How to make a DIY Realistic Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant

Is your real Fiddle leaf Fig tree never happy!? Well, here’s my solution: make a DIY realistic Fiddle Leaf Fig plant that looks real-ly great all the time!

feature image of realistic fiddle leaf fig in living room

No watering issues, fertilizing or potting soil for this one. It’s my clever and accessible way to make a DIY realistic Fiddle Leaf Fig plant as a high-end decor piece for a fraction of the cost of real or luxury faux trees. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you craft a stunning, lifelike plant:

Looking at the details of a real plant:

What fools people the most about faux plants is the details. Things like the curvatures of the stems and trunk, small little bark or leaves, texture, colour and shape. Those are things that you can improve with a bit of patience to make the fake look completely real and achieve a DIY realistic Fiddle Leaf Fig plant.

What do you need?

I suppose that you could make each leaf but I really do not see a need to. I bought some very inexpensive ‘plants’ online as a starting point.

Artificial fiddle leaf fig leaves (sold in bunches or stems)
Candle or heat gun
Metal Sculpting tool (or substitute, see below)
Floral wire (medium to thick gauge, 16–20 gauge)
Thick brown waxed thread or Floral tape (brown)
Brown fabric or brown paint & fabric
Real Wood branch(s) section of tree (for trunk)
Hot glue & PVA Glue
Brown acrylic paint + sponge/brush (for texture)
Planter pot
Stones & Concrete Mix

To Achieve Plant Realism:

Most faux plants have pretty good representation of color as the printing has improved much over the years. The problem is often the fact that all the leaves are the same. They have no variation of shape, size or form. To adjust the forms you can use a candle to slightly heat the edges enough to be able to change the form. Work slowly and under well-ventilated conditions to avoid any fumes. Do not melt the leaves!

When they are slightly hot enough they will allow a bit more curving and then cool to keep the shape, much like ironing.

When the leaf is warm it can also have more vein indentation applied with one of the ball sculpting tools. You could also use some old spoons or cutlery to indent the details, making DIY realistic Fiddle Leaf Fig plant even more lifelike.

Most fake leaves have a hollow end that was on a plastic stem. Ideally the best leaves are ones that have a wire core but you can insert your own wire into the ends and glue.

Vary the sizes of the leaves:

Typically the manufacturers just use all the same size leaves on cheap plants. A real tree has leaves that are smaller & brighter in colour when they freshly emerge. Cut some leaves to make the centres of the branch ends.

One of the main details that I see on the stems of this fabulous decor plant is the small brown ‘bits’ that look like little leaves. They really give the illusion of a real plant.

Use some brown fabric that does not fray or just paint some recycled cotton fabric with some brown paint. It does not need to be perfect as it should look mottled. After the paint dries, you can cut long double leaf sections that allow attaching to be easier (see video).

Rather than use floral tape, I preferred a strong brown buttonhole thread. It allows pretty strong pulling and gives a rustic texture. Mine was waxed which made it hold better as well. Applying a bit of PVA glue (WeldBond) assured it to hold and also add some stability.

This method of improving a faux plant is not that specific, depending on how fussy you are. It is quite therapeutic to be like Mother Nature!

After improving and making a few leaves, they are wired together and the brown stem leaves attached between. Assemble as you see naturally; the smaller brighter ones in the center and larger/darker as the branch gets longer.

How to attach to truck:

Choose a branch that has the character that you like, a few smaller sections that come from the main trunk depending on the final shape desired. I used a birch branch that was not that old. Some old found branches may be too brittle. They will dry out more as they are indoors but do check for bugs.

A small drill or dremel can easily make some holes for the attaching of your wired branch sections. I work along and keep rotating to see where I need more. Stagger the arrangement of the branching out.

Generally, you will need more than you think to be beautifully full.

Apply a small amount of hot glue into the hole. The rustic quality of the branches will hide much, so don’t be too fussy.

Insert the wired leaf section firmly in the hole. Once secure, the leaves can then be bent as a natural plant would face the sun.

Make a secure plant base:

There are many options to make a base. The key is to have some weight and also to not wiggle. It can be smaller than the planter you intend to use later.

I used some reused paint cans as they do not have holes. I grabbed some rocks from outside so that I did not need as much concrete to fill the voids and make it solid. Prop the branch between the rocks, stabilized it while concrete cures. This mix cures in under 2 hours, so it is quickly done, allowing you to make a DIY realistic Fiddle Leaf Fig plant effectively!

Plant your plant!

The paint can was easily fitted in this MCM inspired planter or make your own. What may look like dark rich soil is actually an old fur lining from a winter coat; great upcycle.