Go Back
–+ servings
Honey bee craft made with clay pots image.

Clay Pot Bee Person Tutorial

Charlotte Anderson @ Carolina Honeybees, LLC
Use traditional clay pots (or terra cotta) and cord to make a bee craft to decorate your garden or home.
3 from 2 votes
Print Instructions Pin for later

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Read my Disclosure.

Tools

  • Drill
  • Small drill bit

Supplies
 

Instructions
 

  • Drill holes in clay pot for arm attachment. Use a small bit or Dremel tool to drill 2 holes in one of the large pots.
    The holes should be near the bottom of the pot and straight across from each other.
    Using small drill bit to drill hole in clay pot image.
  • Prime and paint base coat. Use yellow spray paint to put a base coat on each of the 6 pots.
    For the large pots – you do not have to paint the insides unless you wish. The small clay pots should be painted inside and out with yellow paint.
    Clay pots painted yellow for bee craft body parts image.
  • Trace a face on one large pot. One of the large pots will sit right side up and be the head of your clay pot bee.
    If you are talented, freehand the design. If your artistic talents are not all that you wish, find a coloring page with a face outline and trace it onto the pot.
    Outline drawing of a face for the craft bee pot image.
  • Outline face with black paint pen marker. After using a pencil to sketch in your design, consider if you are pleased with it.
    Then go over the pencil marks with a black paint marker.
    Bee face design outlined in black marker on clay pot image.
  • Add black stripes and markings. To imitate the iconic idea of how we imagine bees – let’s add some black stripes.
    It does not matter how many stripes you use or how wide. Paint stripes on 1 of the large pots (not the one with the face) and on each of the small clay pots.
    For the pot with the face, draw or paint in black wherever you wish. I created a black mask around the face and a black band on top – leave the rest of the pot yellow but it’s your choice.
    Black stripes painted on terra cotta pots for bee craft image.
  • Attach arms to body base. Cut a small piece of paracord (12″) and tie a knot in one end.
    Thread it through one of the holes you drilled in the pot – (the knot will be on the inside of the pot).
    With the other end of the cord, thread it through the hole in the bottom of one of the small pots. Decide how long you want the “arms” to be and tie a knot to secure inside the small pot – cut off any excess cord.
    Repeat for other side.
    One end of black cord knotted inside a terra cotta clay pot image.
  • Assemble the body and head. One large pot will be the base (the one with the stripes), place it top side down on a flat surface.
    The other larger pot (with the face) sits on top of the first pot. This results in the 2 pots being connected bottom to bottom.
    Use a bead of superglue (or any fast drying adhesive) to glue the 2 pots together.
    Using glue to attach the bee head pot to the bee body image.
  • Prepare cords for bottom legs. First, use a large metal washer and attach 2 cords of equal length to it. Cords can be any length – the ones in this project are about 15″
    Two ends of black paracord thru hole in large metal washer image.
  • Attach bottom legs to clay bee pot body. Thread the cords down through the hole in the top pot (the one with the face).
    The washer will be visible if you look in the top of the bee head.
    The cording will hang down through and below the bottom large pot that is glued to the head.
    Use the same knot technique as for the arms to attach the 2 remaining small pots to the paracord. They should hang below the lower base pot.
    Using paracord to tie clay bee man craft together image.
  • Apply sealer. Spray your creation with sealer to add beauty to the project.
    Use outdoor spray sealer if you plan to have your clay pot bee outside for any amount of time.
    Terra cotta clay bee sprayed with clear sealer image.
Learn more about bees and using products from the hive!Join me on Pinterest - @carolinahoneyb