Well, heirlooms might be a bit of a stretch, but who knows what people treasure nowadays?
(I already cherish the chicken dip bowl thing.)
If you are like us, you have a hard time finding enough nice pots for houseplant cuttings and other little plants that you have no use for, but refuse let die. We check all the thrift stores, but they are often picked clean.
Then I had an idea!
I ordered a set of ceramic tile drill bits from Amazon and then started buying all kinds of cool containers made of ceramic, china, or pottery. They average about a quarter a piece, and you can find some pretty neat stuff if you look.
I think my favourites are teapots in general, but there are some pretty cool one-offs. Like the chicken three dip bowl thing.
(Sometimes you just want to have more basil plants in teapots.)
The cheaply made stuff is the easiest to drill, so expect to work at it a while if you are using fine bone china. Luckily for me this is just made in China, and not made of it.
(I got the drill for Father's Day. It's my favourite.)
Some of the harder material is easier to drill if you put a bit of water in the divot to help cool and lubricate. It also cuts down on the dust.
(I put a little dish soap in as well. Don't ask me why.)
When the water all drains out, it means you're through.
STOP
Hammer Time!
Not really. Hammers and ceramics don't play well together. What you need to do now is flip it over.
(See the small hole? If you keep going it will probably pop a chunk out.)
Now we want to flip it over and go from the other side. If your bit is long enough. If not, just go slow and don't put a lot of pressure on it. I was popping big pieces out of the bottoms until I tried it this way.
(You still want to take it easy. Have patience.)
Once you poke your drainage hole through, get some worm castings and a bit of potting soil and you have your next gift for me all ready to go.
(Okay, you got me. I bought it for myself.)
Another thing we are thinking of doing is taking a bunch of them to our friend's restaurant and putting them on the tables with a $10 price tag on them. It doesn't cost more than a buck to make, and a bit of time, but it's something I enjoy doing, so I don't really count the time. There is also a plant sale every spring at the local senior centre to raise money for their upkeep costs and activities. We will donate a bunch to them, because we give them lily of the valley every year and it sells out, so maybe this can bring them a few bucks as well.
They really do make thoughtful gifts as well, because you can get mugs for any occasion and plant something that you know will fit into a friend's life. Catnip is a good one, and if they don't have a cat you can get them one from the pound. There is always an abundance of adoptable kitties that need someone to cuddle with.
They can be used as freshness testers for the catnip as well.
Full Disclosure
This photo is an Amazon.ca affiliate link for the ceramic tile bits. If you click on it and buy anything from Amazon in 24 hours, we will get a small commission. If you use Amazon.com this link will take you there.
These are just in case you want to get them and shop on Amazon. If you can support a local mom and pop store with your purchase, then that's what we would recommend, but it's pretty hard to do that these days. Especially in a remote town like ours.