You may recall my recent post about fiddle leaf fig trees and how desperately I wanted one. Well I am pleased to report that not only have I tracked down the elusive fiddle leaf fig tree (aka ficus lyrata) in Dubai but I also completed a little DIY project to house it. Finding this baby proved to be somewhat of a mission but, not one to give up easily, I delved into the depths of beyond and came back victorious. Ok, so I just drove out to the Al Aweer / Warsan area, but trust me, it was very mission-like.

For Dubai dwellers who don’t know where the Al Aweer / Warsan area is, its off the Academic City road which runs behind the Dragon Mart complex. It’s like a tiny village of plant nurseries all in one place – you’ll be amazed at how many there are to choose from. Despite all the shops boasting an enormous selection of plants at very reasonable prices, fiddle leaf figs were few and far between. Only two shops had stock and although they were slightly smaller than what I was after, I was not leaving there without one. It’s worth mentioning that Dubai Garden Centre also stock ficus lyrata but theirs were quite a bit smaller. At the time, they were expecting a delivery of larger ones which are now available.

Having completed my mission, with my leafy new friend in the car, I stopped in at Ikea to find a pot… not that there weren’t a gazillion pots to chose from at the newly discovered plant oasis, but I was keen on a woven basket type which they didn’t have. I found the KASTANJENÖT (I dare you to say that one out loud) in no time and exited my favourite furniture superstore in what I am sure was my personal best time. The hubby was devastated to have missed the breaking of that particular record.

As always, the good folks at Ikea combined aesthetic beauty with practical functionality when they designed the KASTANJENÖT – this water hyacinth pot has a plastic inner pot which makes it waterproof. It’s the small things that impress me. And whilst the rattan handles make for easy lifting, I thought the pot would look much nicer without them, so they had to go. I also had a little spray painted color blocking action in mind so I taped it up and hey, presto! My fiddle leaf fig tree was in for a fresh new digs.

What do you think?

There’s nothing I love more than a super simple DIY that delivers great results. I only needed three items for this project:

• Stanley knife to remove the handles on the pot
• tape (I used packing tape because of its width)
• spray paint

I’m really happy with my new plant. Here’s hoping it survives me.

Sharing with Remodelaholic | Five Heart Home | Clean & Scentsible | Liz Marie | Thursday Style | Be Different Act Normal | The Idea Room | DIY Show Off | Nifty Thrifty Things | Not Just a Housewife | Thrifty Decor Chick | The Makers