From Dryer Lint to Plant Pot!

We've all heard "green is life", and it's so true how plants and nature take us to a brighter and better mood. This plant pot takes this phrase more literally imagining the plant as a person's hair or thoughts while projecting a calm and happy countenance.

Along with this, nobody would think dryer fluff could ever be recycled or of any use! Well not only can it be used but it gives a unique finish to this pot, find out how!

• Large cup
• 500gr Air-dry clay
• Dryer lint (I used a piece around 3 per 4 inches for all the air-dry clay)
• Water (around 1/3 cup to damp the fingertips)
• Pink and black markers
• Pink blush
• Large makeup brush (The round handle is very useful)
• Disposable mascara wand
• Tools to help you shape the face (brush handle, the back of measuring spoons, or sculpting tools)

Take the clay and start working with it to warm it up and make it more manageable. If you feel it too hard this is the moment to put some water in your fingers and keep kneading it, as much as you need to feel it more like play-doh.

Take a piece of dryer lint and tear it into smaller pieces, put the pieces on the clay, and keep kneading it. Repeat this step between 5 to 7 times.

When will you know it's enough? You'll see the little lines the lint gives all over the clay, not just in one spot.

As you can see on the left there's a big amount of fluff in one place, if this happens you have to keep kneading the clay until you get something like the picture on the right, where the mixture is homogeneous. This is the step where your thumbs are going to be tested out because you really need to do it for some time to get to this. If you feel it's getting hard along the way don't hesitate in using some water in your hands.

Divide the clay into 3 parts, you'll use one part in the base and two parts in the head.

To cover the base put some clay around and start shaping it to the sides to make the shoulders. The clay needs to be around 1/3 inch in the thinnest part. Don't worry if it doesn't look so smooth now, we'll make that later.

Flatten more clay to cover the upper part of the cup, this will be the head. Leave a small amount of clay for the face features. Push it tight to the cup so you don't get any bubbles. Use your thumb to take some clay to the neck until it gets combined with the rest.

Take a small piece of clay, make it a little long and place it where you want the nose to be. Use a tool to fuse it with the face clay and shape it. I think the right proportions of facial features are: Small nose, medium mouth, and big eyes. This can help you too when you're shaping the face.

I used the back of my blush brush to mark the place where the eyes are going to be, but you can use another tool or your fingers. Later we'll give more volume to the eyebrow bones but this step helps me to imagine where the eyes are going to be.

Take a little piece and shape it like a little worm, place it in the place where the mouth is going to be, and push it a little. Shape it with a tool to make it look better.

Use a bigger amount of clay to put in the chin, cheekbones and eyebrow bones. As you can see in the first image I started with little cheekbones just to place them in the right place and then added a little more.

Moisten your fingers to disappear the lines and make it all look like one.

Smooth the surface with your fingers and a little amount of water.

Polish the upper part by taking out the excess clay with a tool. Paying attention to little details makes it look less DIY and more pro.

This step is optional but I think it gives it a nice stone-like finish to the piece. Use a disposable mascara wand or an old toothbrush to give it more texture.

Let it dry for 24 hours or until you feel it totally hard. I think it depends on the brand of clay used and the amount of water you use to work with it but this piece was ready in 24 hours.

Use the black marker to trace the eyes and eyelashes and the pink marker for the lips.

Add some blush to the cheekbones with the brush. I think this part makes it look more realistic even if we're not making a hyper-realistic piece.

Use your favorite plant to put in your new pot and give it an original "hairstyle".

Which one is your favorite? I think mine is the one with messy "hair" but I enjoyed playing with different plant types!

Don't forget to water it as much as your plant needs and put it in the perfect spot to get enough light.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and use your creativity to make it express different emotions.