With the range and quality of faux florals ever increasing, plastic or paper flowers offer a range of benefits compared to fresh flowers, including longer lasting beauty, little to no maintenance, and cost-effectiveness.

In this article, we’ll explore two different ways that anyone can brighten up their home with faux florals: centrepieces and garlands. Whether you’re looking for a pop of colour in your living room or a festive touch for a special occasion, we have ideas and inspiration for you to bring the beauty of flowers into your home for years to come.

Garlands

Why not add some colour to your bannisters or mantelpieces? Garlands are often overlooked as a way of adding some botanical beauty to the home. And creating them isn’t as hard as you’d think.

Firstly, a good garland should include a strong foundation of grapevine or other trailing elements – enough so that your feature flowers have something to cling on to. You can tie bundles of faux vines together with twine until you’ve achieved your desired thickness or length.

Once you’ve created your base, it’s time to add some greenery. Artificial ivy and ficus offer a base layer that helps the colour of your feature flowers to pop. Try to get some good coverage here – tie enough on so that most of the grapevine you added to your base is hidden.

Last but not least, add your feature flowers. These can be anything you like. Want cherry blossoms that last all year round? Or perhaps you want to bring a taste of Italy to your home with Sicilian lemon picks. Anything goes here, and you can be as neat or as wild as you like. Try spacing your flowers out irregularly throughout the length of your garland to achieve a more natural look. Longer stems like bougainvillea are also great if you want some of your flowers to hang down. These can look especially beautiful draped over the tops of windows or doorways.

Why not check out the pre-made garlands we offer on our Etsy store? We use only the highest quality faux florals, so you can rest assured that you’ll have a garland that looks just like the real thing, but without the short lifespan of real florals!

Table centrepieces

Faux florals can help you to create beautiful low-maintenance table centrepieces that add a touch of class to the dinner table. Whether you fancy yourself as a bit of a florist, or whether you’re making your first foray into flower arranging, the process is surprisingly easy.

First, choose a container – a vase, a bowl, or even a hamper basket left over from Christmas will do. Next, select your florals and foliage. Choose something that complements the colour scheme of your home. You’re spoilt for choice with the faux flowers available on the market – even metallic or neon colours are available if you’re looking for something a bit more ‘out there’ that will really grab the attention of your guests. Make sure you also gather some secondary foliage elements to make your feature flowers pop. Plants like ivy and eucalyptus make particularly great companions to your feature flowers, as they offer some beauty without stealing the show from your dahlias, daisies and daffodils!

To begin making your arrangement, start by placing taller flowers in the centre of your container, and arrange shorter flowers around the outside. Any empty space can be filled with your more leafy secondary foliage. Adjust the arrangement until you’re satisfied with the look. Don’t be afraid to experiment here – the longevity of fresh flowers means that you can tweak your arrangement periodically throughout the year. Nothing is permanent, so… go wild!

Last but not least, add any decorative items and accents to your heart’s content. Think ribbons, candles and other decorative ornaments. With Easter fast approaching, why not create an arrangement with miniature decorative baskets and eggs?

So there you have it – two easy ways that artificial flowers really excel in bringing life to your home. Why not check out our range of garlands on Etsy? They’re made from the highest quality faux flowers and look just like the real thing!

Have you put your skills to the test and beautified your home with any of our tips? Post your photo to Instagram and tag @ferrisheartsloane_ to let us know!