The general opinion on artificial flowers has been the same for years, but is it worth revisiting it? Plenty of us wouldn’t even consider them over real flowers, recalling from memory all the fake flora we’ve seen growing up. With worn out or unnatural colours and materials that don’t last very long. Besides, neither of us want to be decorating with cheap imitations from the fear of what others would think about us. That’s understandable.
But when was the last time you actually paid attention to modern faux flora? Thanks to technology advancements in the past decade, they are now made differently from different materials and look better than ever! You might just be surprised to find out how realistic they look. Some even have added scent! See for yourself! Can you spot the fake one?
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The faux flora is the second image. Did you guess correctly? This is just one example of how aesthetically pleasing and real can modern artificial flowers look. Let’s explore what they are made of these days and what is their most suitable usage.
Plastic flowers
Let’s start with the most common and familiar type - the plastic flower. Found in dollar stores and supermarkets, these flowers are the cheapest and easiest to find. Because of their material, they are made to last and extremely durable. But they are also quite far from being realistic. Everyone can easily tell a plastic flower apart.
As such, if you are working with a very small budget or time frame, these are probably the way to go. But if your goal is realistic and impressive flower decoration at home, we advise against.
Foam flowers
These types of flowers are probably the reason why we have a negative opinion of all faux flora when it comes to decoration. Very common in the past, but still found today, they can be seen decorating offices, waiting rooms, stores. Very durable and almost no maintenance needed, but there’s a price to pay - you won’t be able to fool anyone with them! It is the least realistic faux flora.
They still have their suitable usage though. They are cheap and good enough for the odd party or last minute preparations. But if your goal is realistic flower decoration at home, this is not your best bet.
Silk flowers
Made from the most beautiful of all fabrics, silk flowers are stunning, delicate and eye-catching. They come very close to natural flowers, but that comes with a price. Silk is not a cheap material and you might find the price tag a bit over your budget, especially when it comes to home decoration.
However, that makes them very suitable for other uses - such as temporarily party decorations, weddings or other special occasions.
If you do decide on them as home decoration nonetheless though, they do need maintenance. Removing dust from their petals from time to time might be necessary and it is probably a good idea not to display them in direct sunlight. The material is delicate and the edges of the petals could fray faster than you’d expect them to.
Latex Flowers
Did you know latex is a natural material? That’s right, latex is the soft white substance found beneath the bark of a mature rubber tree.
Latex flowers are actually made from moulds of real living plants and flowers to replicate their shape as accurately as possible. Because of the high malleability of the latex material, this process allows for the capturing of the smallest details, such as leaf veins or petals’ uneven texture.
These flowers are suitable for any reason or occasion, as long as they fit your budget.
Paper flowers
It is fair to say that these types of flowers are not the most suitable for long-term home decorations. Paper is not the most durable material and they are not the most realistic imitation of real flowers. However, they are great for creative souls. Buying them, or even learning to make them as an indoor hobby, could be a fun artistic outlet.
They are usually made from tissue or crepe paper and are therefore light and very delicate. And since paper is naturally flexible, there is no limit to the type of flower you want to recreate. You can even decorate them further with additional craft materials - stones, beads, glitter.
As such, they might serve well as a temporary dinner table decoration or if you make it yourself, as an impressive gift wrap decoration but if you are looking for a long-lasting home decoration, this is probably not your best bet.