Faux Foes

I wish I could wake up in the morning, step onto the patio, and clip some fresh flowers to display all over my home, but….never gonna happen.  The only flowers around here grow for a month or two before they bake in the sun and wilt.  So sometimes I fake it.  I know everyone hates fake flowers, I do too.  They’re usually frowned upon by designers, and were badly abused in the ’90s – remember that cheap fake ivy everyone had on top of their kitchen cabinets?  Well, faux flowers have come a long way my friends, and every once in awhile, I sneak some into my decor to add a punch of color and an organic element.

I have a few tricks I use to disguise my fake faux florals.  First, I mix in a few faux flowers with a ton of dried naturals (think sticks, eucalyptus, seed pods, etc.).  Second, feathers are a great way to add sophistication to a bouquet.  I love feathers!!  Lastly, when I do buy faux I make sure to grab high quality faux flowers at the craft store (Hobby Lobby’s are my favorites, especially since they’re always 50% off).

Still need convincing?  Let me walk you through an arrangement I made this afternoon to dial up the color in our dining room.  We have a gorgeous painting we brought home from our Italian honeymoon, but the current accessories just weren’t shining the spotlight on the focal point of the room.  Very blah.



See?  Blah.

To make an arrangement that complimented the brilliant reds in the painting, I started with all the basic ingredients: a ‘base stem’ (basically a cluster of greenery/berries/flowers that I use as the base of the arrangement – it’s kind of a shortcut since it’s already arranged for you), some berries, feathers, seed pods, sticks, and leftover Christmas berry picks which happened to be the perfect shades of red.



I dug out an old urn I’d picked up at Goodwill and painted Oil Rubbed Bronze, and a large grapevine ball.  Can you tell I’m crazy about grapevine?  I use grapevine balls as bases for arrangements instead of floral foam because they’re inexpensive, pretty, and you don’t need to cover them up!  Of course, you can use foam if you can’t find grapevine.  If I’m using a vase instead of an urn, I usually anchor my arrangements with fishtank gravel – it’s cheap and easy to use.



First, stick your base stem into the grapevine ball.



Next, add the accent stems in layers, beginning with the tallest at the back of the arrangement.  Since it’s going against a wall, I’ll only worry about making the front pretty.  Otherwise, you’d want to work in 360° to make sure it looks nice from every angle (for example, when making table centerpieces).  My tallest stems were the pussywillow branches, so I added them first.



Then add the next tallest stems, filling in the blank spaces around the crown of the arrangement.  Mine were brown berries and pheasant feathers.





Yes, there was a Desperate Housewives marathon on Lifetime today.  Focus, Jenn, focus!  

Next, you’ll start building the intermediate layer.  I added some shorter pheasant feathers toward the middle and front of the arrangement, followed by the seed pods.  By varying the height and position of the accent stems, you’ll create balance and interest without symmetry.



Next, add your front layer.  I stuck in some feather picks in reds and light browns, and the leftover Christmas berries.





The secret to a great arrangement is balance.  The red flowers from the base stem create weight on the bottom, while the tall sticks and feathers pull your eye upward.  The seed pods add texture, while the shorter feathers and berries add color and uniformity, bringing all the elements of the bouquet together.  Try a wide range of textures and shapes when picking out stems, and if you’re unsure about colors, try sticking to one focal color (mine was red here) and compliment with toned down hues like browns and greens.  The best thing about faux florals is if you don’t like it the first time, you can pull it apart and try again!





Here’s my new arrangement in the dining room, and wow does it bring out the gorgeous colors of the Tuscan hillside in our painting!











By using just one faux floral stem and complimenting it with natural elements, I was able to create a colorful and bright arrangement without the tacky silk flower feel.  Altogether I spent $30 on the stems, and got a bigger and more beautiful arrangement than those pre-made ones they sell for $100+ in home decor stores.   Whaddyaknow, DIY saved me money again!  Go ahead, grabs some sticks and feathers and give it a try on your own!