How to Drill Holes in Pottery Planters

There are essentially two kinds of pottery planters--unglazed and glazed. Most of us are familiar with the unglazed pots. They're are the simple, traditional red terracotta colored pots we're used to planting our geraniums or English Ivy plants in. And then there are glazed pottery planters that are plain clay pottery dressed up with a thin glass glaze coating fired on to them. Both unglazed and glazed pottery planters can have holes drilled in them, but they require different drill bits.

Things You'll Need

• Unglazed pottery planter
• Glazed pottery planter
• Pencil
• Marker
• Carbide masonry drill bit
• Electric drill
• Tile and glass drill bit
• Plumber's putty
• Masking tape
• Air Tool oil
• Safety goggles

Instructions

1. Mark the location of the hole(s) to be drilled on an unglazed or glazed pot with a pencil or marker.

2. Drill holes in an unglazed pottery planter using a carbide masonry drill bit. They come in various sizes. Put a masonry bit in an electric hand drill. Place the tip of the drill bit on the pencil mark and squeeze the trigger of the drill. Don't push too hard or try to force the drill through the vitrified clay too fast. Drill slow and steadily until the drill passes through the wall of the planter.

3. Drill holes in a glazed pottery planter using a drill bit manufactured for drilling through glass and tile. The tip of this kind of drill bit has a pointed, spade-like shape. Take a ball of plumber's putty and warm it up in your hand. Next roll it out into a coil. Make a circle with it and set it over the mark on the glazed planter where you want to drill a hole. Seal the putty to the surface of the planter on the inside and outside perimeters to create a containing ring. Place a couple tabs of masking tape inside the ring of putty on the glazed surface to help keep the tip of the drill bit from slipping. Pour some Air Tool oil--used in car engines--into the sealed ring of plumber's putty. Position the tip of the drill on the masking tape and start drilling. Drill steadily until all the way through the wall of the planter.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful with the tile and glass drilling bit so it doesn't slide off the pot and scratch the glaze surface of the planter.

• You can drill faster with a tile and glass drill bit than with a masonry drill bit.

• Wear safety goggles when drilling any kind of ceramics as chips and dust can fly up and get in your eye.

References

• MetaCafe: How to Drill a Hole in Ceramic, Porcelain, Clay or Glass Tile