Best Faux Stems – Styling Tips and Sources

Today I’m sharing how I use faux stems in my home, some tips for making them look real, and where I find the best artificial greenery!

Since starting my YouTube channel I have gotten so many questions about my faux stems.

Are your flowers real or fake?

Where do you find your faux stems?

How do you make artificial flower arrangements more lifelike?

Well, today I’m finally answering all your questions! 

Let me start off my saying that I love real flowers. I have gardens all around our home filled with hydrangeas, catmint and lavenders.

I absolutely love our lilac bush when it blooms in the spring. But having real flowers in our home every week isn’t always economical. 

I actually don’t live in an area that has affordable flowers to choose from each week, and even if I did, I’m not sure it would be something I’d spend my money on. Free from the yard is one thing, but paying for fresh stems can get expensive fast. 

Plus, we live in Michigan and even though I love to decorate for spring in March, in most cases we still have snow at that time. 

All that to say, faux stems can be budget friendly and you can truly find lifelike greenery that have people asking – are those real or fake???

First off, here are my tips when purchasing faux stems – 

Faux Stems – Tips when Shopping

Don’t buy flowers that have petals with frayed edges. This is almost a dead giveaway that the flower is fake. Instead, look for flowers with thick petals that feel life-like and have crisp edges. 

Also, look for flowers and stems that vary in color. Real flowers have a variety of colors on each leaf and petal.

Don’t purchase stems that are too waxy and shiny. For me, this looks cheesy and fake. Instead, look for stems that have more of a matte finish. If they look like plastic, I usually don’t buy them. 

Finally, look for faux stems that have a variety of leaf, flower and petal sizes. This makes it look as if the flower or stem was still growing when it was “clipped”. I especially love to look for stems that have scars, nodes or buds. These nubby features create a realistic feel!

Faux Stems – Styling Tips for Arranging

Before I share my faux stems, styling tips, and decorating ideas please know that I am not an expert! This is just what works for me and what I have come to love throughout my home.

Unless I am creating a table-scape, I don’t generally use flower arrangements throughout my home. I tend to like a “freshly picked from the garden” look rather than anything formal or fancy.  I usually stick to one flower type and then add faux eucalyptus as a filler. 

My great grandmother worked for a florist, and she taught my grandma to use odd numbers when working with flowers. For whatever reason, odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye. So now when I buy faux stems, I’ll usually purchase 1, 3 or 5. Sometimes I break this rule if my stem has several branches. The more stems you use, the greater the impact. If you are going for a minimal feel, use less. 

I also like to bend and “fluff” my stems so that they look more full. When you buy them from the store, they are generally very packed and sort of flattened. Play with the branches and bend the leaves to give them more life. 

Think outside the box when you are adding faux stems to your home. I hardly ever use a clear glass vase. Baskets, metal pails, dough bowls and pitchers all pair beautifully with faux stems and create a rustic cottage garden feel. 

Favorite Sources for Faux Stems

I probably get this question the most and honestly, I know the answer might be a disappointment.

Friends, I get my stems from all over! Hobby Lobby, JoAnn Fabrics, Marshall’s, Ikea, even Target and Walmart! 

My point is, you can find great stems almost anywhere. I’ve even found awesome faux stems at thrift stores! As long as they meet my criteria above, I don’t care where I find them!

Some stores can be more expensive than others, and I tend to prefer places that have sales often or offer coupons. Hobby Lobby is a perfect example of this since you can use their 40% off coupon at anytime, and quite often they have 50% off all of their flowers and stems. 

There are so many stems throughout my home that it would be impossible to link them all. If you have questions about a specific faux stem or flower, please leave a question in the comments and I will do my best to find the source!

I also share a lot of specific sources in my faux stems YouTube video linked above, so be sure to check that out for more styling tips and sources!

Do you love using faux stems in your home like I do? Let me know in the comments below!

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