Pottery Barn Planter DIY

Have you ever loved something but hated it’s price? Here is a tutorial for a Pottery Barn Planter that I loved but didn’t want to pay for. So, I DIYed it, and it was so easy I wanted to share it with you!

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I love nice things. I do not, however, love paying the price for nice things. There are some things I will spend more money on like certain furniture, certain pieces of clothing, a nicer handbag or tool. But there are other things, trendy things, that I just can’t seem to find the urge to splurge. If it’s not going to last longer than a season, it doesn’t make sense to me to use a ton of resources on it. I used to be a bigger spender, but the more DIYs I do, and the more tools I learn, the more confident I am in my skills and willing to try new things. This Pottery Barn Planter DIY is no exception.

Last year, I bought the cheap, plastic planter when I wanted to incorporate some new plants into our home. I then spray painted it gold to give it a little character. One year later, I added a variety of spray paint, joint compound and dirt (yep, dirt!) to create a beautiful piece, one that can carry a price tag of $199 in a timeless, yet somewhat pricey store, for only $4. Most of the materials needed were found in our garage. If I were to purchase everything new, it might cost $25-30. If you find yourself purchasing all of the products new, might I suggest adding a few more cheap planters and creating a set so your money will go a little further. Read on to see how I transformed a $7 planter into a beautiful, Pottery Barn look alike!

Pottery Barn Planter DIY Materials Needed:

1 planter (I used a cheap plastic planter like this 12″ one from Amazon)

Stone Spray Paint (linked)

White Chalk Spray Paint (linked) I used this because it was what I had. A flat white spray paint will also work.

Joint Compound (linked) This is a bigger tub, but it’s the exact kind I used. If you are only using it for this project, I’d suggest buying a smaller tub. It’s also good for repairing cracks and patching holes in drywall.

Gold Paint (linked) This is not necessary, but it was the first thing I did to my planter. So if you are looking for the same finish as mine, you might want to include this first step.

Dirt (a large handful is plenty!)

Paper towels

Gloves to protect your hands

Putty knife to apply joint compound

Pottery Barn Planter DIY Instructions:

This Pottery Barn Planter DIY has a lot of repetitive steps that go a lot like this: paint, apply dirt, wipe off excess. But that wouldn’t make for a great blog post, now would it? For more specific instructions, read along.

As stated in the instructions, if you have a black planter and want a bit of gold/brown to show through your finish, spray paint it gold first. If you do not, then you can skip this step and move right on to the stone spray paint.

Gold paint/Dirt with Stone paint/Joint compound applied/Joint compound spread

Spray paint for texture

Using the stone spray paint, add a layer of texture to your planter. Be sure to shake the can frequently while applying. You can be as conservative or liberal as you’d like.

Rust-Oleum Textured Spray Paint on Amazon

Apply dirt

WHILE THE PAINT IS STILL WET, grab a handful of dirt and lightly rub it all over the planter in sweeping motions. Most of the dirt will fall off, and that’s ok. I just picked it right up and kept going. The tone of your dirt will show up, so if you prefer black over brown, you can use potting soil. It will work just as well. Let it dry.

Remove excess dirt

Using a damp paper towel, lightly rub your planter. Most of the bigger clumps of dirt will come off and some will remain. It just adds to the texture.

Apply joint compound

Using a putty knife, apply a decent amount of joint compound in streaks. I randomly applied mine, but you can always methodically place the compound. As before, we are just adding to the texture. Then, using a gloved hand, I rubbed/spread the joint compound out a bit to cover more surface and not look so clumpy. Then let it dry.

Spray paint for color

Once the compound has dried, use a white spray paint (flat or chalked) to cover the planter. Again, you can be as liberal or conservative as you’d like. I wanted a little more color to show through, so I was a little more conservative with the white. If you want less color and more texture to show through, you can apply it a bit more liberally.

Apply dirt (again)

WHILE THE PAINT IS STILL WET, grab another handful of dirt and rub it onto the planter. This is the last step, so be sure and stop when you have reached satisfaction with the color/texture.

Enjoy your beautiful Pottery Barn Planter look a like!

Once your planter is dry, pot your desired plant, sit back and enjoy! And if you love it so much, you can do this treatment on other planters and vases to achieve a similar look.