Faux faux good
July 15, 2010
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OK, get ready. I may offend some of you with this statement, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…
I USE FAKE FLOWERS.
And greenery.
:)
Sue me, but I don’t mind a little bit ‘o faux.
I don’t as much of it as I used to – but I still use a little bit throughout the house. And come fall -- fake flowers in warm luscious colors spit up all over the joint. :)
Lately, more than florals, I’m loving the herb/fern look I’ve seen all over lately. I am finding that they are such a great way to fill empty space inside of stuff. I found this little cutie at Michael's for $1.99:
I didn’t care for the clay pot it came in, and it wasn’t quite tall enough, so I just took some wood scraps, stacked them underneath the pot, then wrapped the whole thing with some fabric:
It looks lovely on our new Craigslist dresser. (So glad you all love it as much as I do!)
I recently took a thrift store find and filled it with some wild and crazy ferns that I adore:
Those look real, don’t you think?
Well, I was at Pottery Barn the other day returning a few little things, and imagine my glee when I saw warm and lovely fall decor all over the place!
What the what? Who said what? Hmmm??
I mentioned fall? ME? And you’re surprised? :)
Sorry, I am just stating a fact so that makes it totally OK to say the F.A.L.L. word, umkay?
They had a whole line of pots with herby/ferny goodness that I was lovin’.
One was a HUGE topiary ball on top of a clay pot –- and I LOVED it. I did not love the price -- $40. Sheesh.
So I was a thinkin’ and I remembered a post I saw over at Melissa’s place from foreva ago – and off to Hobby Lobby I went!
I didn’t look up her post before I did this, but when I just went back to read it, I did mine almost exactly like she did hers. She’s brilliant. ;)
I grabbed two of these ferny-looking jobbies in the greenery aisle at Hob Lob:
They were half off, so $8 for both. AWWW yeah.
I had a humongo foam ball that I never used for another project, and a pot I use for various projects:
There’s no need to even cut off the sprigs – just pull them off:
And just stick them into your ball spray painted blue (so you won’t see the glaring white) cause you were too lazy to find the green or black paint:
I mean come on. You can’t get easier than that. It’s too cute!:
It’s got some oompf, eh? ;):
The Pottery Barn version was ooompfy too, so that was the look I was going for. If you don’t want your topiary so poofy, you can cut each greenery piece in half (more on that in a sec).
It looks great from that side, but from the other side, it looks like this till I can get back to HL:
Kind of like business in the front, party in the back you could say? ;)
:) This one is half bald cause I did a smaller version first, to see if it was going to work. For the smaller version, I took each sprig and cut it in half:
I cut the top part so each one had enough of a “stem” to stick it into the foam.
Then I used a teeny tiny foam ball and just stuck them in here and there:
I plopped it on a little iron vase that was a thrift store find last year, then placed it under a cloche I got a few weeks ago while shopping Midland Arts and Antiques with my pal Beckie:
So so TOOT, as our son would say. :) For me, both projects were only $8 total, (well, $12 when I go back for one more bunch of greenery), but that’s because I had the foam – but if you use a coupon or watch sales, you could still do this for el cheapo.
And just about anything would serve as a container – anything looks cute patoot with a big fluffy topiary ball on top.
So are you a faux lover? Kinda? Just a little? A lot? If you’re not, please be kind to us faux-lovahs. :) I would love to have only real flowers throughout the house year-round, but alas, that is money I could be shopping Goodwill with. ;)
Super cute! Love it!
ReplyDeletelove it. can't wait to try it.
ReplyDeleteI can't grow a thing so whatcha gonna do? You can only have so many bowls of lemons around. Your green stuff looks really good!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Rhonda, and I too love faux greenery!!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry, but it's the only thing I can grow. Either I forget to water, water too much, or the cat makes it her munchy treat. Faux for me!!!
So cute!!! LOVE "business in the front, party in the back". You make me LOL!
ReplyDeleteI made almost the exact same thing last year using the same greenery from HL. I still love it!
ReplyDeletelove this! I was just at hobby lobby today.. looks like i'll be making another trip soon! :)
ReplyDeletemy aphid thumb and faux greens are bffs! love your topiaries, think I shall try it too!
ReplyDeleteGreat job...they are beautiful and look real!!
ReplyDeleteI believe the main rule to faux greenery is that is MUST look real. It is also better if it is placed in hard to water places (like that cage on your dresser) or up high.
ReplyDeleteYour's looked great! If everyone could faux as well as you, it wouldn't be considered a decorating faux pas:)
I'm a fan of faux too. The faux stuff you can get now looks so real! Thank goodness for plant killing people like me.
ReplyDeleteThose turned out way cute! Nice job! :)
Thank you! Yes, I do like some faux stuff around too and get so mad when people act like it's so tacky. It adds some much needed softness to different areas. Love your projects and will probably be copying them!
ReplyDeleteYou better believe I'm a faux fan...and this post made me an even bigger one! I loved this post -- consider me inspired! Thanks, Sarah!
ReplyDeletelove the oompfy topiary! And I have to tell you, you're white pot is WAY cuter than the clay colored one! It fits so well with your room! So props to you for one-upping pottery barn!
ReplyDeleteI really don't like fake plants, but this looks great.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is YEAH! I am not alone!
ReplyDeleteI seriously heart fake greenery and flowers. Sue me. I have the cutest pots I distressed with some yellow roses around the outside, greenery and some stock in the middle. Its REALLY cute and summery. And in fall...forget about it! I can't keep fresh flowers like I can keep these babies...and pull them out over and over again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this...just this week I was thinkin...am I wrong to like faux?? So thanks for clearing that up for me :) with 4 kids, 2 dogs and 112+ degree temps right now...faux's good! Great projects.
