Drill Drainage Holes in Ceramic Containers to Create Classy Cheap Flower Pots Using this Technique…

It all started when I accidentally found a container that a potter friend had given me long ago. It is a beautiful bonsai dish—but the potter forgot to add holes for drainage. I showed it to my wife and she said, “Oooooh, that’s pretty. Can we get a hammer and chisel and put a hole in the bottom?”

“No,” I replied. “A hammer and chisel would only shatter it—but there is a tool that will drill a hole…”

“Is it a difficult or complicated job?”

“No,” I replied, “it’s so easy that even a girl could probably do it.”

About an hour later, after she started speaking to me again, we decided to make a trip to Home Depot to purchase a “glass and tile bit” to use with our DeWalt drill (hereafter, in redneck manner, referred to as “the DeWalt”). It took a bit of looking to find what we needed.

We found the bits that we needed in the Bosch display and I chose 3/8 and a ¼ inch bits to use for our project. I didn’t think we would use the ¼ inch bit and I proved to be correct.

We got together the necessary items for the job—the DeWalt, glass and tile bit, water, the container, and a piece of slate for the work surface. The water is to reduce the heat generated by the friction of the drill.

The glass and tile bit looks like this. Be careful when asking for help at the store because a lot of times the clerk will try to sell you a masonry bit which is a different item and won’t do the job.

The DeWalt has a “keyless chuck.” To use it, hold the drill as shown below and run the drill slowly while holding the black thingie. This will tighten the drill’s grip on the bit and things will work properly.

Pour some water in the container and start drilling. This is a slow process. You will need to put a bit of pressure on the drill to make it work but you don’t want to push too hard. If you try to go too fast the dish will crack.

When the hole begins to develop, it is advisable to have an assistant hold the container to keep it from spinning when the bit goes through.

And there it is—a nice clean drainage hole.

I think we should have two holes, don’t you?

Well, Sweetie really liked that one. She started gathering containers. “Look,” she said, “This bowl will make a wonderful pot for my geranium. All it needs is a drainage hole.”

And she went to work.

I sometimes like to use clay saucers to make elf man gardens or to show off small bonsai trees. We drilled a hole in a clay saucer while we were at it.

I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Sweetie play. By the way, Sweetie’s name is Dekie Hicks and she runs Wheredepony Press and makes books for people who write them. She likes her bonsai trees, too and you may see some of them on her blog site: ponderingthepony.blogspot.com

I watched as she paid attention to the drainage in her “new” flower pot:

I watched some more as she potted up her new geranium

There’s the newly potted geranium and what I refer to as, “Happy wife, happy life.”

As usual, I would just love for you click here to go to Amazon and purchase the ebook edition of my wonderful book, Requiem for a Redneck to go on your Kindle. I have also noticed that Amazon now has a free Kindle app for iphones and tablets. Is that cool or what?