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22 Whimsical Planters Inspired by Exotic Wildlife

You can find planters in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, and designs these days. What if you want to kick it up a notch and go for something that’s truly unique, whimsical, and maybe even a little bizarre? Nothing quite compares to some of the planters you’ll see below, all of which take the very distinct shape and form of a wild animal. Whether you’re looking to bring some plant life into your kitchen, living room, child’s bedroom, or even your garden, an adorable planter like one of these might be just the thing you need!

Simple and Playful

Sao Paulo-based sculptor and artist Priscilla Ramos crafts ceramic planters that resemble whales, capybaras, foxes, and even sloths. Their shapes and colors are kept simple enough so they don’t scream at you from right across the room, but still add an adorably interesting touch to any home. [Photos from Lost at E Minor]

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Whale planter with flower
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Capybara planter with plant
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Fox planter with flower

Jungle Colors

If you’re really looking to unleash your wild side, you better check out Coastal Moss on Etsy. You’ll find the most charming looking planters sculpted as animals with great expressions on their faces and in all sorts of brilliant, bright colors.

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Animal planters in very bright colors
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Navy blue rhinoceros planter
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Silver crocodile planter
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Salmon pink hippopotamus planter

Tastefully Exotic

Bright colors and toy-like designs are great for children’s bedrooms, but what if you want something that’s a little more grown-up and classy? Have a look at the stunning animal planters offered by Two Trees Botanicals on Etsy. While you’ll still find a few that come in bright colors, you can find others in more decorative colors like gold and bronze, which may better suit your decor.

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Gold elephant planter
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Bronze giraffe planter
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Turquoise lion planter
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Pastel pink zebra planter
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Dinosaur planters in lots of colors

Yarn Creations

As if you didn’t think these animal planters could get any more adorable, the Yarn Kitchen on Etsy makes them out of felt to give them a textured, fuzzy look — as if they were indeed real animals. They come as pod-shaped planters with Japanese design-inspired faces of puppies, kittens, chicks, and more.

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Set of three pod-shaped felt kitten planters
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Felt puppy face planter
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Felt kitten face planter
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Felt chicken in egg planter

Animal Walls

Taking inspiration from taxidermy animal heads that are typically hung on walls, ceramic animal head planters are available from Graham and Green. You can get them in the forms of all sorts of different wild creatures, from polar bears and rabbits, to zebras and koalas. Plants and flowers grow right out of the tops of their heads, and the best part of it all? They’re not real, so no hunting and killing required!

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Ceramic wall planters of different animals
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Flowers and plants grow out of the tops of these animal’ heads while hung on the wall

Wildly Animated

Some of the animal planters in this list resemble very realistic looking creatures, but what if you’re looking for a more animated, cartoonish look? Claylicious on Etsy has it covered. The animal planters offered by this shop have exaggerated looks that make them appear more whimsical and playful. They also come in all sorts of great colors too.

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Mint green ceramic elephant planter
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Radiant orchid succulent hippotamus planter
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Natural cream-colored owl planter
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Silver snail planter

Did you just experience cute overload? You’re not the only one. Any of these adorable animal planters would most certainly bring a nice dose of whimsy to any room that could use a little creative accessorizing.

Elise Moreau

I write for decoist.

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