In this project, you’ll turn a plain Styrofoam mannequin head into a bold, custom plant pot that’s waterproof, hand-painted, and beautifully decorated with tribal-inspired facial details and accessories.

By the end of the project, you’ll have a finished Styrofoam head planter ready to display with your favorite 4-inch plant pot inside.

Here's how we'll do it—step by step:

Cut the Planting Hole:
Use scissors or a craft knife to carefully cut a hole in the top of the Styrofoam head. Test it with a 4-inch terracotta pot to ensure it fits. Smooth the edges—it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Seal the Styrofoam:
Use a wide brush to apply Mod Podge over the entire head. This step makes it waterproof. Let it dry completely for 24 hours.
Paint the Base Skin Tone:
Mix your desired skin-tone color using acrylic paints, then apply it with your wide brush. You can use a blow dryer to speed up drying.
Add Facial Features:
Use the stencil provided in the Resources to paint eyebrows with acrylic paint pens. Then, use the same pens to add eyes, lips, and tribal markings of your choice. I’ll include examples of traditional tribal marks in the class Resources.
Accessorize Your Planter:
Using a glue gun, attach a large head wrap or scarf that covers the top and sides of the planter head. Then, add earrings by hooking them into the sides of the scarf where the ears would be.

Final Deliverable

Upload a photo of your completed Styrofoam head planter to the Project Gallery. Feel free to include your chosen colors, designs, and any plants you’ve added to bring your creation to life! Styrofoam Planter Head for Pots - image 1 - student project

Casey Howell

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