Your Guide To The Best Faux Flowers

Take the guesswork out of buying faux flowers with this handy guide. Includes sources for the best faux flowers, and features tulips, hydrangeas, peonies, and daffodils. This guide also includes how to make faux flowers look like the real thing!

pitchers of faux flowers on kitchen island

Faux flowers are tricky. Some look very close to the real thing, but they are super expensive. Others are affordable, but they are so obviously fake that it’s not even worth it. Today I’m sharing four types of faux flowers that I personally use in our home, and I’m also sharing pictures of everything, so you can see for yourself exactly what they look like.

faux tulips in urn on fireplace mantel

Consider the Cost

There are a couple of things to look for when purchasing faux flowers. First, consider the cost. Make sure to factor in how many stems or bunches you need for an arrangement. Many times, multiple stems and bunches are necessary to make a full and pretty bouquet. Faux flowers come in all price ranges, so it pays to shop around. I firmly believe that you don’t have to break the bank to get beautiful faux flowers for your home!

faux flowers in pitcher and bowl

Go With Neutrals

Second, I like to purchase mostly neutral colors. It’s very fun to splurge on those bright yellow tulips, or those hot pink peonies…but choosing more neutral shades will pay off in the long run. You will be able to mix and match everything, you won’t be limited by a specific color, and you will be able to combine them with any kind and color of fresh flowers. (We’ll get to that a bit later.) Of course, there are exceptions to every rule…so if you want those fuchsia peonies, by all means go for it!

*Affiliate links included. Click HERE for my disclosure statement.

faux tulips in pitcher with fresh flowers

The Best Faux Tulips

Tulips are a very special flower. They are among the most treasured signs of spring, and they come in the most amazing range of colors. These faux tulips are the best I’ve ever found, and are a very reasonable price. (In the image above, the yellow tulips are real, and the white tulips are faux.)

They are packaged as individual stems, instead of a bunch that needs cut apart. The stems are bendable, so it’s super easy to make an arrangement droop if that’s a look you love. Because the stems bend so easily, there is no need to ever cut them to fit in a short vessel. Simply fold the stem to your desired height. In addition to the images in this post, you can see how these tulips look mixed with fresh flowers. (In the image below, I used 25 tulip stems. The urn opening is about 4 inches wide.)

faux tulips in urn on fireplace mantel

Darling Faux Daffodils

These cute little daffodils are made by the same vendor that makes the tulips…so the stems are very bendable and a nice height. These faux daffodils resemble Jonquil daffodils, and have four little blooms per stem.

faux daffodils in pitcher on end table

I paired the daffodils with fresh eucalyptus from the grocery store, and the two together make a lovely arrangement. A tall vessel works well, but if you have a shorter vessel you want to use, simply bend the stems to fit. These come twelve to a bunch, which means you get 48 little blooms, and it makes a very full arrangement.

faux daffodils in pitcher on table

Pretty Faux Peonies

I featured these peonies a few years ago, and at that time, I told you I would not insult your intelligence by claiming that these peonies look real. They do not…but peonies are one of those flowers that, in my opinion, just cannot be replicated. Plus, their bloom season is so short that sometimes going the faux route just makes sense.

These faux peonies are very pretty, and when I mixed them with fresh yellow tulips, I just fell in love. This bunch comes with blooms in a few different sizes, plus buds. The bunches are available in a wide range of colors, and the price literally can’t be beat.

yellow tulips and faux peonies in pitcher

If you want peonies that come by the stem, these are a good choice. Pictured below, these peonies are absolutely beautiful, and even though they were shipped in a plastic bag, they were perfectly shaped. They are a wonderful size, and have that romantic fringed look that is the hallmark of peonies.

faux peonies in pitcher with fresh roses WWW

Amazing Faux Hydrangeas

Like peonies, real-looking faux hydrangeas are hard to find. These faux hydrangeas are a very good choice because the blooms can be easily shaped, and the stems are thin, but sturdy. (The blooms arrive in a plastic bag, and the stems are not attached. I shaped each bloom and then inserted the stem.)

One other note…there are no leaves included on these hydrangea stems. In the past, I’ve ordered hydrangeas that arrive smashed from the packaging, and it’s nearly impossible to get the wrinkles out of the leaves. All of that can be avoided by going with a leaf-free stem.

faux hydrangeas with statice and eucalyptus in pitcher

For the arrangement pictured above, I used 5 hydrangea blooms, fresh eucalyptus, and fresh purple statice. This arrangement will last for a long time because the eucalyptus and statice will dry naturally. I love the way it looks on our coffee table, and it’s so nice to know that the hydrangeas won’t eventually wilt!

faux hydrangeas with purple statice

Sweet Cherry Blossoms

One of my favorite arrangements is to place a lantern or vase in my dough bowl, and then fill the bowl with faux flowers. In the image below, the pretty pink cherry blossoms are the perfect touch for spring.

dough bowl centerpiece with cherry blossoms and lantern

How to Make Faux Flowers Look Real

As I mentioned above, my very best tip to make faux flowers look real is to mix them with fresh flowers and/or greenery. Obviously, this won’t work on a wreath, but it works beautifully in arrangements. By combining faux flowers with fresh flowers, you have the best of both worlds, plus it’s a way to save a little money. The one-time investment for the faux flowers will pay for itself over and over again.

