social

Making a Terra Cotta Lighthouse


Gold Post Medal for All Time! 899 Posts
June 9, 2014

clay pot lighthouse in gardenI found the perfect lantern at Ikea to use for this clay pot lighthouse. These cute yard decorations are easy to make!

Advertisement

Supplies:

  • candle lantern
  • clay pots (various sizes that stack)
  • primer spray paint
  • outdoor craft paint (I used Patio Paint brand)
  • ruler
  • pencil
  • paint brush
  • E6000 glue (or similar)
supplies
 

Steps:

  1. Spray the clay pots with multiple layers of primer. Add layers and allow to dry according to primer instructions. Spray them in a well ventilated area.
  2. primed pots 4
     
    primed pots 1
     
    primed pots 3
     
  3. Stack the pots and use a pencil to mark where they overlap. Now you have the area that will show when they are stacked.
  4. mark overlap 1
     
    mark overlap 2
     
  5. Divide the exposed area into equal sections for the painted stripes. I chose to have 2 red stripes and 2 white stripes. Use a ruler to make marks all the way around the pot, then connect the marks so that you have a guide line for painting.
  6. mark stripes 1
     
    mark stripes 2
     
    stripes marked on pots
     
    Advertisement

  7. Paint the red areas, allowing to dry in between coats. Apply paint until you have even coverage.
  8. paint red stripes 1
     
    red stripes
     
  9. Paint the white areas, allowing paint to dry in between coats. Apply paint until you have even coverage.
  10. paint white stripes
     
    white stripes
     
  11. Optional: You can spray your painted lighthouse with exterior polyurethane for added protection.
  12. Apply glue to the pots and stack them together. Apply glue to the bottom of the lantern and the top of the clay pot lighthouse base. Attach lantern. Allow glue to dry completely.
  13. put glue on lantern
     
    put glue on pot
     
    Advertisement

  14. Add a candle to the lantern and enjoy your new lighthouse!
  15. Clay Pot Lighthouse
     
    candle in lantern
     
    Clay Pot Lighthouse at night
     
Read More Comments

22 More Solutions

This page contains the following solutions.

July 27, 2009

This terracotta lighthouse is just 2 large plant pots cemented together and painted, with a lantern on top.

Terra Cotta Lighthouse

Read More...

Videos

January 5, 2017

Make a cute terra cotta pot lighthouse for you garden. Check out this video and learn how easy they are to make!

Read More...

Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

May 13, 2014

Where can the top of lighthouse be purchased ? It looks like one that is on my lighthouse I purchased from Walmart.

By Liz


Answers

May 25, 20140 found this helpful
Best Answer

That's a Rotera tea light holder from ikea. m.ikea.com/.../

 
Answer this Question

July 20, 2014

How did you make the windows on the terra cotta lighthouse?

By M. Campbell from Front Royal, VA

Answers

January 9, 20150 found this helpful

I was wondering the same thing, I'm guessing they had a template.

 
October 19, 20150 found this helpful

I did mine free hand but you could use a template.

 
June 24, 20160 found this helpful

What did you do to make the windows

 
Read More Answers

May 16, 2014

What kind of cement is used to put the pots together?

By Brenda from Morristown, TN

Answers


Bronze Tip Medal for All Time! 64 Tips
May 20, 20141 found this helpful
Best Answer

You can stick just about anything to anything with E6000 glue avail in craft and home improvement stores. It comes clear, black or white so be sure to get the color you prefer.

 
Answer this Question

May 29, 2014

Could you possibly use a solar path light, that looks like a lantern, for the &"topper"?

By Tray J. from Dannemora, NY

Answers

May 30, 20140 found this helpful

I've been making lighthouses out of clay pots since '85 and always used the regular solar lights for the top. Recently I did see on the internet where someone bought the lanterns but was going to use a candle with it.

Advertisement

If you can find the solar lanterns that fit the size of your top pot's bottom, go for it. Would love to hear how it turned out and your resource for the lanterns.

 
October 19, 20150 found this helpful

I found a box of 6 at Home Depot for $18 that fit perfectly on a 4" saucer.

 
Anonymous
April 25, 20160 found this helpful

Family Dollar has the solar lanterns, in pastel colors. Just spray paint black. Comes in three peices. I got all they had. They were 2 dollars a peice.

 
Read More Answers

June 7, 2014

What kind of paint do you use for the lighthouse? Is it spray paint, as last time I painted a terra cotta pot with a paint brush it was all streaky. Any ideas on how to paint it so it is even and has not got the streak lines?

By Wendy

Answers

June 11, 20140 found this helpful

To make the lines clean use painters tape around the pot then spray the pot with spray paint of your color choice. There is rayon spray paint that goes on anything.

