Selecting FAUX FLOWERS for Spring Birdcage Succulent Garden
Invite a breath of fresh air into your home with flowers that will never fade. To make the best picks, consider Stevie’s selection advice before you head to the store. Stevie is adept at turning cast-off goods into stunning showcases for faux flower arra
Realism. Stevie suggests going for the bestquality florals you can afford, as these will be better-made and lend themselves to looking more like the real thing. Stick to choices that mimic nature. Tulips are in season from March to late April and come in a variety of shades. However, you are unlikely to find a black or blue tulip, so faux flower arrangements should avoid shades that do not exist in nature.
Season. To keep your artificial arrangements feeling effortless and cohesive, Stevie advises, update your pieces every season. Tulips, daffodils and dogwood branches are great go-to florals for spring. But, Stevie adds, there’s a benefit to using faux. You can bend the rules a bit while still aiming for a sense of realism in your displays. “Peonies generally bloom in the late spring, but who’s to say you can’t feature a beautiful burgundy peony in a fall arrangement? Use this method as a means of inspiration, but don’t limit yourself.”
Color. Before buying your flowers, have a color scheme in mind. From monochromatic to minimal, there are endless possibilities. Having a palette picked out already will help you avoid becoming overwhelmed at the crafts store, which usually arranges its flowers according to color.
Succulents are such a great option for crafting. With their waxy leaves and stems, their faux counterparts look very realistic! I wanted to get creative with an old birdcage that was gathering dust in my decor closet (yes, I have one of those!) that I knew I could repurpose.
Funny story about this birdcage: it was given to me as a birthday gift by my husband (then boyfriend) in 2011, when birdcages were quite a popular home decor object. He presented it to me with a vase of fresh cut flowers tucked inside and we were both impressed with his creativity. Birdcages have fallen a bit out of fashion—as trendy decor tends to do—but I knew with a fresh coat of paint, I could modernize and reimagine it as a succulent garden. This project would look great hanging in a corner of your room, on a plant stand, or set on a dresser or tabletop.
Supplies
• 4 to 6 large succulent picks
• 2 to 3 mini/clustering succulent picks
• 2 tall succulent picks
• 3 trailing succulent sprays
• 8" (20.30 cm) dome dry floral foam
• Moss
• Greening pins
• Hot glue gun
• Birdcage with removable base
Instructions
1. First, I removed the base from my birdcage and hot-glued the foam onto it.
2. I added a layer of moss around the base using greening pins. I knew the middle and top of my foam would be mostly covered in succulents, so I left that part bare, keeping in mind that I could fill in with more moss later if necessary.
3. I worked on establishing the shape of my succulent arrangement, starting with the high point. I placed my two tallest succulent picks toward the top of the dome shape but slightly staggered and off-center for a more natural look.
4. I knew I wanted my low point to be a collection of trailing succulents (faux string of pearls sprays) focused toward the lower right side, but I decided to place those last after I had reassembled the birdcage. 5. I placed the other larger succulents toward the top and middle of the dome, alternating colors and shapes in the arrangement in the way that looked best to me.
6. I carefully reassembled the birdcage, then began filling in with my smaller, clustered succulents by pushing them in between the wires of the birdcage and into the foam. I placed two stems of trailing succulents in the lower right side and one on the left side a little further back, threading the pieces through the wire of the birdcage to make it look like they had grown that way.
7. Anywhere I could still see the floral foam showing through, I filled with moss.
Then I disguised the greening pins by hot-gluing a little clump of moss on top.
You are likely to have little tidbits remaining after crafting a faux floral project, but before you toss them, rethink their value. Here are Stevie’s suggestions for making good use of these spare parts:
Add length to short stems using floral wire and tape. Place a long piece of heavy-gauge floral wire next to the stem, and then wrap together with floral tape.
Display single blooms or sprigs of greenery in a small bud vase.
Make a miniature wreath using an embroidery hoop or small brass ring as a base.
Accent your giftwrap with leftover florals. Simply tie greens onto packages with ribbon or remove stems entirely and hot glue a few blooms in place of a bow.
Make a simple garland with extra leaves you’ve stripped from stems using twine or string as a base.
Hot glue leaves and florals to a cardboard letter or number to create cute decor for a child’s room or birthday party.
Paint and/or add glitter to leaves and attach ribbon to make a Christmas ornament.
Hot-glue a small flower to a barrette or headband to make a floral hair accessory.
Use little flowers and pieces of greenery to create a garden or window box for a dollhouse.
Create botanical collage artwork by gluing individual leaves and petals to heavy paper. Press into a frame or use a shadow box.