Okay, here’s my blog post about making a “ss flowerpot shovelhead bowl”. Hope you dig it!
Alright folks, gather ’round! Today I’m gonna walk you through a fun little project I tackled last weekend: turning a simple flowerpot into a cool, shovelhead-shaped bowl. I call it the “ss flowerpot shovelhead bowl.” Catchy, right?
What You’ll Need:
- A terracotta flowerpot (I used a medium-sized one, about 6 inches across)
- A marker (Sharpie works great)
- A Dremel tool (or similar rotary tool) with a cutting wheel
- Sandpaper (various grits, from rough to fine)
- Safety glasses (seriously, don’t skip this!)
- Dust mask (terracotta dust gets everywhere)
- Optional: Paint, sealant, decorations
Let’s Get Started!
First things first, I grabbed my flowerpot and started sketching out the shovelhead shape with the marker. Just eyeballed it, nothing fancy. Think motorcycle engine, you know, that classic look. I wanted a nice, deep scoop for the bowl part, and a cool, angled “neck” leading up to it. Didn’t worry too much about perfection at this stage.
Next up: cutting. This is where the Dremel comes in. Put on your safety glasses and dust mask! Trust me on this one. I carefully followed the lines I drew with the Dremel and the cutting wheel. Went slowly, taking my time. Terracotta can chip easily, so slow and steady wins the race. I made multiple passes, deepening the cut a little each time. It’s loud and dusty, but also kinda satisfying.
Once I cut out the basic shape, it was time for cleanup. The edges were rough and jagged, so I switched to a sanding drum attachment on the Dremel. Carefully smoothed out all the edges, rounding them off a bit. Still wearing the safety glasses and mask, of course! Then, I grabbed some sandpaper and started hand-sanding. Started with a rough grit to knock down the big imperfections, and worked my way up to a finer grit for a smooth finish. This part took a while, but it’s worth it. The smoother the surface, the better it’ll look.
Now for the fun part: decorating! I decided to keep mine pretty simple. I gave the whole bowl a couple coats of black spray paint. Let it dry completely between coats. After the paint was dry, I considered adding some flames or pinstripes, but decided against it. Sometimes simple is better, you know?
Finally, I sprayed the inside of the bowl with a food-safe sealant. You don’t HAVE to do this, but if you’re planning on using it for snacks, it’s a good idea. Let the sealant dry completely, according to the instructions on the can.
The Finished Product!
And that’s it! My “ss flowerpot shovelhead bowl” was done! It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s a cool, unique piece that I can use for holding snacks, keys, or whatever. Plus, it was a fun and relatively easy project. Give it a try yourself! You might surprise yourself with what you can create.
Lessons Learned:
- Take your time when cutting the terracotta. It’s brittle and can chip easily.
- Wear safety glasses and a dust mask! Seriously!
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with different paints and decorations.
- Most importantly, have fun!