 
June 13, 20140 found this helpful

I used Folk Art multi-surface paint. It states that it can be used on terra cotta. Use a good quality brush to minimize streaking. Multiple coats of spray acrylic coating will pretty much hide the streaks.

Advertisement

I ordered light house tops from Target (lighthouse tea light holders). Good Luck!

 
June 16, 20140 found this helpful

Make sure your paint is colder than what you are painting even if you have to put it in the fridge. It should result in a streak-free finish.

 
Anonymous
May 12, 20160 found this helpful

I made a bird bath for my daughters shower and I painted the pots with a sponge. I had a much better finish.

 
Answer this Question

June 4, 2014

Are you sure its just two large terra cotta pots? looks like more to me.

By Janet T

Answers

May 23, 20150 found this helpful

The directions are for using 2 pots. The picture at the very top of the page uses 5 pots. I think you can use as many pots as you want per your taste :)

 
Anonymous
November 6, 20152 found this helpful

What size pots do you use to make the 5ft tall lighthouse??

 
Read More Answers

July 14, 2015

What do you use for the base of the 5 pot lighthouse please? Thanks.


Answers

July 19, 20150 found this helpful

Try a red clay plate like the kind that u put red clay pots on, but I would think you would want it slightly larger than the bottom pot of the lighthouse and glue the whole thing in the center of it, either with the plate upside down or right side up.

 
December 27, 20150 found this helpful

It does look like a larger saucer upside down painted Black!

 
Answer this Question

May 2, 2015

What size clay pots are used to make the large terra cotta light house -using 5 pots?


Read More Answers

March 25, 2015

I need specific instructions for Cape Hatteras clay pot lighthouse.

By Deb

Read More Answers

August 6, 2014

Has anyone had a problem with the weight of 3 or 4 pots stacked on each other breaking the ones below them?

By Nina W.

Answers

May 10, 20150 found this helpful

I made lighthouses stacking 3 pot with no breaking problems. I would feel ok doing 4.

 
October 19, 20150 found this helpful

I did one 4 pots high with no problem.

 
Answer this Question

July 5, 2014

What is used for the fencing at the top of the large lighthouse?

By Juanita

Answers

August 18, 20150 found this helpful

Some one was wanting to know where to get fencing for light houses. Hobby lobby sells these in 3 different sizes.

 
Read More Answers

July 4, 2015

What sizes of pots do you recommend for making this feature? The pots that I have looked at stack too low down on each other.


Answers


Bronze Answer Medal for All Time! 220 Answers
July 6, 20150 found this helpful

You can place small blocks of wood, plastic, etc., between the pots so that they can stack as whatever size you prefer.

 
Answer this Question

March 25, 2015

Has anyone ever cut the bottom of the pot out so the "lighthouse" can fit over a well cap?

By DT

Read More Answers

August 8, 2014

What kind of lantern did you attach to the light house? How do you connect the pots together for the pot heads?

By Deborah from Perrysburg, OH

Answers

January 6, 20150 found this helpful

Looks like an IKEA lantern.

 
Answer this Question

June 8, 2014

Why do you have to use cement, why couldn't you use Gorilla glue?

By Debbie

Answers


Gold Post Medal for All Time! 899 Posts
June 9, 20140 found this helpful

Any glue that works for outside use is fine.

 
Answer this Question

May 24, 2014

What type of paint do you use for the clay pots? Should you use two different sizes of pots?

By Ellie G.

Answers


Gold Post Medal for All Time! 899 Posts
June 9, 20140 found this helpful

A spray primer is a good idea. They make craft acrylic paint that is for outdoor projects. I found it at Joann's. Yes...it is best to use pots that get progressively smaller in size.

 
Answer this Question

June 7, 2014

How large of pots did you use?

By Linda from Denison, IA

Answer this Question

June 4, 2014

What is the black part of the lighthouse just below the lamp. It looks circular with a rail?

By Patty

Answer this Question

May 25, 2014

Great idea- Is the little light battery operated? Does yours really light up?

By Winona from RI

Answer this Question

Archives

ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.

July 27, 2009

Here's a lighthouse you can make with graduated terra cotta pots and a solar garden light.

 
Read More...
In This Page
Categories
Crafts Garden & Yard Yard ArtMay 1, 2014
Pages
More
🍀
St. Patrick's Ideas!
💘
Valentine's Ideas!
🎂
Birthday Ideas!
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
Categories
Better LivingBudget & FinanceBusiness and LegalComputersConsumer AdviceCoronavirusCraftsEducationEntertainmentFood and RecipesHealth & BeautyHolidays and PartiesHome and GardenMake Your OwnOrganizingParentingPetsPhotosTravel and RecreationWeddings
Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2024-02-07 09:17:16 in 22 secs. ⛅️️
© 1997-2024 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94764300.tip.html