Minka Textured Pot Dupe

Who’s ready for a look for less DIY?! Today I thought I’d make my version of Anthropologie’s Minka pot. This beautiful planter is $88 so I thought I’d try to see if I could make it for much, much less. Ready to DIY this Minka textured pot dupe?!

how to make a Minka textured post dupe

Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:

If the video doesn’t work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. I’d be over the moon happy if you subscribed to my YouTube channel! Videos are actually released on YouTube first (usually the night before they’re published on the blog). Thank you!

the inspiration

Here is a picture of the original Minka planter. I think it’s really beautiful!

The color makes it neutral but the texture really is interesting and special. Let’s try to make a budget friendly version!

SUPPLIES

Air Dry Clay
Rope
Pot (I had mine on hand- it’s 7″ tall and 8.5″ wide)
Joint Compound
Chalk Paint in Fluff
Mesh Utility Fabric

price breakdown

How much did the Minka textured pot dupe cost?

For this project I used clay, a pot, paint and joint compound I already had on hand. I spent $1.25 for the rope and $3 for the textured fabric so a total of $4.25 in supplies. Plus $17 for the plant to live in it.

If you need to buy everything to make this project, it’d be $6 in clay, $1.25 rope, $6 planter, $8.50 in joint compound, $3 for the textured fabric and $14 in paint. The total for all the supplies if you don’t have any of them on hand is $38.75.

step 1- make the balls

Start by making the balls for the body of the vase. For my planter, I figured I’d need 90 balls. To come up with that number, I decided I’d do 5 rows (like the medium sized Minka Pot). Then I figured out a rough layout on half the planter. That came to 45 balls so I just doubled that number.

For making the balls, I used modeling clay that I bought from the Dollar Store.

I split each stick of modeling clay into 3 parts. Then I rolled each piece into a ball by rubbing it between my hands. Since this planter is an organic/natural look, these don’t need to be perfect. It’s actually better if they’re different sizes and aren’t 100% round.

When I was done with the pack of modeling clay, I realized I’d need more.

So I used air dry clay I had on hand to make the rest of the 90 balls. I actually ended up making 95 balls in case my numbers were off or one broke.

Note, these will take 12-72 hours to dry (depending on the climate and how much water is in the air) so plan ahead with this step! My air dry balls took 24 hours to dry. The modeling clay from the Dollar Store never dried- even after a week. So I don’t recommend using it for this project.

Instead of clay, joint compound or even grout could also be used to make the balls.

step 2- container texture

Next, begin working on getting the correct texture on the planter. For this, start by spreading joint compound over the planter.

I used a spatula for it and got it as smooth as possible while totally covering the plastic planter.

Once that was on, I used a piece of mesh utility material I got from the fabric store. I cut a small square of it and pressed it onto the joint compound.

I made sure to press all sections of the mesh with my hand so the impression was even across each section before pulling off the mesh.

The resulting texture is really pretty and similar to the original planter!

step 3- attach rope and balls

On the top of the planter I added more joint compound and pressed a full piece of rope to add texture to the top. Also, that covered the holes in the top of the plastic planter.

And now, while the joint compound is still wet, start attaching the balls. I began with one and pushed it into the wet joint compound to attach it to the planter.

Then, I cut up into smaller pieces and used pieces of it between the balls.

I worked my way around the planter. Once a row was done, I then started down to the next row. This step is tedious and you have to be careful to not knock off the balls that are done (especially at the bottom). But this is also when it goes from plastic to the artsy look I want.

Let the planter dry. Mine took 24 hours to fully dry.

step 4- paint

Finally, finish off the Minka textured pot dupe by painting the whole thing. I went with a creamy white chalk paint for that. I love the matte finish from chalk paint and figured that’d be perfect.

While painting, I placed my planter on a block of wood. When it was on just the towel, I’d tilt it up to see better and knock off the bottom balls. I hot glued those back on, but was more cautious after that.

after

And here is the finished planter!

I LOVE the texture! I think it turned out so cute! It’s interesting and definitely doesn’t look like I spent $4.25 on it!

I think it looks pretty close to the original.

Another option besides using a plastic planter would be to go to the thrift store and buying something that has more of the same shape as the original. Regardless of the shape, I’m thrilled with how this turned out.

I hope you like this Minka textured pot dupe! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Also, I’d love to hear if you like “look for less” posts. They’re super fun for me, but I definitely want to know if you enjoy them.