Effortless Faux Flower Styling Tips (+ A Round-Up of Faux Florals That Look Real)

In today’s post, I’m sharing my best effortless faux flower styling tips along with a round-up of faux flowers that look incredibly real!

~The following contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Should you choose to purchase through them, this blog makes a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy here.~

EFFORTLESS FAUX FLOWER STYLING TIPS

For regular blog readers, you know that I like decorating and crafting with faux florals. While I love purchasing fresh flowers on occasion, when it comes to decorating, frugality is my constant companion! Lucky for me, there are plenty of affordable faux flowers that look so real these days and last forever.

IF YOU DECIDE TO PURCHASE FAUX FLORALS this season (see my suggestions at the bottom of this post), here are some EASY WAYS TO STYLE THEM:

1/ When Not To Fluff or Fuss

If your faux stems are not stiff, droop naturally, or have lots of movement, my best advice is NOT to fluff or fuss with them. THESE WILD DAISIES, for example, were SO EASY to style (or NOT STYLE, as was the case). That’s because the stems had a lot of movement, drooping slightly, creating an effortlessly natural look.

They had plenty of leaves within the stem structure, so I purchased 8 (each under $2 at Michaels) and literally dropped them into a tall hurricane vase (from the Dollar Store, incidentally, and wrapped in this DIY Faux Leather Sleeve).

I loved how easy it was to add a floral touch on our kitchen island without a lot of effort.

2/ When To Fluff and Fuss

If you have stems that are THICK AND RIGID, BUT STILL FLEXIBLE, this is when you will need to fluff.

Fluff as little or as much as you want.

The SCULPTURAL FORSYTHIA arrangement below (find similar ones here and here), for example, was created using just 3 branches (with plenty of offshoots). I shaped them for maximum impact, bending and shaping to create a ‘wind-swept’ look.

TIPS: For a DENSE, but natural feel, use more branches/stems and fluff them less; for a SCULPTURAL look, use fewer branches/stems and fluff and shape them more.

3/ When (and How) To Create A Simple Arrangement

I am no expert when it comes to flower arranging. It is an art that I leave to florists.

BUT, I do like to create arrangements on occasion, especially when I have gathered enough random clippings left over from wreath-making and other craft projects.

MY FAVOURITE sorts of arrangements are typically ASYMMETRICAL and/or ‘RANDOM’ ARRANGEMENTS that feel natural, even ‘droopy.’ I also like SIMPLE arrangements using just 3 TYPES OF STEMS. This includes: 1 bold floral, 1 minimal floral or green stem, and 1 main green, leafy stem. This feels quite approachable and easy to style and does not take me long.

Here are a few examples of simple floral arrangements using just 2-3 types of stems:

The arrangement (below) on the right side was created using just 3 types of stems: these white poppy flowers, 1 small green ‘snowball-like’ floral, and 1 broad-leaf foliage type.

In the arrangement below, these yellow flowers from Bouclair were the main stars of the show. I simply added a few green faux leaves for additional interest.

What To Look For in Faux Flowers

Here are a few tips when searching for faux flowers that will stand the test of time:

Colour/Shade Variation: Faux flowers look more realistic when the colours used have subtle variations, just like real flowers do.

Realistic Stems: Stay away from overly plastic or shiny stems which are the least realistic. In most cases, you’ll want to look for wired stems so you can shape your florals.

‘Real-Touch’ Look and Feel: Search for silk flowers or ones labeled ‘real-touch’ which typically look and feel more like real flowers.

A ROUND-UP OF FAUX FLOWERS THAT LOOK REAL

Below are links to faux flowers that look real. Some are flowers I have, but most are ones I’ve been admiring from afar, many of which have good customer reviews. (I’ve tried to link up options available in Canada, the US, and internationally).