Tutorial: A Rustic Flower Pot Man for Your Garden

 My favorite little man is back! It is time to bring out my flower pot man and freshen him up for the season. This is his third year in my garden and I love the whimsical yet rustic touch that he adds! Sooo…while I was at it, I thought I would show you how to make your own!

1. You will need: three approximately 4 1/2 inch pots (not pictured), eight approximately 2 1/2 inch pots, 6 to 8 corks, twine, a dowel rod or very sturdy wire, a plant for the hair and Spanish moss. You may vary the size of the pots. Just be sure they are in proportion.
2. Cut 4 lengths of twine, each about 12 inches long. Take one of the lengths and tie it tightly around one of the corks.
3. Thread the twine through the hole in one of the smaller pots. Wedge another cork in the bottom of a second pot and then thread the twine through it as well.
4. Pull the twine tight and stack the pots on top of each other. The second cork helps to create and maintain a space between the pots.

5. Repeat this process three more times to create the arms and legs. If the cork will not wedge far enough into the pot, you can always cut it shorter.
6. Create the body by hot-gluing two of the larger pots with the upper edges together. You can add paint to give an aged appearance before working with the pots if you wish. As you can see, mine have naturally aged over the years they have been in my garden.
7. Take two of the four limbs that you have created and wrap the twine around the dowel rod or wire that you have placed firmly into the ground. Measure the distance that you need to allow for the body to sit on the twine and then tie the twine on to the wire or dowel, cutting off the excess. These are the legs.
8. Put the body in place by running the wire or rod through the holes and add the other two limbs, tying them to the appropriate length and cutting the excess. These are the arms.

This is how your flower pot man should look at this point. Note that there is still a portion of the wire (or rod) showing at the top. This will hold the head.

Next, take the remaining larger pot and add the plant that you will use as hair. I used Creeping Jenny this year, although you can use any plant that resembles hair. Moss rose is a nice alternative in a sunny location…and it has flowers! Just thread the pot right on to the top portion of the rod or wire.

Finally, add Spanish moss to the lower pots to give the limbs a finished look. And…taaa daaa…you’ve got a flower pot man! Of course, you can use wire instead of twine for a longer lasting man and metal spacers rather than corks, but I disassemble and bring my little man into the garage each winter, so he only has to last a few months. Plus…I prefer the look of the twine to wire. It's so much more vintage-y! Isn’t he cute?

He sits in the little corner of my patio where I drink my coffee each morning. See him…next to my giant escargot? lol Every frenchy patio needs a giant snail!

Our CEO Ozzie likes to doze nearby. And today it is a good thing that she is sleeping…

…because this visitor would have been in trouble if she had seen him! She’s no spring chicken, but she still likes to hunt lizards!

Here’s a final look at my little flower pot man! Isn’t he a fun and whimsical  little addition to my patio? And he was practically free since I already had most of the pots or found them at Goodwill! It makes me smile each day just to see him waiting for me there!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my flower pot man! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up on Tuesdays
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Swing into Spring
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Jen at Tatertots & Jello for the Weekend Wrap-up Party
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!