Hacking Ikea’s Fejka Plant to Fit in Standard Houseplant Planters

I love Ikea’s small, $3.99 potted Fejka plants for shelf fillers. Most of the time, the standard 4″ pot size is perfect for dropping into small pots or the  trophy cups dotting my shelves, but as my collection of white-ware planters has grown, I’ve found situations where I needed a smaller plant or a less vertical plant to look just right.

So here’s a quick, easy tutorial on deconstructing an Ikea Fejka to use the plant in a wider range of vessels.

First, insert a flat head screwdriver into the gap between the faux “soil” and the pot. Use leverage to pop the soil and plant off the connectors holding it in the pot.

The “soil” and plant will come out in once piece, pull the “soil” from the plant firmly to separate.

If you need a squatty plant, you can stop here! One Fejka was perfect for my shallow and wide elephant planter, once the pot was removed from the plant.

Further Modifying the Fejka:

Sometimes Ikea’s $3.99 plants are too big for a small planter- but a better deal can’t be found on smaller plants- so I experimented with splitting a plant into two sections, for use in small vessels:

First, grab scissors and a sharp knife and turn the plant (post separation via instructions above) upside down. The center will be conical and easy to cut with sharp scissors.

Carefully cut up the cone on one side, and make a second cut directly opposite.

At the top/center, it became easier to work with a sharp box knife. Separate the two sides.

Your plant will now be in two pieces. Rolling the pieces slightly to maintain a dimensional look, insert into your smaller container and arrange.

My white-ware planter collection is mostly for displaying art supplies, however for the oddly shaped planter or for moments when my planter collection grows faster than my art supply collection, ikea’s Fejka is a stylish, inexpensive filler.

Pair Artificial Plants with Real Plants

If you are looking for a cheap way to add the look of healthy houseplants to your home, this is a great option. If you lack a green thumb- like I used to, this is an easy fix. Artificial plants look especially realistic when paired with a few live plants in the same room. A weak-looking neglected Peace Lilly will actually make your artificial plants look more real by signaling to brains to expect live plants in the room.

One advantage of using an artificial plant is that you don’t have to worry about watering it or keeping it alive. However, you will need to dust it occasionally to keep it looking its best.

Cutting an Artificial Plant in Half

Fejka plant is the perfect artificial plant to cut in half and create two separate plants. This can be a great way to get the look of two plants for the price of one, and it’s also a relatively easy project to do. To start, simply find an artificial plant that you like the look of and that is the right size for your space. Then, using a sharp knife, carefully cut the plant in half. (Don’t worry- you won’t have to fuss with potting soil or roots!)

Once you have two halves, you can place the half-plants in separate pots and put them wherever you like in your home. Using real planters made for live plants also makes artificial plants look more real. This is a low-maintenance way to add some greenery to your home on a budget.

(PS- don’t toss the weighted pot left after this project! It’s perfect to use in a  Fountain made from Flea Market Finds)