How to Find the Best-Looking Fake Plants at IKEA

John and I are here to do some very special shopping for the project we are working on, which is actually an AirBnb.

We are going shopping. Let’s see what we can find. So, personally, I love IKEA for fake plants, because they are affordable, they have so many different options and sizes, and a lot of them look really good.

1. Find something that looks natural

You want something that looks natural. What I’m talking about when I say “something natural,” is something with the correct texture. This is a problem with a lot of faux plants.

You can see this IKEA fake plant looks very thin. It’s papery and crinkles very unnaturally. And the pattern itself is just printed on there, so it looks really chintzy and fake. It’s too lightweight. It is trash.

Compare that to this more realistic-looking IKEA fake plant. It’s waxy. It’s beautiful. The pattern looks really nice. It’s hefty. It’s got volume. This looks so real that John has tried to eat it three times.

Here’s an example of plants that from afar looks like they have a good shape, but when you get up close, they are so clearly thick and rubbery. They are, like, just not it. 

2. Match the Environment

Make sure the plants make sense in the environment. Our AirBnb is in a very super secret location – the desert. Therefore, we want plants that would make sense there. Not like this English ivy.

This cute little IKEA fake snake plant might make more sense.

Another thing that makes sense is this faux cactus.

3. Look at the color

You want to look at, not just the texture and material, but also the color since it’s a dead giveaway for fake plants. You can usually tell when a green just looks “too green” it’s fake.

I like to use fake plants in my projects, because no matter if they are fake, they still provide a nice pop. But, I occasionally get haters saying that fake plastic plants are disgusting. I say, no – but plastic flowers pretty much are.

4. Articulation 

The fourth thing I want to talk about is articulation. One of the most important things about buying fake plants is the ability to manipulate them and make them bend to your will, so you can make them look like they are growing naturally and let them take up the whole space.

For example, these guys are nice because they come with wires. They are bendable and, as I said, you can bend them to your will. If they are all up straight and you can’t touch them up at all, I would say don’t bring them home with you.

5. Camouflage

Now, let’s talk about camouflage. The biggest thing when you’re buying fake faux plants and want the most realistic-looking fake plants is obviously your base, and specifically, what’s in there. If you want faux plants in your life, you have to make this base look more real. 

One of the things I do is put in dirt, real rocks, or moss. Those are the only three acceptable things. But, no matter what, you have to cover them up, because if you don’t, it’s disgusting.

6. Change up the pots

One good thing about IKEA is that they have so many different sizes of plants, pots, baskets, and everything you could want. But, you know how I like to jazz things up a little bit. 

A few extra tips, if you are shopping for plant pots, is to mix it up with sizes, scale, and especially with the silhouette. So, for example, you could get this cute little basket to put one of your fake plants in.

But, why not get two of these baskets, glue them, stack them, and then you have a cool sculptural planter that you could put next to this other basket?

Add height, add different scales, and mix it up. It’s one of my favorite things to do.

If you want to create symmetry or balance, this is like a very Destiny’s Child thing to do. Use the same pot, but different plants, so they are like individuals, but also together.

How to find the best-looking fake plants

We got a lot of fun stuff, cute stuff, big stuff, and little stuff. We even got some rocks. Thanks for shopping with us.

How do you use fake plants to decorate your house? What do you think the best-looking fake plants are? Leave a comment and let us know.