Most people think that unless they pay a fortune, an artificial plant won’t have a realistic look to enhance the decor of their home. There are definitely some expensive artificial plants on the market, but there are also great options for affordable fake plants for your home.
Not all inexpensive artificial plants look cheap and artificial. Some actually look and feel like the real thing. Knowing how to properly care for them also helps to protect their real-life look.
Want to know the tips and tricks to find affordable artificial plants for your home? Here are a few tips on the best artificial plants, why they are so expensive, and how to keep your fake plants looking real.
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What Are Some of the Best Affordable Artificial Plants?
While some artificial plants can break the budget, it is possible to find less expensive fake plants that will still fool visitors to your home into thinking they are real. These are our favorite artificial options for decorating on a budget.
Preserved Boxwood Topiary
These preserved boxwood topiaries are definitely easy on your purse, and they look great on any shelf in your home. They come in four different styles, and you can easily mix and match sizes.
Most of them will come in a weathered white terra cotta pot. The beautiful, real-looking greenery is an added plus to your home.
Fejka Potted Plant
A Fejka potted plant is without a doubt a good buy for the purchase price. Not only do you get a great replica of a beautiful green plant, but you’re also getting it at an affordable price.
It will look great on your shelf and will stay looking fresh for years to come. Enjoy the beauty of nature without having to pay for it.
Large Fiddle Leaf Fig
Fiddle leaf figs are a popular decorating choice if you love fig trees but don’t want to spend over $100.
This artificial option is the perfect solution to fill any empty corner in your home. You can keep it in its black planter or transfer it to a larger, decorative planter of your own.
If you really want a tree for your home, this is the perfect solution at less than half the price of a real one.
Faux Potted Lavender
Lavender is a beautiful plant that adds a lovely touch to any room in your home. With its terra cotta pot, this faux potted lavender plant is perfect for a vase, tabletop, or home office.
Its purple and green leafy blend adds a touch of personality to any room, and encourages a relaxing vibe.
The delicate details of the hand-crafted nuances make it difficult to tell the difference between it and a real lavender plant. Enhance the ambiance of any room in your home, even your laundry room, with this inexpensive artificial plant.
Why Are Artificial Plants So Expensive?
Artificial plants can be pricey, and you may wonder why that is. A variety of factors contribute to making fake flowers costly.
Material
The type of material used to make an artificial plant plays a large part in the price. Generally, the better the material is, the more real the plant will look. If the material makes the plant look cheap and plastic, then the price will back that up.
Duration
Compared to real plants, your artificial plant will last a lot longer, possibly even a lifetime. Real plants can die (especially if you don’t have a green thumb), can grow out of shape, or fall over.
But not artificial plants. The material keeps it robust and evergreen, and they never get out of whack. They will last a long time in your home.
Little to No Maintenance
Artificial flowers require little to no maintenance, unlike most real plants. You don’t have to remember to water them. It doesn’t matter if they’re placed in soil or in an area without sunlight, you don’t have to monitor anything about the plant.
Just set it and go. Most artificial plants can be wiped down, some can even be washed and dried. This makes caring for the plant extremely easy.
Hand-Crafted
Not everyone can piece together a beautiful select group of artificial plants. To make an artificial plant look just as good as the real thing requires a certain skill set.
On top of that, it requires attention to minor details. These plants require silk materials and detailed design specifications that not everyone can master. That takes time and effort, and that definitely affects the cost.
Are Real or Fake Plants Cheaper?
With more skilled, hand-crafted designers come more realistic-looking artificial plants. And for most of us, that’s the look we’re going for in our home.
We may want real plants but don’t have the time or the skill to care for them. So, artificial is the next best thing.
When it comes to pricing artificial plants, the main difference is in the material and how it’s made. If it’s made cheaply, the price will reflect that. It will also not look like the real plant you’d like it to.
So, are fake plants cheaper than real? The truth is, the cheaper the artificial plant, the less realistic it looks.
If your intention is to recreate the look of beautiful, natural greenery throughout your home, you may have to invest a little more than a few bucks in an artificial plant. If you’re looking for high-end plants, consider buying from places like Joss & Main, a high-end brand that carries realistic looking, more expensive artificial plants.
Just because realistic-looking fake plants cost a bit more doesn’t mean they are more expensive than live plants, though. While live plants may be cheaper up front, the long-term cost of caring for a live plant can make the long-term price higher than a realistic-looking fake plant.
Do Fake Plants Look Cheap?
The less expensive an artificial plant is, the cheaper it may look in your home. But just because you buy a cheap artificial plant, doesn’t mean it has to look cheap. There are some things you can do to make a fake plant look more like its live counterpart.
- Repot the artificial plant. Just because it’s artificial doesn’t mean you can’t employ some DIY.
Repot your artificial plant into a larger, more decorative pot. You can even add real soil and soil mixtures to make it appear real.
- Artificial plants tend to collect dust, and people will see that if you never dust it. Take it upon yourself to treat your artificial plant as if it were real. You don’t have to water it, but you could dust it off regularly, so the dust is not an issue.
- You could also mix real plants with your artificial plant. Mixing your artificial plant with real ones will definitely help it to look more real.
How Do I Find Fake Plants That Look Real?
These artificial plant ideas are great for considering if you want real-looking artificial plants.
- Crate & Barrel Faux Trailing Ficus Hanging Plant in Pot. This beautiful hanging plant looks real and is also affordable. Because it hangs, it remains out of the direct line of sight for visitors, keeping them from to taking a closer look to know that it’s artificial.
- Sill Faux Pilea Peperomiodes. This affordable plant looks perfect on a bookcase or windowsill. The ceramic planter adds a stroke of authenticity and a great element of color.
- Pottery Barn Faux Trailing Variegated String of Hearts Houseplant. This plant has wonderful texture and color that makes it look real, and the vines spread well over a bookcase or shelf.
- Crate & Barrel Faux Pencil Succulent. The lovely texture and color of this artificial plant make it look as real as its live counterpart. It goes well on a coffee table, kitchen counter, or end table. Although it looks expensive, it’s unbelievably affordable.
Conclusion
While it’s true that the best-looking artificial plants are more expensive, it is possible to buy artificial and fake plants that look real. I hope you can use these tips for buying lifelike artificial plants and how to make a cheaper artificial plant look more real.
Do you have any tips for finding affordable artificial plants for your home? Let us know in the comments.
