How To Style Faux Stems In Your Home: Making Faux Stems Look Realistic

With spring around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share some tips on how to style faux stems throughout your home, and how you can make them look more realistic!

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Hello friends! I am so excited to share some tips I have learned on how to style faux greenery and stems to give them a natural look in your home decor!

Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing I love more than bringing real plants and stems into my home. Come lilac season, my home is filled with heavenly bundles of pink and purple flowers, blooms and buds. 

Why Purchase Faux Stems?

I absolutely love the life that real flower stems bring to a space. But having said that, there are also times when fresh stems just aren’t available. Winter in Michigan means the ground is frozen dirt and direct sunlight is nonexistent. This is when bringing in artificial flowers and artificial stems is a must to bring in some much needed color, textures and brightness. Some simple styling can really enhance the overall look of your faux flower arrangements and give them a more realistic look.

March for me means the coming of spring, and after a long and cold winter I love to decorate my home in a way that represents the change in seasons, even if that change isn’t quite happening outside yet. 

Here in Michigan, flowers don’t usually start blooming until May. Having some high quality faux flower stems and faux florals on hand really helps to bring life to a space until real stems are available. 

Another reason why I love faux stems is because real ones can become expensive after a while. Nothing compares to having real plants in your home, so I opt for indoor plants that are affordable and will last a while instead of a real floral arrangement that may only last the week.

If I were to purchase real flowers every single week from the grocery store, that would add up fast. By investing in some faux stems, I can enjoy flowers at all times and not have to rely on whether or not I find the right ones at the right price, locally.

Tips On How to Style Faux Stems to Look Real

Bend Your Stems After Purchasing

Whenever you purchase brand new stems from the grocery store, they tend to be very stiff and rigid. 

If you were to clip some pretty flowers from your yard and put them into a vase or pitcher, they would most likely flop over a bit and have some movement to them. 

Try to bend your faux stems so that they have more whimsy and movement, just like real flowers do. 

Use Filler to Bring Life To Faux Stems

Another tip whenever using faux flowers is to check out your craft store for green filler, or stems with green leaves only. 

Adding more greenery to floral stems will not only help them to pop and catch the eye, but it will also help to make your flowers look more lifelike. You can easily fluff up any arrangement with greenery to make it look more full and realistic.

I love using faux eucalyptus as filler, especially with larger faux flowers such as peonies or hydrangeas. 

Avoid Anything Too Waxy/Plastic-y

Whenever I am shopping for for stems, I like to avoid anything that looks too shiny or waxy. To me, that’s a dead giveaway that the flowers aren’t real. 

Yes, it costs more to purchase stems that are more lifelike, but they tend to last longer and are worth the investment. Purchasing a more expensive faux stem is still more affordable than purchasing a fresh floral arrangement every week! The investment of a life-like faux flower will last you years.

If Using a Clear Jar, Clip the Bottoms of Faux Stems

Nothing screams fake more than seeing bent stems crammed in a clear jar. 

I used to do this a lot whenever my faux stems were too long for my vase, but since I take so many photos of my home for my blog, I began to realize that it wasn’t the best look. 

If you can see the stems, use wire cutters to clip them so that they are the right height for your vase, rather than bending them. Or simply opt for an opaque vase so you can’t see the end of the stem at all! I love using vintage pots and baskets to display my faux flowers. I have an antique crock by my fireplace mantel that usually has a display of faux branches or stems.

Best Sources for Faux Stems?

Honestly, I shop for stems all over. 

I love to shop at craft stores like Hobby Lobby, Joanne Fabrics and Michael’s. The Hearth and Hand line at Target also has some great options! 

I have even found great faux stems at Walmart, and many of my friends have recommended shopping on Amazon for flowers!

These real touch tulips seem to be all the rage right now, and I totally understand why. They look so real! I’ve purchased some in the past at Marshall’s, but I’ll link them so you can grab some for yourself! There are so many retailers that carry beautiful, life-life faux flowers and stems.

Well I hope this post on how to style faux stems to look real was helpful, friends! How do you guys make your faux stems look more realistic? I’d love to know in the comments below! 

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