Flower pot people are made by stacking and connecting terra cotta pots into a human-shaped figure, then topping the “head” pot with trailing plants that look like hair. The whole project takes an afternoon, costs under $30 in materials, and requires no special tools beyond a drill and some rope or threaded rod. Here’s how to build one from scratch.
Choosing Your Pots
You need six terra cotta pots minimum. Two medium pots (around 13 cm or 5 inches in diameter) form the head and torso. Four smaller pots (around 7 cm or 3 inches) become the hands and feet. If you want a taller figure, add extra small pots between the torso and feet to create longer legs, and between the torso and hands for arms. Standard clay pots from any garden center work perfectly since every pot has a drainage hole in the bottom, which is exactly what you’ll thread your connector through.
For a larger, more visible garden figure, scale up to an 8-inch pot for the body and a 6-inch pot for the head, with 4-inch pots for the extremities. The proportions matter more than the exact size. Keep the head slightly smaller than the body, and the hands and feet noticeably smaller than both.
Three Ways to Connect the Pots
Every pot person needs something running through the drainage holes to hold the stack together. You have three solid options, each with trade-offs.
- Rope or thick twine. The simplest method. Thread rope through each pot’s drainage hole and tie a knot inside each pot to keep it from sliding. This gives the figure a loose, floppy look with movable limbs, which is charming on a garden wall. The downside: tying knots inside small pots is awkward, and the figure won’t be rigid enough to stand on its own without support.
- Wire and dowel pieces. Thread sturdy wire through the drainage holes, then prevent slipping by wrapping the wire around short pieces of dowel rod (about one inch long) inside each pot. The dowel catches against the hole and acts as a stopper. This is sturdier than rope and still allows some movement.
- Threaded rod, washers, and nuts. This is the most durable approach. Use half-inch threaded rod (sometimes called all-thread) cut to length, with large washers and nuts tightened on either side of each pot to lock it in place. Cut small squares from a milk carton or use rubber washers as cushions between the metal washer and the clay to prevent cracking when you tighten the nuts. This creates a completely rigid figure that stands upright on its own.
Assembling the Body
Start with the legs. For each leg, thread your connector through two or three small pots stacked rim-to-rim (one right-side up, the next upside down, alternating). The alternating orientation creates a rounded, segmented look rather than a simple stack. Secure each pot with a knot, dowel wrap, or nut and washer before moving to the next.
Attach both legs to the body pot. If you’re using rope or wire, run the two leg lines up through the body pot’s drainage hole and tie or twist them together inside. With threaded rod, you’ll need a connector or a single rod bent into a Y shape, or you can build each leg as a separate assembly that bolts to a wooden disc or plate sitting inside the body pot.
The arms attach to the sides of the body. Drill a small hole on each side of the torso pot, near the rim. Thread rope or wire through these holes and string your small arm pots onto each side, securing with knots or stoppers at the “hand” end. For threaded rod builds, short bolts through the side holes work well.
The head sits on top of the body. Flip the head pot upside down (so the open end faces up for planting later) and secure it to the body. If using rope, the main line comes up through the body and ties off inside the head. With rod, a nut and washer on top of the head pot locks everything tight.
Keeping It Standing
A pot person is top-heavy and will blow over in wind if you don’t anchor it. The most reliable method is driving a piece of 3/8-inch rebar into the ground where you want the figure to stand. For a permanent installation, dig a small hole, fill it with quick-set concrete, and insert the rebar before it sets. Let it cure for 24 hours. Then slide your assembled pot person over the rebar so the rod runs up through the center of the legs and body, holding the figure in place.
For a lighter solution on a deck or patio, fill the bottom pot with gravel or sand to lower the center of gravity, and place the figure against a wall or fence where it’s sheltered from wind.
Painting and Decorating
If you want to paint your pot person (and most people do, at least for the face), the order matters. Wipe each pot with a damp cloth to remove dust, but don’t soak them. Apply a spray primer first. One can of spray primer typically covers seven or eight pots. Let it dry completely, then paint with acrylic or latex paint in whatever colors you like. That initial primer coat is what makes the paint stick to clay rather than flaking off in a few months.
After the paint dries, seal everything with a clear spray shellac or polyurethane. This step is especially important for outdoor figures. Even with primer and sealant, painted terra cotta can bubble or peel after a year or two of sun and rain exposure, so plan on touching up the paint annually if you want it looking fresh. Painting both the inside and outside surfaces of each pot helps prevent moisture from seeping through unpainted areas and lifting the paint from behind.
For the face, keep it simple. Two dots for eyes and a curved line for a mouth read clearly from a distance. Add rosy cheeks with a dab of pink paint. Some people glue on buttons, bottle caps, or small stones for a 3D effect. A scarf, miniature garden tools, or a tiny watering can in the “hand” pot adds personality.
Planting the Hair
The head pot, sitting open-side-up, is a real planter. Fill it with potting soil and choose trailing plants that cascade over the rim like hair. Your options depend on the look you’re going for.
For long, flowing “hair,” silver falls dichondra trails up to 48 inches with tiny silvery-green leaves. Sweet potato vine has large, vibrant leaves and trails dramatically in lime green or deep purple. Vinca vine offers variegated heart-shaped leaves that hang about 18 inches.
For a fuller, more colorful look, wave petunias produce dense blooms all summer and eventually cover the pot so completely you can’t see it underneath. Million bells (calibrachoa) flower profusely without deadheading. Trailing lobelia creates a dense curtain of delicate blooms that hangs 12 to 14 inches. Trailing verbena is a good pick for drier spots since it’s more drought-tolerant than the others.
For a spiky, upright “hairstyle,” try ornamental grasses, small dracaena, or even herbs like rosemary or lavender. A succulent mix in the head pot works well for a low-maintenance figure in a sunny spot.
Winter Care
Terra cotta cracks when water trapped in the clay freezes and expands. Painted pots are even more vulnerable because paint can trap moisture against the surface. If you live somewhere with freezing winters, you have a few options.
The safest choice is bringing the whole figure indoors or into a garage. Disassemble it, remove all soil and plants, and store the pots in a dry space. If the figure is too large or permanently anchored to move, lift the pots off direct ground contact by placing them on wooden blocks or pot feet so air circulates underneath. Seal any exposed clay with a penetrating stone sealer (the kind used for slate floors works well). Cover the figure with plastic sheeting to keep rain and snow from pooling inside the pots.
High-fired Italian terra cotta rated as frost-proof can handle temperatures down to about 5°F, but standard garden-center pots from big-box stores are not frost-proof. Assume yours will crack if left wet and exposed through a hard freeze.