How to Make Birch Bark Covered Flowerpots

It was hubby who suggested ‘why don’t you just mold the bark around the pot, and leave it to dry in that shape before you try and stick it’. I think I probably looked like a goldfish for a moment while I digested his comment. It is, in fact, really obvious once someone points it out. This method for decorating flowerpots in bark works like a dream.

There are a few fallen Birch in the woods where we walk our dog, so I had been thinking using birch bark in crafts for a while. With my new found knowledge of working with Birch bark I would suggest that if you do pick some up, that you immediately roll it with the outer face of the bark on the outside and secure it. Bark will naturally curl the other way if left to its own devices as it dries, making it much harder to work with.

How to Make Rustic Birch Bark Covered Flowerpots

What you will need to decorate flower pots in Birch bark.

• Pieces of bark
• A terracotta pot
• Elastic bands and PVA glue

We also painted the rim of our pot with a cream acrylic paint.

Our birch bark had dried out by the time we came to use it so we soaked it in water for half an hour. Begin by scraping off any lumps on the inside of the bark. Then wrap the bark around the pot, roughly trimming away any excess and leave to dry for 24hrs. We used sticks to stop the elastic bands from damaging the edges of the bark as it has a tendency to split along them.

Once the bark pieces has dried into the shape of the pot, remove them. Prime the pot with a watered down coat of PVA glue and leave it to dry. We painted the rim and the base of our pot in cream. This will help disguise any uneven edges of bark once the pot is finished. I would advise allowing the paint to dry properly. I didn’t, and ended up with finger prints on ours!

Apply a generous coat of PVA glue to the inside of your bark, and wrap it around your pot.  Use the elastic bands to keep it in place as you go. We left our pot for a full 24hrs to dry once the birch bark was glued into place, and it is held on really securely.

I am absolutely delighted with how our bark covered pot turned out. It has a wonderful rustic home décor feel to it. Now that I’ve found a method that works I have all sorts of objects ear-marked for the rustic bark treatment. If anyone else has come up with other methods of working with bark I’d love to hear about them. Please do leave any tips in the comments below.

We’ve got lots more ideas for decorating flowerpots on our blog. We particularly love our pretty Fabric Covered Flowerpots and our tutorial for Decorating Pots with Preserved Moss. And for more rustic home décor crafts, why not check out our Living Garden Sculpture and our Twig Chandelier.

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