5 ways to make artificial flowers look beautifully real.

Learn How to style fake flowers with these tips from our décor specialists.

Once you’ve mastered the art of arranging your faux blooms, they’ll look real enough to have everyone fooled.

• Invest in high-quality stems that already look convincingly real.

• Style them exactly as you would fresh flowers, grand mixed bouquets or simple single stems.

• Mix faux florals with real greenery or even a few fresh blooms.

• Choose the right vase; glass vessels can be filled with water if your stems are water-safe.

• Shape and adjust petals, leaves, and stems to create a more organic, natural look.

Faux flowers have come a long way.

With the right styling, high-quality stems can look as soft, delicate, and lifelike as the real thing. They’re an investment in your home, offering long-lasting beauty without the maintenance or constant replacing, and they’re perfect for brightening corners, layering into shelves, or adding softness to a styled table. With just a few thoughtful touches, you can turn artificial blooms into décor that feels fresh, natural, and effortlessly elegant.

1. Invest in High-Quality Faux Blooms

What to Look for When Buying Realistic Fake Flowers

A well-made faux stem already has the natural textures and soft details that catch the light in ways that make it convincingly real.

What to choose when shopping for best quality forever florals:

• Choose matte, textured finishes rather than shiny plastics.
• Soft-touch petals and realistic veining, fabric that the light passes through.
• Painted, moulded details.
• Natural, muted colours that mimic live blooms.
• Slight imperfections, because nature does too.
• Stems with internal wire so you can bend and shape them organically.
• Paper construction means you won’t be able to place them in water.

Take a look at the real version of the flower you love and compare the colours, shape, and “fall” of the petals. The closer the match, the better the result.

2. Style Faux Flowers Like Fresh Cuts

How to Arrange Fake Flowers So They Look Real

The best trick for making faux flowers look real? Treat them exactly like fresh stems. Florists build arrangements with movement, depth, layering, and rhythm, so borrow their techniques with your forever flowers.

Florists tips for styling a bouquet:

• Layering and depth: build from greenery, add filler flowers, finish off your arrangement with feature blooms.
• Staggered heights: trim or bend stems so they’re not all the same length.
• Mixing textures: pair soft petals with structured leaves or airy fillers, big blooms with soft foliage.
• Style everything loosely: leave room for the arrangement to “breathe.”

Arranging is an intuitive process, step back, adjust, and keep refining until it feels natural, style for a 360 degree view.

Stylists tips:

1. Grouping blooms in odd numbers for balance.
2. Letting some stems arc outward to create natural flow.
3. Keeping the overall shape loose and unstructured.
4. Follow the colour families found in nature... soft, tonal layers rather than loud, unnatural shades.

3. Mix Faux with Real

Can You Mix Fake Flowers With Real Ones? Absolutely.

One of the simplest ways to elevate your faux florals is to introduce real greenery. This adds texture, breaks patterns with unique forms.

Try pairing your faux stems with long lasting real greenery like: Eucalyptus, Fern fronds or Olive branches

If your stems are water-safe, place everything together in water. If not, keep your real greenery in a slim hidden water tube or vase inside the main vessel.

This blend creates beautiful movement and subtle complexity, instantly creating a more natural feel and form.

4. Choose the right vase.

What are the best vessels for making fake flowers look real?

Choose a vase proportional to your stems, tall for branches, rounded for peonies, narrow for single stems.

Glass vases give the most realistic look because if your stems are water-safe, fill the vase with real water for the ultimate illusion.

For anything you can’t style in water, here are some alternative to fill a glass vase:

• Clear resin made for artificial arrangements

• Pebbles, moss, sand or even shells

• Gel, silicone, or glass marbles/beads

Stylists tip: often the stem is what gives the faux away – hiding this with an opaque vase can elevate the illusion.

5. Shape Your Botanicals for a Natural Finish

How to Shape Fake Flowers for an Organic, Lifelike Look

Most faux flowers arrive looking a little stiff or too perfect. A few minutes of shaping can completely transform them, real flowers have movement and irregularity and you can recreate this.

Do this every time you arrange to create an organic but balance bouquet.

• Gently bend wired stems to create soft, natural curves.

• Adjust petals and leaves so they aren’t too uniform, use steam (only on fabric-safe stems) to soften crushed petals.

• Remove some leaves, especially if they look overly plastic.

• Trim stems to avoid that factory-fresh “same height” look.

FAQ: Your Faux Flower Questions Answered

1. Is it OK to put artificial flowers in water?

Yes, if they’re water-safe. Some stems are designed for water, but others may rust, loosen glue points, or bleed dye.

2. How do I make cheap fake flowers look more realistic?

Trim shiny bits, remove stiff leaves, steam petals, and reshape the blooms. Place them in an opaque vase and mix in real greenery.

3. Why do my artificial flowers look stiff?

They usually need shaping. Bend the stems, open the petals, stagger the heights, and create movement with gentle curves.

4. Can I mix real and fake flowers in the same arrangement?

Absolutely. It’s a favourite styling trick and instantly elevates the look.

5. What colours look the most realistic?

Soft, natural tones. Avoid neon or saturated shades not found in nature.

6. How do you clean fake flowers?

Use a soft brush, a cool hairdryer, or a damp cloth (for fabric-safe stems). Avoid soaking.

7. How long do faux flowers last?

Indoors, good-quality stems can last for years. Keep them out of direct sunlight to avoid fading.