Artificial flowers can be difficult to choose from because there are so many options and they are made of so many materials. Each material has its own benefits and drawbacks. We research the market to find the best artificial flowers.
Prices for artificial flowers vary greatly depending on the quality of their raw materials and how they are made. Artificial flowers are labour-intensive and are mostly imported from China or Thailand. However, what might seem like a cheap fresh cut flower can end up being very expensive as artificial flowers.
Artificial flowers can look very real if you pay attention to the stems. All artificial flowers are wire stems. Silk and latex flowers have plastic stems. Foam flowers have taped wire stems. They look better when placed among other flowers that can hide the stems.
Here are the details on artificial flowers available
Silk flowers
Although silk flower making is a centuries-old tradition, it was developed in Italy during the 12th century.
Silk flowers look great and can be very realistic. They are my favorite choice for designing. Although silk flowers are more expensive than fresh flowers, don’t let that stop you from buying high quality silk flowers. They last much longer!
Nowadays, silk flowers aren’t made from silk but from a variety of cotton rayon or polyester fabrics that allow the manufacturer to use special dyes and heat treatment techniques producing details such as veins and petals. You can also choose from thin, dark green basic stems that are perfect if you don’t mind using them, or thicker, fleshier stems made with flocking such as a Gerbera. Roses can have thorns to better match the fresh look of a fresh flower.
The majority of fabric flowers we purchase start as plain white rayon or polyester. They are dyed to create basic petal shapes and then placed into molds. Heat is used to give them a more realistic form.
As with many artificial flowers today, coatings like wax or flocking are applied. Take a look at our velvet touch roses. They look great and have a natural velvety texture.
The downside to silk flowers, as with any fabric, is the tendency to fray. However, this isn’t a big problem because of the heat used in manufacturing and fraying is generally at a minimum.
Silk flowers come in a variety of shades and varieties, making them a great alternative to fresh flowers.
Latex flowers
The moulds of live plants and flowers used to make latex flowers can be found here. They are then used to create the flowers. This makes them very realistic. Latex flowers are liquid and highlight the irregular shapes of the flowers and veins. As with all artificial flowers, the idea is to make them appear as real as possible. Suppliers usually describe them as fresh touch or real touch, but this is not a trade term for latex flowers. It is up to the individual manufacturers to determine which flowers are real touch flowers.
These flowers are usually thicker than normal and have realistic stems. They look best when they look like a fresh flower with fleshy petals. Although there is a limited selection, you will find calla lilies and oriental lilies as well as roses. However, it is possible to find other varieties, which are becoming more common.
Foam flowers
Foam flowers come in many colours. Most commonly, you will find roses, but our supplier also has calla lilies and carnations. Roses can be as small as 2cm in size. They have taped stems with no foliage. As with all artificial flowers, quality can vary.
Foam flowers weren’t always colorfast when they first appeared on the market, but most are now. It is worth checking before making a purchase, especially if you are using them in bridal designs.
They look best when mixed with silk flowers. Although they may not be the most appealing and realistic looking, they make great buttonhole decorations and are very easy to use. If you’re new to working with fresh or artificial flowers, they can be a great choice. Just make sure to hide the stems and tie them with ribbon if you are making a bouquet for a wedding.
Plastic Flowers
Plastic flowers are often associated with the basic brash flowers that you see on Christmas wreaths. They are great for outside use, but are lacking in realism. We don’t keep them or use them as arrangements or bouquets.
However, we do have a selection of quality plastic leaves and a few carefully chosen flowers. We reserve this for flowers such as lily-of-the-valley, grape hyacinths, and alliums. Plastic is better than silk flowers in that it can be made with more detail than silk flowers. Plastic also looks more natural than standard silk alternatives, which are duller and more matte.
Higher quality plastic flowers will have silk leaves. Some foliage can also be coated with flocking, which is great for asparagus fern, and other foliage like the silver-coloured dusty miller, which has a furry exterior.
Plastic flowers and foliage are advancing rapidly and should not be overlooked.
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