Bonus Tip

Use a cool hair dryer to “fluff” faux blooms so they look full and fresh.

how to store faux flowers in plastic bins

How to Store Faux Flowers

Over the years I have stored my faux flowers in a variety of ways. My favorite storage solution is medium-sized plastic bins. Large bins are great for some things, but smaller bins are much easier to move and lift. Plus they are the perfect way to divide the different kinds of flowers, and keep them all separated. This method is definitely not fancy, but it’s super functional.

Faux Flowers Shopping Guide

Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. If an item is out of stock but may be restocked, I left it on the list.

I hope this has helped you with the process of adding faux flowers to your decor. If this idea isn’t for you, I totally understand. Some people simply prefer fresh flowers. Either way, using floral elements in your home is a very good thing!

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20 Comments

  1. I love all your choices for faux flowers. I live in Texas and everything is hard to grow due to excessive heat and then excessive cold. I am about to investigate faux for outdoors, as water is such a valuable resource. Thanks for your suggestions.

    Amanda G

  2. Wonderful post. Thank you. I love your pitchers and containers. Lots of good information.

  3. I love faux flowers to brighten up these grey winter days. Good quality can be very expensive so I am always on the lookout for them when I am thrifting and have found some great ones.I love to arrange the yellow ones in a blue pottery pitcher with some real fern fronds and the white ones with boxwood in a low vintage green vase.

  4. I loved your post! I just bought some faux magnolia flowers at Walmart and they are beautiful. They were $3.49 a bunch. Hit or Miss at Walmart, but when you luck out it makes your day. I agree the clear plastic containers are the best for storing flowers, you can see right at a glance where everything is.

  5. Love these ideas! One question … when mixing faux and real flowers, I’m assuming you put them in water … do the stems hold up well after sitting in water?

    1. Ann Drake says:

      Hi Kelly…yes the faux stems are usually made from some sort of plastic, and they hold up fine in water. Just make sure they are very dry before you put them back in storage. Thank you!

    2. Thanks for a very helpful post! I am wondering if you have every seen any quality faux lupine? I love this beautiful flower but have never seen a good faux version.

      1. Ann Drake says:

        Hi Theresa…no I have never seen faux lupine. I did a Google search, and nothing looked very nice. I’ll keep looking!

  6. Thank you for the faux flower resources! Good ones are so hard to find. Would you share with me how you combine faux & real flowers in the same container? Do you put the faux ones in the water with the real ones?

  7. Becky Johns says:

    loved this information and the links to good flowers. My forsythia wreath from your post looks great on the door. I have white branches of blossoms in a big urn on my kitchen counter and put out some new blue and white toile pillows on the blue couch for spring, in place of the cozy snowflake ones. I got the pillows on Amazon, (Maison d’Hermine ) and they are good quality and a beautiful blue. I mention them because I know you like blue and white.
    I agree a little yellow brings spring into the room. I have some faux daffodils that look very real and I pull them out every spring. A good investment.

  8. This is a lot of good information so I thank you! I have purchased the tulips & they turned yellow on me. Maybe storing them in the plastic container is the answer. I am going to try that. I love the daffodils so I am going to give them a try. I mix faux with real blooms all the time & I think they make beautiful arrangements. Flowers always make a room “happy”. Thanks again for all the tips!

  9. I just received the white tulips you suggested and they are beautiful & look so real. I put them in a wide mouth mason jar on a tray on my coffee table. So cute! Thanks for idea!

  10. Do you use any fragrance in your storage bins with your flowers? Mine seem to get a musty smell after storage for a year! I’ve washed and rinsed them to no avail. Thank you for the lovely ideas!

    1. Ann Drake says:

      Hi Linda…I don’t use any fragrance, but that’s a very good idea. A few drops of essential oil on a tissue would probably take care of the musty smell. If you try it, let us know!

  11. Julia Harmatz says:

    I just ordered the pottery barn floating shelves for my daughters’ rooms! I love the versatility of these and when tire of them I can easily relocate to another part of the house.

    I bought faux orchids in muted tones from Michael’s last week to tuck into a grapevine wreath for a covered porch- although I may just lean it on my floating mantle in my living room. I’m going to get my grocery store greenery this afternoon. Thank you for this post!

  12. Thanks for all the tips to add Spring to my home and the storage boxes are exactly what I need. Good tried and true sources for the faux flowers is much appreciated.

  13. They all look so pretty.The tulips are my favorite.

  14. Thank you Anne! This was very helpful! Can’t wait to get my order.

  15. Donna zoltanski says:

    Beautiful flowers!

  16. I love this subject. I had decided to add a few greenery pieces to some white Pottery Barn crocks that I have had for many years that sat on racks in my basement pantry with unused kitchen utensils in them – what a waste!! I had planned a trip to Hobby Lobby to check it out, and decided to look on-line to see what they had. I picked out a few items – greenery for the crocks, white tulips, and a couple of small wreaths to use as candle rings to put around battery candles in a couple of places in the house. I was not happy with the price I came up with, so decided to look around. Joanne Fabrics was having a sale, and free shipping for that day, so I picked out all my pieces at a fraction of the price. I ordered them yesterday morning, and they were shipped that same day. I know that for years faux pieces were looked down on, but these were such a bargain, and I already have all the containers, and by not spending a small fortune – how bad could they be? I’m looking forward to putting the white tulips in my living room – when you buy fresh to get enough to make a nice presentation the price is higher, and they only last a few days, so I thought I’d give them a try.