I think I heard the audible gasp from many of you when you read the word “silk.”
Yes, I did. I heard you. All you “non-silkers” who think using fake flowers is as
tacky as passing gas in church. Okay, maybe not that bad. haha!
But, I am here to fight for the silk. To be the defender of the faux. To stand tall
and sing the righteousness of the non-real. (How’s that for some preachin’?)
A few weeks ago, I shared with your my Summer Mantel.
It featured a combination of roadside-gathered Queen Anne’s Lace and some
treasured pink and white Staffordshire pieces. On one end of the mantel… in a
large. white Farmhouse pitcher… I gathered an arm load of cut greens from our
yard. Oak leaves, wild magnolia, ivy and lots of grapevine.
Mr. Buck was not amused. 🙂
But, one of the things I did not tell you was that the beautiful pink and white
blooms within the greenery was…
…wait for it…
FAKE!
Yep, just as fake as Barbie’s love for Ken.
(We all know she had a thing for G.I. Joe and his hot camouflage!)
But, I am not ashamed to admit it. In fact, I love flaunting it. I love silks!
Love them with a passion.
I have talked about my “Bins-o-Blooms” several times. One of these days I will
share them with you. I have about four bins of silk blooms and twigs and stems
and berries and greenery. Many of them are 10 years old or maybe more.
Now I will admit to something. I splurge on my silks. I take advantage of 50%
off sales, coupons and end-of-season sales. I am very picky and choose only
blossoms and stems that look authentic. My basic rule of thumb is a simple one.
If you have to touch it to know whether or not it is real…then it’s an acceptable silk.
My foremost “no-no” rule is that the bloom must resemble an actual color you would
find in nature. So, in other words… no hot pink buttercups for me.
I think the mistake that most people make is that they try to use all silk.
I have seen some beautiful and amazing centerpieces that are all silk. And
I myself have used them in the past. But to me, it is easier to fool the eye
when you have a combination of silk blossoms and real greenery and twigs.
I even have a secret little formula I like to stick to. I like to use a ratio of
60% real and 40% faux. (Well, I guess it used to be secret.)
I feel this is the magic number to create stunning arrangements that look as
authentic as if you carried them out of a designer florist.
My second rule of thumb…wait. I lost count. Is this my third rule of thumb?
Oh well, my last rule of thumb is to be free. A free form arrangement that
looks like you casually clipped an armful of flowers and greenery from
your cottage garden…and plopped them into a white, Farmhouse pitcher and
placed it on a white-painted brick mantel next to a rather unimpressed-looking
deer. Or… something like that.
So that’s it, folks. Two basic rules of thumb. Wait, maybe it was three?
Oh well….who’s counting. Just remember the tips and pointers I put
into place, and you will be fooling the eye, too. Well…that is unless you like
flowers that are as authentic as Barbie’s figure. 😀
Happy Flower Arranging…
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Did you happen to catch my posts this past week?
On Monday I shared… How to Get the Pottery Barn Look on a Budget
On Tuesday, I shared my Lemon-Mint Funnel Cakes.
And on Wednesday, I shared my recipe for
Thai-Basil Cucumber “Spaghetti” with Grilled Sesame Shrimp.
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minutes of your day here with me.
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My sentiments exactly, Barb.
I have a few bins of blooms in “Mom’s Boutique”. My kiddo’s shop the basement now and then, so I lose track of how many I have. I splurged on our last trip to South Main and spent several $$ for Spring and Summer. Well worth the money spent. I have a couple of resources for good quality silks. I mix in real with faux, also.
Your Summer mantel is gorgeous!
View CommentI think your advice with regard to using silks is spot on, my friend. Your arrangement looks amazing and I would never have guessed that those were silk flowers. I would love to always have “real’, but my pocketbook would not be happy with me purchasing new flowers every week. lol
View CommentThese look beautiful!!
View CommentThanks for sharing that with us, I use them sometimes as well though I try t o stick with real as much as possible. I guess that stems back to my Feng Shui readings. LOL Love the look and I like the balance, will have to try this more. Thanks again! 🙂
View CommentI hoard nice silks too! Several bins in the basement. God tips for buying!!
View CommentYou make a very convincing argument! Your arrangement looks stunning, and real! I used to have an arm load of faux florals and have gradually gotten rid of most as I just don’t love them any more…I am going to experiment with your 60/40 ratio and see what happens, Thanks!
View CommentThanks so much for being a defender of the faux!
View CommentI love, love, love this arrangement! You’re so right, there are some lovely silks! I agree, if it looks real and is the normal color, then it can be used. I love your formula on mixing real with fakes- great idea! Thanks for sharing!
View CommentI think there are some very realistic looking silk floral pieces…and….if they are done right you can hardly tell they are not real. Gorgeous pieces and great featured posts here-xo Diana
View CommentYou know how much I love great quality silk florals. and greenery….done tastefully they are a great compliment to any decor.
View CommentBarb, I agree there are some beautiful silk flowers out there today and don’t laugh but I have actually gone into an upscale dept store and thought the floral arrangements were real and tried to smell them before I looked around at other floral arrangements and realize they were silk. If people have creative talents like you, you can fool anybody. I wished I had your talents..you’re one amazing lady and I’ve always enjoyed all your blogs.
View CommentOhhh thanks Betty. That is so sweet. I know silks can be very pricey but they are worth it in the long run if you buy good ones and care for them too. Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet words. xxoo
View CommentI opted for silk flowers for my wedding to stay within our budget. But I have been second-guessing that decision ever since not to mention stressing myself out and losing sleep surfing the Internet trying to find solutions. I’m already envisioning how I’m going to rearrange the bouquets. Barb you have saved the day and I can finally get a decent night’s rest :o) !
View Commentdo you still use water for the real stems and how does that effect the faux ones? I’d love to try this 🙂
View CommentI’d like that info also!
View CommentYou are spot on, I love doing this and actually want yo to know that this is exactly what did for my daughter’s enter wedding ceremony and reception = mixed the two! I even do it in my flower beds and get wows ever spring and summer, thanks for your decor ideas; it is nice when someone shares their talent and their great design tips !!!
View CommentI love reading your articles!! You speak on the page as if we are having a real chat together in my farmhouse kitchen!! Love the writing style, so please don’t ever change it.??
View CommentThat is so sweet and I appreciate the kind words. I do feel as if I am speaking with everyone and you’re right in my home. 🙂 Have a beautiful weekend. Barb
View Comment