How to Cut Terracotta Pots

The terracotta planter is quite sturdy, but it can break unintentionally when you drill or cut it to make a tandoor oven, garden lantern, frog house or garden. fairy tales and many more creative ideas. So, before you jump into the terracotta pot saw, read the answers to the key questions below to increase your chances of getting the result you want instead of a pile of terracotta scraps!

Table of Contents

Which tool should I use?

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Use a rotary saw (such as a Dremel) to cut small pots. While it doesn’t cut through terracotta as easily as butter, it works! You’ll get the best results if you use a diamond cutting disc attached to a Dremel machine (or similar hand-held rotary saw). Here are a few things to keep in mind: ^{[1] X Research Sources}

Wear work gloves, goggles, and dust mask.
Soak the pot in water for 20 minutes to prevent dust when cutting. However, the cutting process still causes dust, so you should do this outdoors.
Use a pair of clamps to secure the pot (tighten, but don’t be too tight or it will crack!)
Turn on the saw and gently bring the rotating blade into the pot. Use even hand force instead of trying to push the saw blade through the terracotta. Notch into the terracotta surface, gradually cutting through and slowly moving the saw blade along the cutting line.
Water or spray more water from time to time so that the terracotta does not overheat.
Use an 80-grit sanding block to carefully smooth away jagged edges along the cut.

Choose an angle grinder to cut larger pots. The setting and cutting technique are similar to the rotary saw method, but the angle grinder is much larger and more powerful! Wear protective gear, soak the terracotta pots to remove dust when cutting, slit through the terracotta with gentle force, and smooth away jagged edges with a sanding block. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Unlike a rotary saw that can be controlled with one hand, you will have to use both hands to hold the angle grinder firmly. Secure the terracotta pot with a chuck so that you have both hands free to operate the grinder – remember not to overtighten it.
If you have a diamond cutting disc that’s fine, but a concrete blade can also be used.
Angle grinders will be very noisy when operating, so you should also wear earplugs.

Use a hand saw with a carbide saw blade to cut through the terracotta pots, which is slower but effective. If you have the time and energy to cut terracotta pots by hand, you can use a carbide saw blade instead of a standard hand saw. This saw blade has grains (similar to sandpaper) instead of metal serrations. As with power tools, you should soak the terracotta pots, wear protective gear, mark the cut lines and clamp the pots to the chuck for best results. Saw long cuts back and forth evenly and with just enough pressure to cut through the terracotta. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

To replace the hand saw blade, loosen the butterfly nut near the handle by turning it counter-clockwise. Remove the old saw blade from the 2 retaining pins, then place the new blade in the pins. Turn clockwise to tighten the butterfly nut.

Okay – which tools should not be used?

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Avoid using a power saw or hand saw with a serrated blade. The larger the serrations, the more firmly they are embedded in the terracotta and can crack or chip the pot. You should always choose cutting tools that are designed to be sharpened rather than plugged into terracotta surfaces. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Whether you’re using a rotary saw, angle grinder or hand saw, you’ll want to choose a saw blade (such as a diamond or carbide saw blade) that’s designed to grind through materials like concrete or glass.

How can I cut off the perineum?

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Slowly bring the rotary saw or angle grinder around the pot. You can mark the cut line first or cut freely, but remember to cut at least 2.5cm above the perineum to reduce the risk of cracking. Punch a shallow groove into the terracotta surface with a saw or grinder, rotate the pot a little, slit the groove and so on and cut around until the bottom of the pot comes off. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

You’ll probably need to run the saw blade 1-2 times around to cut through the terracotta pot if you’re using an angle grinder, and 2-3 times if you’re using a rotary saw.
Clip the pot to the chuck for a more precise cut, or lay the pot on the ground if you don’t need it very precisely.

Can I cut terracotta pots in half?

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Yes – use a saw or grinder to make a cut and carefully separate. Draw a cut line to divide the pot in half and clamp the pot to the clamp, the pot wall facing up. Notching along the cut line divides the pot in half with gentle, even pressure. Cut into the terracotta to 1/2 to 2/3 of the thickness of the pot. The pot can self-separate when you’re done cutting; if not, you can gently tap along the cut with a rubber hammer or something similar. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

If you cut the terracotta pot apart with a rotary saw or angle grinder, it will easily crack or break.
The cut won’t be neat, so be careful with jagged edges.

Can I carve or decorate terracotta pots?

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You can create carvings with a handheld engraver. Wash and soak the terracotta pots, then use a stencil (or paint by hand) to draw the shapes you want to engrave. Wear protective gear – gloves, goggles and a mask – and turn on the hand engraver. Use the pencil-like engraving tip to engrave the drawing to the depth you prefer. Use a clean cloth to wipe the dust. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Dremel is a well known brand, but you can use other brands.
Consider clamping the terracotta pot to the briefcase to keep it steady while working.

You can also use a hand engraver to carve through terracotta pots. The difference here is that you will hold the carving head on the terracotta until it pierces the pot. Then you will continue to carve the decorations. The high-speed engraving head helps smooth out some of the jagged edges, but you may need to sand them down with sandpaper when you’re done engraving. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

This is a great way to create a pumpkin lantern effect with terracotta pots!

What if I just want to drill a hole?

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Carefully drill with a concrete drill bit and widen the hole with larger drill bits. Soak the terracotta pots in water for at least 20 minutes – even overnight – to soften the terracotta a bit and reduce dust. Glue the paper tape in an X shape on the spot where you need to drill. Attach the smallest concrete drill bit you have to your electric drill and drill slowly through the terracotta – press the drill just enough so the drill won’t bounce. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Use a slightly larger concrete drill bit to drill a larger hole, if necessary. Continue using larger drill bits until the hole is the required size.
Wear safety glasses and work gloves in case the pot breaks.
Remember to let the rotary drill do its job – you could break the pot if you try to press the drill bit into the terracotta!

How to break pots at will?

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Use a wooden stick and hammer to be able to control the shard relatively. Wear safety glasses, gloves, boots, long-sleeved shirt and long pants to prevent terracotta debris from splashing. Hold the wooden stick close to the inner pot wall where you want to create the shard. Use a hammer to knock hard on the opposite side of the wood. Chances are you’ll have at least one large piece of terracotta and many smaller pieces. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Cover the basin with a towel to prevent debris from splashing.
You might wonder who would intentionally break a terracotta pot, but there are actually countless creative ideas with broken pot pieces – for example, fairy gardening in broken flower pots is becoming more and more popular these days. Popular!
If you’re planning on doing a fairy garden, consider breaking one side of the pot and leaving the bottom of the pot intact.

How to make a fairy garden in a broken pot?

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Potted debris, soil, plants and fairy garden ornaments. Fill the broken pot with soil about 1/4 full, then arrange the large and small pieces (terracotta pot fragments) and add more soil to form a wall, ramp and spiral staircase. Add a few bonsai trees (like baby or succulents), houses, miniature fairy castles or anything else you like. ^{[11] X Research Source}

You can buy miniature decorations online, at decor stores, and even at aquarium stores.
Go online to find “places to sell miniature accessories” to find ideas. You’ll see some really cool stuff!

Oops, the pot’s broken – now what?

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Don’t throw away broken terracotta pots – find ways to repurpose them! If your terracotta pots are broken into small pieces that don’t make a fairy garden, find other ways to reuse them. For example, you can place debris in the bottom of the pot to improve drainage, or spread debris around the base of the tree to prevent squirrels from digging holes. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Fragments from the rim of the pot can be used as a very unique plant name label – write the name of each plant on the fragment and stick it in the ground.
Note that terracotta shards can be very sharp – be careful when handling!

Steps