Elevate your decor with the ultimate flower arranging trick: mix fresh and faux blooms for stunning, budget-friendly arrangements.

Friends, raise your hand if you’ve ever drooled over a gorgeous floral arrangement on Pinterest, only to have your credit card shrivel up  and scream “ABORT MISSION” at the thought of what fresh flowers would cost to recreate it. 🙋‍♀️

If you are new here, perhaps coming from my buddy Wendy at WM Design House, I want to welcome you to my haven filled with creativity and joy. I hope you browse around a bit and decide to subscribe to know when I share something. My goal is to empower you to live more creatively and joyfully.

Today I’m sharing my latest Pinterest Challenge creation that’ll have your wallet thanking you and your guests none the wiser!

This month, Cindy from County Road 407 selected an absolutely charming image from Emily at Le Cultivateur and I challenged myself to stay true to my number one decorating mantra: use what you have, shop your home first!

The only thing I purchased were some fresh alstroemeria from Costco for a whopping $9.99.

Everything else? Already tucked away in my stash of goodies! It just required some creative reimagining.

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Here’s my secret weapon, friends: mixing fresh and faux flowers.

It’s like wearing your Target jeans with your designer handbag – it’s all about creating that high-low mix that looks expensive but isn’t!

Why does this trick work so well?

• Fresh flowers add that unmistakable life and scent that faux just can’t replicate
• The real blooms elevate everything around them (they’re generous like that!)
• You can strategically place just a few fresh stems where they’ll have the most impact
• Your arrangement will last longer than purely fresh flowers
• You can reuse your faux pieces for countless future arrangements

Since your fresh flowers need water, you’ll want to be strategic about which faux flowers join the party:

• Choose water-friendly faux stems. Avoid paper-wrapped stems or ones with obvious fabric wrappings that would look strange sitting in water. Plastic and silicone-coated stems are your best friends here!
• Seal those cut stems! If you need to trim your faux flowers rather than just bend them, seal the cut ends with clear nail polish or clear Gorilla Glue.
  This prevents water from seeping up the stem and ruining your faux blooms or, worse, causing the wire to rust and contaminate the water where your fresh flowers are trying to thrive. Nobody wants that bacterial soup!
• Position strategically. Another trick is to arrange your faux flowers around the edge of the container so their stems aren’t submerged as deeply, while keeping your fresh flowers toward the center where they can drink up.

Not all flowers are created equal when it comes to faux versions. Some are actually better fake than real for arrangements!

Here’s my go-to list of flowers that often look more impressive and last infinitely longer as high-quality faux versions:

1. Peonies – The real ones bloom for about two weeks per year and droop within days when cut. Good faux peonies look amazing year-round!
2. Hydrangeas – Fresh hydrangeas can wilt dramatically within hours if not conditioned properly. Faux versions maintain that full, lush look indefinitely.
3. Orchids – Unless you’re a plant whisperer, realistic faux orchids are much less temperamental than their living counterparts.
4. Cotton stems – These add amazing texture and are essentially meant to be dried anyway.
5. Eucalyptus – While fresh eucalyptus smells divine, the faux versions maintain that silvery-green color without drying out and dropping leaves everywhere.
6. Magnolias – The large blooms are striking but short-lived when fresh. Faux magnolias create dramatic impact without the drama of browning petals.
7. Dahlias – Their intricate petals are beautifully replicated in high-quality silk versions, and they won’t shatter like real dahlias often do.
8. Tulips – Faux tulips won’t continue growing and flopping over like fresh ones do (yes, cut tulips actually keep growing in the vase!).
9. Ranunculus – These delicate blooms are stunning but incredibly short-lived when fresh. Good silk versions capture their papery texture perfectly.
10. Cherry blossoms – Unless it’s spring, these are nearly impossible to get fresh but make beautiful additions to arrangements year-round as faux stems.

In case you get overwhelmed by all the faux flower options — Analysis Paralysis is real!!! — I’ve pulled together some of my very favorites. And in a broad price range! Check out things to look for when assessing faux flowers and greenery in this blog post.

While the inspiration image used a rustic white wood riser, I shopped my home and pulled out this white farmhouse footed tray. 

PRO TIP: This is actually just the bottom layer of a tiered tray! Did you know most tiered trays can be dismantled and used separately?

Just cover the center hole with something pretty – I used my flower basket.

Click here to see how well they worked individually for a buffet table.

I always work with the most visually impactful piece first – in this case, my floral arrangement.

I started with a basket containing a heavy mug fitted with florist oasis foam (sneaky, right?).

 I arranged my Costco fresh Alstroemeria (best flower bargain ever!) alongside some faux green berry pieces around the base and a few small faux hydrangeas.

Then came my secret weapons – five large white faux tulips that I lightly hand-colored with subtle pink and coral shading to tie in with the alstroemeria colors. Trust me, even your mother-in-law won’t be able to tell which flowers aren’t real!

Just like the inspiration image, I included a stack of mismatched vintage saucers and a small glass dome. But as I imagined using this display for a girlfriend gathering, I realized the plates should be more accessible, so I moved them beside the tray.

Under the dome went a vintage miniature ceramic watering can that says “Home Sweet Home” with some faux greens.

The inspiration image had an adorable pewter bunny holding salt and pepper vials.

I had a similar pewter bunny that holds a bud vase. And for salt and pepper, I used the sweetest duo-bowl with tiny mother-of-pearl spoons.

And those quail eggs and moss in the inspiration? Well, I didn’t have any small speckled eggs. But I did have some air dry clay.

I knew the clay would dry white, so Ii colored the clay BEFORE forming the eggs.

PRO TIP: Add a bit of craft paint to air dry clay. With gloves on, roll and knead to mix it thoroughly. Now form your clay — here, I made egg shapes.

Once the eggs were mostly dry, I speckled them by dipping an old toothbrush in dark brown craft paint and dragging my gloved thumb over the ends.

These little details make all the difference!

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Let’s be honest – we all want our homes to look magazine-worthy, but who has the budget (or time!) to replace fresh flowers every few days?

This mixed approach gives you that fresh flower feel without the fresh flower commitment issues.

Plus, there’s something so satisfying about creating something beautiful without running to the store for a cartload of new items.

My husband noticed it right away and said, “That looks expensive!” I just sipped my tea and nodded. Sometimes silence is the best accessory to mystery!

Sometimes it’s the little victories, am I right?

Next time you’re craving a refresh, take a look around your home first. That faux arrangement gathering dust in the guest room might just need a few fresh stems to become your new dining table centerpiece! But before you use those faux flowers, jump over to see my 16 top artificial flower secrets.

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Many thanks!!!

Now, it’s time for me to send you on to visit Michelle at Thistle Key Lane, where you will always find truly special styling. Michelle has such a great eye and edits her projects so well. I always take a decor styling nugget of goodness from Michelle’s projects.