Whether you're a floral designer updating a client's home or an event stylist preparing for a corporate gala, faux florals allow you to create showstopping displays efficiently and cost-effectively.
But not all faux flowers are created equal. That's why it pays to invest in high-quality, realistic faux blooms and botanicals from a reputable supplier.
Explore these tips for selecting and incorporating faux florals that will have your clients, guests, and event attendees convinced your displays are made up of only the freshest, natural materials.
Massage, Bend, and Fluff
The biggest challenge with faux florals is making sure they mimic natural florals seamlessly. And taking a few extra minutes before incorporating your faux florals and greenery can make the difference between a faux look and a display that fools your client into thinking you used live botanicals.
So, what's the secret?
When your faux florals arrive, make sure to give them time and attention before adding them to your display. Fluffing petals, bending wires to resemble realistic stems, and massaging the leaves so that they don't sit flat and rigid all add a realistic element to your faux florals.
Cut, Wire, and Customize
Your florals likely require some hands-on customization before they'll work for your design. That might mean cutting stems into smaller clusters or snipping extra leaves off your stems. Embrace imperfection; a missing petal, leaf, or stamen here and there adds realism.
At times, it may be necessary to use bindwire, floral putty, or tape to hold clustered stems in shape. (Remember: Visible mechanics can ruin convincing natural asymmetry, so make sure to keep this work hidden from plain sight.)
Buy Odd-Numbered Clusters
Even exceptional faux florals benefit from thoughtful placement and strategic pairings. When incorporating faux botanicals:
- Buy in odd numbers — When you cluster stems in odd-numbered groupings of 3, 5, or 7 identical stems, the uneven symmetry mimics nature's random sprouting patterns.
- Vary heights modestly within each cluster — Align the tallest stem near the center, surrounded by gradually shorter stems in a dome-like shape.
- Mix cluster sizes — Consider adding delicate scatterings of miniature filler blooms around the base of each cluster. Sparse groupings of 1-3 tiny faux blossoms reinforce the organic feel.
Angle Strategically
The weakness of faux foliage lies in the artificial joints and seams on the backsides of the leaves. With this in mind, angle the backs of your leaves away from direct sight lines.
You also want to avoid simply plopping stems into a vase at 90-degree angles. Instead, position your clusters at slightly different angles, with individual stems tilting left, right, or center to avoid rigid uniformity. This helps create an organic, dynamic look.
Mix Faux and Natural Stems
The combination of live florals with faux greenery can make your faux pieces indistinguishable from the real thing. When paired strategically, the eye has trouble detecting where real ends and faux begins.
When combining natural and faux elements:
- Aim for resemblance — Select faux blooms and greens that closely resemble their live counterparts in shape, texture, and color. However, avoid identical matches, as uniform perfection gives away the artificial source. Subtle variations in hue and form between real and faux botanicals create organic asymmetry.
- Choose an anchor — Use faux stems and leaves to anchor and accent natural blooms. Strategically placed realistic faux foliage makes a few precious stems of real blossoms or orchids go further. The eye naturally fills in the gaps.
- Use unusual textures — Weave faux vines, grasses, and greens around the base and backdrop of natural pieces. This stretches your floral budget, builds out sparse spots, and anchors arrangements.
- Let live blooms steal the spotlight — Spotlight real showstopper blooms while relying on faux greens as supporting filler and foundation foliage. Concentrate the lushness of living elements among strategically placed fakes.
The thoughtful combination of faux and natural botanicals enables you to conserve budget, reinforce sparse living arrangements, and build the backbone and volume needed for professional displays.
Opt for plastic-stemmed options
Today's plastic-stemmed options are easy to repurpose and use across numerous displays. Ensure to look for these options over paper stems, which can lead to exposed wires that can ruse, especially if used with live botanicals.
Incorporate natural, dried materials
For next-level realism and texture, weave in natural, dried blooms, grasses, and greenery, which brings imperfect asymmetry and unique textures to your display. Our Natural Botanicals collection makes it easy to order your faux and dried materials together.
Skip the Target Run for Last-Minute Florals
It's not unusual to scour the shelves of Target, Ikea, or your local craft spot for last-minute floral décor — especially while on a tight timeline. But did you know that you can order the realistic florals you're looking for without long lead times?
Get next-day shipping on realistic blooms
Many of our products can be shipped out within 24 hours and arrive within a few days. Best of all? Your order will give you quality blooms and longer-lasting materials that you can use for multiple client projects. Plus, your products will be backed by a warranty and be easier to use (e.g., bendable wires and more realistic leaves and petals that require less finessing).
Backed by our Vickerman warranty
We stand by our products, which is why they come with a seasonal warranty. If you find that your product quickly discolors, has inaccurate coloring, breaks upon receiving it, has the covering peel away from the wire, or any other issues you may have faced with products from other floral companies, our customer service team will help you replace your item quickly and without hassle.
