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Spring Decorating with Faux Flowers Tips and Tricks

Today, I’m sharing how I welcome the spring decorating season into my home with faux flowers, even when it doesn’t look or feel like spring outside. 

tips for faux flower arrangements

It’s spring!!! I love the transition into warmer weather and I always want my home to be blooming at the seams right when spring gets here, but it’s still cold and gray outside on most days and spring flowers are no where to be seen. 

One way I transition our home into spring is to bring out some of my faux stems until the fresh flowers starts to bud and bloom. Spring flowers are symbols of a new beginning and I’m always ready for a fresh start once March hits.

I never used to love faux flowers. They looked so fake and nothing like fresh flowers, but things have really changed. Companies have stepped up their game, even creating faux stems that resemble cut flowers. 

I’ve learned a few tips and tricks for decorating with faux flowers to create the most realistic looking fresh flower arrangements and I want to share them with you. Let’s get into this little diy project.

spring decorating with faux flowers

Why Buy Faux Flowers

Many of us enter into the spring months with no fresh flowers in sight for weeks. Fresh flower arrangements can be expensive and they don’t last very long. Faux flowers allow us to have bright, cheery flowers in early spring and to bring new life into our homes after a monotone winter.

While nothing holds a candle to a fresh spring flower arrangements, faux flowers last and can be used year after year. If you buy high-quality flowers, it’s the perfect way to bring rich colors to your home for years to come.

Making Faux Flowers Look Real

The main complaint with using artificial flowers for spring home decor is that they don’t look real. I have several tips for creating a beautiful arrangement using artificial stems. 

  • Differing Blooms- Buy stems that have blooms that are in different stages. This creates a more natural look to the arrangement. 
  • No Fraying– This is a big deal when purchasing fake flowers. Steer clear of flowers that have fraying around the edges of the petals. Fraying instantly creates a fake look and it only leads to more fraying. Look for flowers that have thick, lush petals that appear organic.
  • Wire Leaves– Wired leaves aren’t a “must” but they do lend themselves to looking more realistic. You can gently bend the leaves so that they look more like nature and that will create an arrangement that looks more realistic.
  • Bend Stems- If you buy flowers with wired stems, you can bend a few of the stems over the side of the vase. This gives the arrangement an asymmetrical look, which is more natural.
  • Add water– Adding water to clear vases instantly makes faux floral arrangements look freshly picked. If you have stems with wire on the bottom, put some clear nail polish on the end of the stem to keep it from rusting your vase. 
  • Expensive Stems Create beautiful, spring centerpieces by sticking a few expensive stems in with some budget stems. When I went to Texas a few years ago to Magnolia Market, I grabbed a few bunches of amazing faux pink tulips. I happen to find another sweet shop down the street with faux tulips that were amazing, but not quite as realistic as the Magnolia stems. I bought them both and pair them together and the Magnolia stems instantly elevate the lesser stems. It’s a “thing”… trust me. 😉
  • Real Greenery Real spring blooms might not be in season right now, but throwing in some real greens is, for sure, a possibility. Mixing real greens with faux flowers gives the “real feel” to artificial flower arrangements

Where to Buy Faux Flowers

Finding great places to buy faux flowers is key to creating an arrangement that looks real. Some of my favorite places to buy artificial stems are:

  1. Hobby Lobby or Michael’s– Both of these stores have flowers that look more realistic and they, almost always, have good sales for their flowers. I bought some pink roses from Hobby Lobby several years ago and they always come out for my Easter table centerpiece.
  2. Ikea- Ikea is a great source for so many things… including faux flowers and green plants
  3. Target- If you look around the Magnolia Home and Studio McGee section you will find some great looking faux flowers.
  4. Thrift Stores- There can be some amazing flowers to be found at thrift stores, so don’t forget to look in the flower section.

What to Use as Flower Containers for a Flower Arrangement

Baskets- Baskets are one of the best, most natural, vases to use for flowers. Throw some faux greens in the wicker basket in a natural way and let the arrangement speak for itself. I’ve seen baskets full of wispy greenery in front of a fireplace with terra cotta pots on the fireplace mantel and it instantly makes a living room look more like spring.

Galvanized buckets- Spring is the time of year when galvanized buckets are on sale and readily available, so it’s a perfect time to grab one for your flower arrangement ideas. These buckets are perfect for your spring decor and are a great way to make your floral arrangement shine with a bit of a farmhouse feel.

Mason Jars- If you want to create a simple arrangement, grab some cherry blossoms and stick them into a mason jar. Nothing screams spring like that and they are simple and affordable home decorations.

Clear Glass Vases– Clear glass vases tend to be tall and narrow at the mouth of the vase. These vessels are perfect for tall flower arrangements  that need a bit of support. A great place to find clear vases are at a craft store, such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.

Stone Vases or Pots– A great place to find reasonable stone vases for your own arrangement  is at Target. I have purchased several for my own home from there and I like using them both inside and out! They have been used in many backyard makeovers  as a way to bring in a natural element to a patio or deck. I love how they allow the arrangement to do the speaking and they simply create a neutral palette for the eye to appreciate, but not settle on.

how to create beautiful flower arrangements tips and tricks

How to Create Beautiful Flower Arrangements

  1. Choose your floral design– structured and proper or whimsical and unfussy
  2. Choose your Vessel- One of my favorite tips is to find a vase that gets narrower at the mouth.  This keeps the flowers orderly and prevents them from flopping around, which can be frustrating.  
  3. Choose your Type of Flower- Pick which flowers you’re drawn to and what flowers are available to you.  Grab three stems of each.  The eye prefers things be done in odd numbers, so keep that in mind.  For some reason, it’s more aesthetically appealing.
  4. Create a Grid– Using floral tape, create a checkerboard grid on the mouth of your vase.  This will give you sections to place your stems in and keep them in place.  Another tip… I have used cute toothbrush holders from Target as a small vase before.  I stick a stem in each toothbrush hole and it makes a petite arrangement that is super cute.
  5. Drape Greens– Be sure to bend some stems and drape the greens over the edge of the vase to create a more visual interest to your arrangement.  
realistic artificial flowers for spring

How to store Faux Flowers

The best way to store faux flowers is in a clear plastic tote.  Lay them flat and alternate the direction you lay the flowers so they have more room to rest.  Plastic totes allow you to see the flowers you have the next time you want them, keeps them from getting dusty, and prevents pests from chewing on them.

How to Clean Faux Flowers

  • There are several methods for refreshing faux flowers, but I prefer to give them a shake, wash, or blow them off.
  • If they aren’t too dirty and they aren’t a delicate stem, give them a nice shake, upside down and they should be good to go.
  • To wash your stems, especially those that are more waxy, fill your sink with warm, soapy water and dunk them in the water to rinse them off.  Lay them flat to dry on towels.
  • Many people get air cans and spray off their flowers to get the dust off.  
spring decorating 2021 with faux flowers

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One Comment

  1. Hi, I saw your blue pot with silk flowers arranged they look beautiful! I used to be a florist and I did quite a few bouquets with silk flowers and after the weddings the brides would have me arrange into a teardrop wreath to hang or put into a antique vase. I love fake flowers. I still arrange them now for every holiday!

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