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Terra-cotta pots are a longtime favorite of gardeners and growers because they regulate moisture and permit air circulation around plant roots, preventing root rot. Their porosity prevents algae growth. Heavy clay pots act as insulation against temperature fluctuations and provide stability. Easily cleaned—although some people prefer an aged patina—they’re reusable and practical.
The inexpensive red clay used to create terra-cotta pots is the world’s most common clay soil and has been put to many uses for millennia. It’s used in art, roofing tiles and other architectural components, as well as in vessels for food and beverages. Today, creativity is expanding the use of this familiar material.
1. Bird Feeder
Combine a terra-cotta pot and two saucers to create a rustic bird feeder. If one is available, use an orchid pot, which has pre-drilled holes that will let birdseed pass through. Otherwise, you can use a regular clay pot—you’ll need to drill three ½-inch holes an inch from the bottom of the flowerpot to allow the seed to spill out into the tray.
Drill a ⅛-inch hole in the center of each saucer for hanging. Thread vinyl-coated wire rope through an upside-down saucer, the pot, and the bottom saucer to form a covered bird feeder. Use pliers to clamp a ferrule and stop onto the wire at the top and bottom.
2. Fountain
Add a water feature to your yard with a simple terra-cotta fountain. Gather different sizes of terra-cotta pots and saucers. Drill a hole in the center of the base pot to accommodate the power cord of a submersible pump. Glue a pipe bushing to the bottom and attach a pipe plug to permit future removal of the pump. Silicone the hole to seal it.
Use saucers and invert smaller pots over the pump to protect it and create additional layers. Create a bubbler or use decorative river rock to make it easy for birds and wildlife to get a cool drink.
3. Rain Chain
Japanese rain chains are an attractive way to help reduce erosion by slowing and directing rainwater away from structures, channeling it into rain barrels, landscaped beds, water features, or designated runoffs. Using small terra-cotta pots and saucers adds a unique whimsy to moving water where you want it to go.
Use hooks to secure chain or copper tubing to the drain holes in the pots. Add glass beads, shells, or stones for a customized, decorative look. Add a hook to hang the rain chain near downspouts, gutters, or wherever falling water needs to be directed.
4. Room Heater
Take terra-cotta inside to warm things up—both visually and literally. With two or three terra-cotta pots in different sizes, a candle, a bolt, and bricks to hold up the pots, you can generate heat that can bring comfort in case of a power outage.
Nestle the pots inside each other, right-side up. Thread a bolt through the holes in the bottom of the pots; secure with a nut. Invert your terra-cotta structure over a lit candle, using bricks on either side to suspend the “heater” off the floor, and allowing for airflow.
5. Cooking Appliance
Cooking outdoors can be lots of fun, and yield delicious meals that offer little extra something-something in the flavor department. With a little ingenuity and maybe some online instructions, of which you’ll find plenty, you can use terra-cotta to create a smoker, a grill, and even a pizza oven.
Most of these terra-cotta cookers are something you’ll need to design and plan for in advance, not something you can rely on last-minute if your stove suddenly stops working. Putting together a clay smoker might be a fun Saturday project, for example, that you can get done in an afternoon, after a trip to the hardware store, and then try out in the evening.
