DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
Lovely Terra Cotta Pot

OPTION ONE:

OK, I realize this is hard to believe, but here's a craft that doesn't feature a toilet paper tube as the main material!  My 4 year old daughter and I made mod podge crafts that turned out amazingly.  I was shocked how professional her creations turned out! 

• Get together a terra cotta pot, tempra paint, tissue paper and mod podge (plain white glue will do in a pinch).
• Paint the pot with the tempra paint (pink, red or white paint is the best).  Don't worry about doing a perfect job because it's just a base for the real fun anyways.
• Rip the tissue paper into small (about 1"x1") pieces  (or you can cut it with scissors that have a pattern -- like scrapbooking scissors or pinking shears).
• Once the paint is dry, glue the pieces onto the pot.  Using different patterns or colours of tissue paper gives the nicest effect.
• Cut out one or two tissue paper heart shapes and glue them onto the dried creation.

OPTION 2:

A different, but similar Alternative requires a terra cotta pot, tempra paint and optional acrylic spray sealer.

• paint the terra cotta pot a base color (white, red and pink all make nice valentine's choices).  You may need two coats.
• Have the child make thumbprints on the pot with a separate color of paint.  Older children can make thumbprint art like hearts (two thumbprints together at an angle - shown on our pot), butterflies, caterpillars, etc.  See https://www.dltk-bible.com/mthumbody.htm for inspiration.
• If you plan on planting a plant in the pot, spray it (inside and out) with acrylic spray sealer (follow directions on the can...  Adults only).  This doesn't need to be done if you're just putting candy in it.

Alternative Decorating Ideas:

• Use a gold pen or gold paint to trace around the heart shapes or to write a Valentine's message onto the pot.
• Plant an African Violet or Primula in the pot as an added bonus for the recipient (English Ivy looks nice too, but remember that it's poisonous!  so keep away from tiny fingers).
• Instead of adding a plant, consider filling the pot with candies (like cinnamon hearts or hershey's kisses)

Printable version of these instructions