11 Tips For Making Faux Flowers Look Beautifully Real

Faux flowers can be a beautiful, fool-the-eye addition to your home. Here are the best tips for making them look like their real counterparts. The only difference is that faux flowers don’t need to be cared for or thrown away.

Making faux flowers look real is easier than you think! Wouldn’t you love to have your favorite flowers blooming in your home any time of year? Me too! Today, I’m sharing easy-to-do tips to make your pretty faux boom look real!

Study The Real Thing

Let’s start mastering the art of making faux flowers look delightfully real with a tip that’s as simple as it is crucial: Study the real thing.

If possible, observe real flowers up close. Studying their beauty provides invaluable insight into their intricate details and natural nuances.

Remember, each flower is unique, just like a genuine work of art. Drawing inspiration from my experience as a bank teller, where I learned to spot counterfeit bills by studying the real currency, I understand the importance of knowing the genuine article to identify its imitations accurately.

So, take the time to familiarize yourself with the intricacies of real flowers. By doing so, you’ll develop an eye for detail that allows you to select faux flowers that not only resemble but almost fool the eye, bringing the beauty of nature into your home with effortless elegance.

Here are a few things to look for in faux flowers…

• blooms that look real
• stems that look real and bend easily
• realistic leaves that are wired and bend
• centers that look like the real thing

In the past, faux flowers were a poor imitation of the real thing. But now, authentic-looking artificial flowers abound! The first place I look for the best artificial flowers is locally. That way, I can inspect them, touch them, and bend their stems.

Local decor shops often carry a curated selection of higher-quality blooms, making it easier to find fool-the-eye options.

There are countless online sources for faux florals. Find a reputable seller with a proven track record for realistic artificial flowers. Make sure you can return them if the blooms don’t meet your real-looking standards.

It’s important to mention that when it comes to faux flowers, you get what you pay for. They are an investment. However, they pay for themselves over time in beauty and longevity. And they save you time caring for and cleaning up real flowers.

What To Look For In Faux Flowers

There are many things to consider when buying artificial flowers. You want to be well-informed to make the wisest investment and choice. Here is an overview of what to look for when choosing artificial flowers.

• Quality Materials: Look for faux flowers made from high-quality materials such as silk, polyester, latex, or plastic. Quality materials contribute to a more realistic appearance and are more durable.
• Realistic Appearance: Choose faux flowers that closely mimic the appearance of their real counterparts. Look for vibrant colors, lifelike textures, and natural variations in petals, leaves, and stems.
• Flexible Stems: Opt for faux flowers with flexible stems that allow for easy bending and shaping. Flexible stems make it easier to arrange the flowers in a natural-looking way and adjust their position as needed.
• Bendable, Wired Leaves: Seek out faux flowers with leaves that are wired and bendable. This feature allows you to adjust the position and angle of the leaves to create a more realistic arrangement.
• Authentic Details: Pay attention to the small details, such as the centers of the flowers and the veining on the leaves. Choose faux flowers with authentic-looking details that closely resemble those found in nature.
• Variety of Bloom Stages: Look for faux flower arrangements that include a variety of bloom stages, from closed buds to fully open flowers. This adds depth and realism to the arrangement, mimicking the natural lifecycle of real flowers.
• Natural-Looking Colors: Select faux flowers with colors that closely resemble those found in nature. Avoid flowers with overly bright or artificial-looking colors, as they can take away from an authentic look.
• Durability: Look for faux flowers that are well-made and durable, able to withstand the test of time without fading or deteriorating. Quality craftsmanship ensures that your faux flowers will continue to look beautiful for years to come, protecting your investment.

Three Things That Make Your Fakes Fool The Eye

Every single stem needs your attention to fool the eye. Here are three things you can do to get them ready to go into a container and be a beautiful part of your home decor.

Iron The Leaves

Many times, the leaves of an artificial flower are given away because they are crumpled or folded. Ironing the leaves of faux flowers might seem like an extra step, but it can make a significant difference in the overall appearance of your floral arrangement. When leaves become crumpled or folded, they detract from the real look of the flowers and make the arrangement look less polished.

By taking the time to iron out any wrinkles or creases, you can restore the leaves to their original smooth and lifelike appearance, enhancing the overall aesthetic of the arrangement.

Silk flowers with silk leaves work best. Do not try to iron plastic, latex, foam, or any other faux leaf material.

Here’s how to gently press faux leaves…

• Test one leaf first
• Put a cloth down on an ironing board (I used a dishtowel)
• Smooth it out with your hands
• Cover the leaf with a cloth
• On a low setting, gently iron the leaf

Form Flower Into Realistic Shapes

Many people make the mistake of creating an artificial flower arrangement without handling and forming each flower. We want to form each flower realistically.

