Looking for the best artificial flowers? I’m sharing my tried & true favorites!
While I love fresh flowers, realistically there’s no way I can keep them throughout our home year-round. So when I’m without fresh flowers, I love having some great artificial flowers to throw into the mix! Faux flowers can be really hit or miss – some are obvious fakes, others look good from a distance but not so great close up, and then there are a few gems that look so much like the real thing that you’ve got to touch them to know for sure.
Today I’m sharing the best artificial flowers I’ve found, the ones that pass the “fake test” with flying colors! We’ll start with the best places I’ve found to buy artificial flowers… (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})
Where to Shop For the Best Artificial Flowers
While great looking artificial flowers don’t have to cost a fortune, don’t expect to find realistic ones at the Dollar Store :). The materials that they’re made with definitely make a difference. The best online shop that I’ve found for both quality and selection of artificial flowers is Afloral which you can shop {here}. I’ve never been disappointed with any flowers I’ve ordered from them!
One example is this beautiful bouquet of artificial flowers that I put together using artificial stems from Afloral. It includes 3 of {these English cabbage roses in mauve}, 3 of {these blush hydrangea}, 2 stems of {this seeded eucalyptus}, and 2 fuchsia peonies similar to {these}.
Sources: Round woven tray | Gray striped planter | Marble wine cooler (used as utensil holder)
They added so much life to our kitchen (see our kitchen remodel {here} if you missed it):
Kitchen sources: Plaid rug | Floating white oak shelves (similar) | Vertical cabinet pulls (Golden champagne finish) | Horizontal cabinet pulls (Golden champagne finish) | Other kitchen sources available {here}
The artificial flowers I chose include {these pink mauve silk roses}, {these blush peach dahlias}, {this silk cabbage rose in mauve pink}, and {this seeded eucalyptus}. The dusty pink mums and hydrangeas are no longer available. They’re perfect for adding color & style to our coffee table (I have lots of other coffee table decor ideas {here} if you’re looking to dress yours up!
Sources: Wood bead chandelier | 13″ Rattan chargers (similar) | Green & white plaid napkins | Table runner (similar)
I found the pink tulips {here} and the white tulips {here} (between the two vases I have 30 pink (1 pack) and 40 white (2 packs) of tulips). The wood vases are old Target finds that are unfortunately no longer available.
Sources: Wood tripod lamp | Leaf art print | 30″ Round wood mirror | Crosshatch pillow cover | Woven tray | Bone beads (watermelon option)
I needed a LOT of branches to fill these two sizable vases and was looking at spending hundreds of dollars with most other fauxs before I found these that are so much more reasonably priced. I ended up using ten stems in each vase. They’re not as full as other more expensive fauxs and you can tell that they’re artificial when you get super close up but I still think they’re pretty great for the price:
You can also find them sold in pairs {here}.
They’re super full and gorgeous and the blossoms look so realistic!
Just know that the bottom of the stems looks kinda fake so I wouldn’t use them in a clear glass vase – in a basket like this or a ceramic vase they’re perfect! The price on the ones I bought has crept up recently – also check out {these cherry blossoms branches} that look very similar and are a slightly lower price right now.
The eucalyptus looks quite realistic, even close up! For a more budget friendly find {these eucalyptus branches} are extremely well priced – based on reviews they fall into the “look great from a distance but not as good close up” category which might work for you depending on where you’re using them.
Tips For Arranging Artificial Flowers
1. Always separate out the branches of your artificial flowers to “fluff” them up. It makes such a difference! While they’re not exactly flowers, I can show you the difference that fluffing made with {these lemon branches} (the “lemon – M” option) on our kitchen island. This is what they looked like out of the box when they first arrived…
Yikes! These babies needed a little love but about two minutes of fluffing and they were good to go!
They’re so bright and cheery for spring and summer!
2. If you struggle with creating your own flower arrangements, check out {this page} on Afloral where you can shop the look! If you find an arrangement that you like, they should you exactly which flowers were used to create it.
3. Consider cutting off or bending your artificial flower stems to get the height you need. Most artificial flowers come with super long stems. When I’m putting them in an opaque vase, I simply bend them at the bottom to get the height that I want. But if you’re putting artificial flowers in a glass vase, you’ll see the bent stems so will want to cut them. A wire cutter is the best tool for getting this done. A good rule of thumb when you have tall branches is to cut or bend them so that the bottom leaves or flowers are about 1-2″ above the top of the vase.Stagger the heights that you cut the flower stems in your bouquet for the most realistic look!
Faux Plants & Wreaths
Along with artificial flowers, consider faux plants a wreaths too. The corner of our family room in our previous home had one of my all-time favorite fauxs:
Sources: TV console (similar) | Chandelier (satin bronze) | Green & blue block print pillow cover | Rug | Pair of floor poufs | Art prints (details in {this post}) | Acrylic coffee table (similar) | Coffee table tray (28″ square) | Black and white striped box (on coffee table) | Brass cricket (on coffee table) | Rattan chair
It’s my faux fiddle leaf fig tree – love it! It’s {this 7′ faux fiddle leaf fig tree} in {this woven basket}:
As with most fauxs, when they arrived they were extremely smooshed! So just like with the flowers, be sure to take some time to separate all of the branches in different directions and fluff them out!
So pretty and I love that it comes with the cute striped ribbon bow! I bought it in the 24″ size {here} but you can also find other sizes and variations of it {here}. Also check out my favorite fall wreaths for your front door {here}.
I hope you guys found an idea or two for bringing some color into your home with faux florals! Thanks as always for taking the time to stop by the blog!
Sandi says
Where did you get your faux flowers etc
tina says
I don’t do faux flowers. I just can’t. I garden and love my flowers! During the colder months, I pick up grocery store bouquets.
I think it’s important to remember a few things that can make a faux flower/greenery, etc. stand out in a hot minute. Make sure the flowers you are using are in season. If you are using a clear vase, add water, etc. and keep them dusted! LOL
NB says
They are all lovely….but how do you clean them?
Kris Jarrett says
I use a Swiffer duster on mine!
Margaret says
Thank for this post! I’ve been using Afloral on your advice. I also look at Petals, and recently bought some interesting flowers from Prestige. I’m happy to know that Amazon is a good source for quality flowers. It’s amazing how a flower arrangement can change the look of a room so much, and so quickly.
Kris Jarrett says
I hadn’t heard of Petals before – thanks for sharing!
Shellee says
Great post!
Where did you get the vase you use for the lemon stems in the kitchen? Also, what size is the vase, please.
Karen B. says
Kris,
I love fresh flowers, but the faux stems are hard to beat for large bouquets during certain times of the year.
Thanks for the sources and ideas.
Karen B.