a swing (get the tutorial here).

I think I’m going to glue this little guy’s hands to the swing so he doesn’t tumble off.

My other pot head rests on a small milking stool.

The swing and stool let those little sneaker feet swing free.

 

They look just as good resting on a shelf.

To protect the sneakers from water damage, I gave them two coats of Thompson’s WaterSeal. I don’t think it’s necessary, since the sneakers hang away from the drainage holes, but just in case.

 

If you like the idea of making adorable pot head planters, don’t forget to pin it for later.

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And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.

And as always, I wish you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.