Do you tend to kill houseplants? Have a mischievous pet that gets into flower pots? Love fresh blooms but your nose doesn’t? Artificial flowers are the answer. Today’s artificial flowers look remarkably realistic — and they require no maintenance except for a bit of dusting!
But you’re not limited to simply placing artificial flowers in vases. Because they don’t require water, the sky’s the limit for what you can do with them.
Check out these five things you can do with artificial flowers the next time you’re eager to have some low-maintenance, allergen-free blooms around the house.
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Decorate with artificial flowers by creating a DIY diffuser with a glass bottle, scented oils and artificial flowers
Toss out that old potpourri and craft a unique, gorgeous floral display that naturally makes your home smell lovely. You can make your own oil diffuser with a beautiful glass bottle (e.g., an old perfume container or decorative bottle), with silk flowers to help diffuse the scent. Follow these steps:
- Add 20-25 drops of your favorite essential oils to 1/4 cup of low-scent oil (such as baby oil or almond oil).
- Pour the mixture into the bottom of your chosen vessel.
- Use floral wire to attach silk flowers and leaves to four to six diffuser rods.
- Add the diffuser rods to your vase so the bottoms are submerged in your oil mixture.
Another option is to place your oil bottle inside a larger glass container. Fill the empty space around the inner container with a colorful mixture of small artificial flowers. We recommend a mix of complementary colors, with a few faux leaves for contrast.
Wondering which essential oils to choose? Lavender, orange, ylang ylang, and cinnamon oils are all highly potent options for this project. Your DIY diffuser will look beautiful and release a subtle fragrance that’s not overpowering or toxic.
Turn a Boring Wall Into a Flower Wall with artificial flowers
If you have a blank wall that needs some freshening up, why not add some floral delights? This idea is perfect for wall portions that are too small to hang pictures or shelves on or for walls where hanging artwork may be unsafe (e.g., the wall by your bed).
There are several ways to create a flower wall display:
- Trim one or two dozen silk flower bouquets to emphasize a few blooms each. Cut their stems to just a few inches long, then secure to the wall with tacks or cup hooks. Arrange them in rows, a circle, a heart shape, or whatever you desire.
- Cover the wall with artificial groundcover, such as silk ferns or faux moss. You can tack it into place or attach it to an old bulletin board. Trim the stems of artificial flowers but leave the surrounding leaves. Then use small binder clips or floral wire to attach them among the greenery.
- Snip off the blooms and use floral wire to attach them to ribbons. Tack the ribbons onto the wall in rows or a lattice-style framework.
- Stencil a design onto your wall (e.g., a heart, star, world map, or even a word), then tack individual blooms into the stencil until you’ve completely filled it up.
Let your imagination run wild! With artificial flowers, no wall in your home will be boring.
Decorate your clothes or accessories with artificial flowers
Add a splash of color to your clothes and accessories with artificial flowers. This is quite easy to do and makes your wardrobe unique. Here are some ideas to try:
- Stitch a few blooms onto your waist belt or sash.
- Adorn the hem of a skirt or dress with tiny fake flowers. (Note: If you are using silk flowers, be aware that you may not be able to machine-wash the garment with the flowers on it. Dry cleaning is okay.)
- Attach several blooms to the collar or breast pockets of your favorite jacket or vest.
- Use floral wire or hot glue to attach flowers to a hair clip or headband for instant festival-style hair flair.
- Pin a bunch of artificial flowers to your backpack, purse or satchel for a whimsical way to carry your belongings.
Upgrade boring curtains with a touch of floral beauty with artificial flowers
Drapes are expensive, and they’re not always as beautiful as we’d like. Freshen up a room and add visual interest to your curtains with artificial flowers.
You can sew a bunch of silk flowers across the curtain’s hem for a bit of dramatic flair. Choose a mix of medium and small blossoms for a tidy trim, or pin heavy blooms to the bottom in a lush pattern, gradually adding smaller flowers as you move up the drape. For a cascading effect, start from the top and work your way down.
You can also stitch fake flowers across the drapes in rows or in a scattered or stardust pattern. If you’d like to cover up an ugly curtain rod, pin large blossoms and greenery across the top of the drape.
Consider borrowing the bloom-ribbon idea from the flower wall (see above), and attach the ribbons so that they stream down your curtains.
As with other fabric projects using artificial flowers, be mindful of whether or not your blooms are laundry-safe. If not, consider stitching them to a piece of fabric backing that can be snapped or tacked on. Then, simply remove it when it’s time to wash the drapes.
Make your own floral door wreath for each different holiday using artificial flowers
Who says wreaths are just for Christmas? If you love artificial flowers and greenery, consider making year-round wreaths for your home. There’s no better way to welcome visitors than with a beautiful floral display on the door. You can also make custom wreaths for each season or holiday from Valentine’s Day to Thanksgiving.
Here’s how to make your own wreath.
- Purchase a wreath form (a pre-shaped wire frame) and a roll of thick paddle wire (we recommend 22 gauge.)
- Use the paddle wire to add an array of boughs, branches, blooms and berries. There’s no right or wrong mix: You can have mostly evergreen boughs with a few blossoms interspersed, a mix of branches and slender greens or a wreath made entirely of flowers.
- Whatever your mix, we recommend pre-bundling the boughs or branches. Then wire them at an angle, overlapping each new bundle over the previous one. Depending on the length of your bundles, you’ll achieve a round shape or one that resembles a pinwheel.
- Clip or stitch small blooms, sprigs of berries, and other accents into the wreath.
Different holidays and seasons call for different artificial flowers. For Valentine’s Day, roses are the classic choice. A summertime wreath could use sunflowers or hibiscus. For autumn, try mums or marigolds.
When you’re eager for a DIY project, artificial flowers offer endless possibilities. You can create just about anything in your imagination. Have you used artificial flowers in a unique way? Share your best ideas in the comments.
