By Nancy Mattia, CTW Features
Artificial flowers have come a long way from the days they were made of cheap plastic and looked too perfect, with identical petals that bore little resemblance to what’s found in nature. But things have changed considerably since then: Modern-day imposters have a much more natural look—you’d be hard-pressed to spot the fakes based on color, shape, or texture at weddings or as part of a home’s décor. While real flowers will always have a place in our vases and bowls, sometimes it’s fun to go faux. Here’s why:
The fakes resemble the real thing
While many artificial flowers look real, some do a better job than others. To get the most realistic faux, study photos of real flowers, and take this knowledge with you when you hunt down the best fakes. Keep the look of your arrangement simple, limiting it to one or two colors, plus greenery. Skip the premade arrangements and go for DIY ones made with individual stems. Put them in a beautiful vase or other container just as you would real flowers.
Fake flowers don’t require much care
You can go on a long business trip or extended vacation and not worry your flowers will be dead when you get home. Follow manufacturer’s care instructions, which may only involve occasional dusting.
It’s impossible to kill them
If you’re prone to forgetting to change the water in a vase full of real flowers, adopting the artificial version is made for you. They never need fresh water, and there are no stems you ever have to cut off. Just plunk them in a vase and you’re done!
They last a long time
Though high-quality faux flowers don’t come cheap, they last pretty much forever with minimal care. From a financial standpoint, they’re a bargain.
You can get any flower you want, no matter the season
You want tulips in December? Sure! Whatever fakes you fancy will be available whenever you want them. And for brides, you’ll never have to accept last-minute substitutions of flowers your florist can’t get ahold of or pay exuberant amounts of money to get an out-of-season stem.
Some of your favorite retailers are on-board
Etsy has a wide range of styles and prices of faux flowers making it easy to customize arrangements. Other good selection: West Elm, Michaels, and Anthropologie.
Feathers are trending too
Colorful and shapely, feathers add soft texture to a setting. Let the beauty of striped pheasant feathers stand out in simple wall frames or display pretty plumes of varying heights in a vase on your fireplace mantel, on an entryway table, or in your bedroom. Want to ruffle some feathers? Decorate your sofa with fluffy pillows sporting a feather motif.