Black and Gold Terra Cotta Pot for Teacher Appreciation

With Teacher Appreciation Week right around the corner (May 6^th – 10^th), we tried to think of a creative way to show appreciation to the person who “helps your child grow!” 

This painted clay pot can be a fast and fairly inexpensive gift to give to your teacher. You can also use this tutorial as a base, showing you how to paint a clay pot, and use your own creativity. Even have your child create one with their own design.

(This is a clay pot my 7 year old created. He picked his own colors and painted his own design.)

List of Supplies:

6 in. Small Clay Pot 

6 in.  Small Clay Saucer 

Mod Podge 

Black Acrylic Paint 

Gold Acrylic  Paint (Optional)

VGK Cotton Fabric (Optional)

Small Gold Glitter

Crystal Clear Acrylic Spray (Optional)

Paint brush

Small Tray

Rubberband or Tape

Potting Soil (Optional)

Small Plant (Optional)

All supplies can be found at Walmart or your local craft store.

Step One:

Paint the inside and outside of the pot with your black acrylic paint, allowing the pot to dry before switching sides. I like how quickly the paint soaks in and with the black being so dark you only need one layer.

Step Two: (Optional)

I painted a little message on the bottom of the saucer (A sharpee marker can work as well.). You can opt out of this step.

Step Three:

Time for glitter. Make sure your work surface can be folded up so you can pour your excess glitter back into the container (a paper plate works good or a section of a cardboard box). I like to use a rubber band to mark my line for where I’m going to add my glitter. I left about an inch and a half space on the bottom of the clay pot. 

 Add a thick layer of modge pod and then pour a heavy amount of glitter on top, covering the Mod Podge.  Tap on your pot so the access glitter can fall off.  

Cut rubberband off and swipe away any loose glitter. 

Pour glitter back into the container. 

Carefully add a thick layer of Mod Podge over the glitter and let it dry overnight. This is will help prevent the glitter from falling off everywhere, and washing away from the water in the saucer. 

Adding a coat of acrylic spray is an option, but not necessary.

Step Four:

You can add any little touches to the clay pot that you like: paint/draw your teachers name, add a packet of seeds inside the clay pot, add a tag with a little message, place a VGK sticker on the front… I added a VGK fabric bow because I had some left from another project.

I decided to add a small aloe vera plant to mine because I have them on hand since my larger aloe veras sprout new plants at this time of year. If you are going to add a plant ,my advice is to place a coffee filter in the bottom of the clay pot so the soil does not fall out of the hole. 

Teachers plant the seeds of knowledge that will grow forever! Here’s to all of the teachers out there, Thank you! 

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Rachelle O’Dell is our resident crafter. For questions, please contact her at rachelle@vgkladies.com