Faux flowers often arrive compressed or tightly packed, and without proper shaping, they can appear stiff and unnatural. By gently manipulating the petals, you can create a more organic and lifelike look that closely resembles the way real flowers naturally grow and move.

So, don’t rush this step. Taking the time to handle and form each flower will create an overall look of your floral arrangement that will truly fool the eye.

Blow into the face of a closed flower like a tulip to open it a bit.

Bend Each Stem

One of the most graceful and alluring things about a vase of fresh flowers, like tulips, is the way the stems bend.

Just as real flower stems exhibit flexibility and curvature, faux stems should also be bent and shaped to mimic this organic growth pattern. By bending each stem, you can create a more lifelike composition, with flowers appearing to sway and arch gracefully just as they would in nature.

This attention to detail not only enhances the arrangement’s visual appeal but also adds depth and dimension, making it more interesting. Taking the time to bend every stem ensures that your faux flowers look remarkably similar to their real counterparts, bringing the beauty of the outdoors into your home with authenticity and charm.

Choose The Right Container

Selecting the right container for faux flowers is critical to creating a convincing and realistic arrangement. A container not only holds the flowers but is also an important part of an arrangement’s overall look. The right container balances the right aesthetics and the right proportion so the blooms in your arrangement are neither overcrowded nor lost within the container.

The right container provides the perfect finishing touch, helping faux flowers appear as though they were freshly picked.

Cut The Stems To Fit The Container

If you are like me, you probably bend the stems of faux blooms that are too long for a vase or other container. The downside to bending stems is fighting with them to all fit in the container and fighting with them when styling the flowers once inside the vase!

Trimming faux flower stems to fit an arrangement is a better way to achieve a polished and professional-looking faux floral arrangement. Just as you would with real flowers, make sure the stems are the appropriate length. This will not only accentuate the overall aesthetic but also contribute to the arrangement’s stability and balance.

Cutting the stems to the right size allows you to control the height and positioning of the flowers within the container, creating a visually pleasing composition that feels cohesive and real. Another important reason for trimming excess stem length is to prevent overcrowding and allow for proper spacing between each flower. This gives each bloom room to breathe and contributes to the beauty of the overall arrangement.

Smart Tip For Cut Flowers

Save all the cut ends of your stems together in a sealed plastic bag. If you need your stem to be longer for another arrangement, simply find a cut piece that adds the right length to the bloom and tightly fasten it to the end of the stem with florist wire.

Add Water To Your Vase

Use Real Along With Faux

Incorporating real organic elements into a faux flower arrangement can fool the eye even further and add to their authenticity. By mixing faux blooms with real foliage or other natural materials, such as branches or seed pods, you create a composition that closely mimics that of a natural bouquet.

One of my favorite ways to use faux hydrangeas is to help fill the gaps and make a real arrangement of hydrangeas look lush. This can be done with any flower as long as they look like the real ones you are choosing.

Keep All Faux Flowers Away From The Elements

It’s important to treat faux flowers with care to ensure their long life and maintain their real-looking appearance. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight or exposing them to harsh weather conditions such as wind and rain, as prolonged exposure can cause fading discoloration or damage to the materials.

By taking these simple precautions and displaying faux flowers in a protected indoor environment, you can enjoy their beauty and your investment for years to come.

Cleaning Faux Flowers

Just like any other home decor item, faux flowers require occasional attention and cleaning to keep them looking fresh. Regular dusting is the key to maintaining their appearance for years.

Simply use a feather duster or a microfiber cloth to gently wipe away any dust that accumulates. For a more thorough clean, you can also use a blow dryer on the cool, low setting to remove dust particles.

While some faux flowers can tolerate gentle washing, proceed with caution. Test a small section with a mixture of cool water and a drop of vinegar or dish detergent before attempting to wash the entire bunch. And always air-dry fake flowers.

Regularly cleaning your faux flowers will help them stay beautiful and realistic for years.

Putting Away And Storing Artificial Flowers

Part of taking good care of your beautiful faux blooms is to store them safely and properly to preserve their real appearance. Here are the best steps to take for storing…

• Select Proper Storage Conditions: To preserve faux flowers, choose a cool, dry storage area away from direct sunlight and humidity.
• Use an Airtight Container: Store faux flowers in an airtight container to protect them from dust, dirt, and pests. Choose a container that provides enough space for the flowers without compressing them too tightly.
• Avoid Compression: Avoid storing faux flowers in tightly packed boxes or containers, as this can cause deformation or flattening of petals and leaves over time.

Mastering the art of making faux flowers look real is all about attention to detail and a bit of creativity. By following the tips outlined in this guide, you can transform faux blooms into stunning arrangements that rival the beauty of real flowers.