Neo pots are nice...

[Pilot]

...but insanely expensive. So call me crazy, you wouldn't be the first, but I need pots and not ones that keep me from buying more plants!

So Quay dared me (it may have been a quadruple dog dare, which we all know can't be ignored) to make my own.

So here is my attempt. I used Kato clay, which is a polymer clay that is cured by baking it at 300F for ten minutes. It's not the easiest to use but its not like normal clay that dries hard and I take too long to form the pot.

Man was there a learning curve!! Anyway, here is one pot I made. It has yet to be cured and painted.

Thought?

[sweetjblue]

2 very BIG thumbs up Ryan!!
Would never have known if you hadn't said anything. As a matter of fact, I think those are alot nicer than ones you can buy!
GREAT job!!


Judi

[Dagobell]

Very nice. Where can one bu Kato clay an how did you formed it so well?

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by sweetjblue

2 very BIG thumbs up Ryan!!
Would never have known if you hadn't said anything. As a matter of fact, I think those are alot nicer than ones you can buy!
GREAT job!!


Judi

Thanks Judy!!!!! For a while I was using mame bonsai pots but they were never a good fit. And while I wouldn't mind owning a nice Japanese pot, 100 bucks on a pot or 100 bucks on a plant and the plant would win! These plants don't care! They'll grow in a solo cup. Lol. Anyway more to come.

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Dagobell

Very nice. Where can one bu Kato clay an how did you formed it so well?

Thank you! Kato can be found at any craft store. I got mine at hobby lobby.

It's not easy to form at first. You have to work the clay pretty well before you can form it to specific shapes etc. I have a hand cranked pasta press that I used. The same kind used to flatten out pasta to make noodle etc. anyway I happened to have one but you can use a rolling pin too. Doing it by hand is nearly impossible.

The clay, once cooked, cures fairly hard and remains light.

[Pilot]

Here is my first pot. I want a lot of ventilation for these pots and so I went to town on this one. It is spray painted black using a paint that leaves a hammered finish.

My second pot (first picture) is way better. I learned a lot with the first pot.

[sweetjblue]

I think you did very well on the first one too!
Bet alot better than some of us (me) could do!! LOL

Judi

[AnonYMouse]

Nice!

I've never heard of/seen Kato clay but it sounds the same as Sculpey or Fimo.

Another good idea to try!

[s.kallima]

Great idea and you did a fantastic job for a first!
I've been thinking of doing something like this for a long time... I have settled with already made clay mugs for the time being...

[coffeecup]

That is quite the undertaking, Ryan! Good job! A few years ago, I had a potter make some Neo pots for me. Per piece, they weren't so bad price-wise, but when you have as many as I do, it gets expensive! Great idea!