ReplyDeleteThat is cute! I think I need to visit Michaels and put my kids to work and buy myself an hour or so!
ReplyDeleteCheck out My Backyard Linky Party going on. A little more summer before we head into F.A.L.L.;-)
some faux can be reall bad, but all of yours looks fantastic! seriously!
ReplyDeleteOhMyGosh, I love it, my husband is going to kill me when I tell him I need to drive all the way to the big city to buy a Styrofoam ball and faux greenery! He's kinda had it with all the spray painting I've done lately, you're fault BTW. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love that you are also inspired by PB, in my next life, every single part of my home is going to look like a page in their catalog!
Love this and I have to try it! I have a Michaels coupon burning a hole in my handbag and what better way to use it. : ) I do like faux, but it's gotta look good. Some of them are just ridiculously fake, but they really have come a long way in the past 15 years.
ReplyDeleteI have a cute little fake fern from Kirklands and I think I have used it in every room in the house. I love the little bit of green. I did buy some real ferns this week, hopefully I can keep them alive at least a couple of months, or I can make something like you did, thanks for sharing how to do it!
ReplyDeleteYour topiary is too cute, and I think that blue was a better choice than black or green actually.
ReplyDeleteI have friends with lovely faux flowers and greenery. I can't deal with the dust (only my house?) That said, I do have a fascination for faux tropical leaves. Not sure where it is going, but I've got some stashed away waiting, lol.
Kathy
Looks awesome!! I'm so going to try that. I'm a fan of faux, I have a black thumb when it comes to indoor plants!
ReplyDeleteLove it!! I just rescued a fake tree from my sis in law! I brought it home, gave it a good bath and put it in a place of prominence! I am over what The Faux Haters think!!:) I may just run out and make me some more faux things!!
ReplyDeleteI am definitely a faux lover and that greenery from Hobby Lobby is boxwood. I have some of those and now I think I will copy your idea. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI do faux. Usually I prefer faux without flowers, only greenery, but when our last house was for sale, my husband bought me a BEAUTIFUL faux arrangement. For all the things I have made in my house, that is the thing complimented on the most. I don't put more than one faux item in a room though.
ReplyDeleteI don't recognize that damask chair. I love it. What room is that? Are you holding back on us??
ReplyDeleteGood Morning,
ReplyDeleteI, too, cannot keep a real plant alive...so I have several faux greens around my home. Plus, if I do try...I have a cat that will eat it down to the dirt. Sooo messy!
Have a thoughtful Thursday. ~Natalie
I love it! It's looks so real & very lush. I use faux fall & wintery things around the house a lot but fortunately for me, my granny developed my green thumb early on in life & I've learned alot along the way so our house is filled with lots of green plants & looks like a jungle. :-) But I love it :-)
ReplyDeleteHey - NOTHING wrong with fake flowers and greenery. They're eternal! I often have great intentions with houseplants and bouquets only to kill them less than a week later. I'm all for faux.
ReplyDeleteWhat GREAT idea :) I can't wait to try it!!
ReplyDeleteI love this! I have some real plants but not many. Besides watering a plant on top of furniture seems to cause some condensation underneath which will ruin the finish of your furniture. This is a great idea and looks very nice!
ReplyDeleteI am a faux lover b/c I usually kill every plant I own!
ReplyDeleteHannah
http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/
I am a faux lover b/c I usually kill every plant I own!
ReplyDeleteHannah
http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/
You're going to get me in trouble! I laugh out loud at your posts which would be okay, except I read them at work!
ReplyDeleteI love this. Finally I flower/herb/topiary I can't kill!
Lovin' the one under the cloche, and the cloche as well. Great choice on your part!
ReplyDeleteDi
I love it! They look so real! I have always had a "fear" of using fake plants because of keeping them dust free. Any suggestions on how you keep them clean?
ReplyDeleteI love me some faux greenery and flowers. I use it inside and out and it always looks great :)
ReplyDeleteFinally! Someone takes up for us faux-lovers! Thank you so much for defending those of us who fake it! I mean, what's wrong with a little filler-foliage here and there...actually everywhere for ME! I certainly couldn't water it all if it was real. And the F. word?? Come one! You and I are cut from the same cloth, girl. It is so hard for me to resist all those luscious fall garlands at Hobby Lobby right now, but I'm doing it just to prove to my family that I CAN! They tease me, but they love the way our home looks in Fall.
ReplyDeleteSo, thank you again faux the love of faux. I have been feeling a little self-conscious lately because so many people are making fun of "fake" plants! I just consider them little sculptures and works of silk art!
Come on over and take a look at a few of mine if you have time.
Cheryl @ Mamsie's House
www.mamsieshouse.blogspot.com
Love, love, love this! Will have to try soon 'cause I have just the place for one!
ReplyDeleteI use some faux greenery and, on occasion (especially holiday times), faux flowers. Planted 2 holly bushes and can't wait till they're big enough so I can make holly wreaths, etc.
Ciao!
Guerrina
I have a black thumb so I'm all about the faux greenery! As long as it looks good...gerbera daisies are my fav faux flower.
ReplyDeleteXO
Lenore
These are great!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are so creative! Thank you for the inspiration! : )
ReplyDeleteI sure do love faux flowers! I would be lovely to afford fresh all over the house. However, I do draw the line on faux flowers stuck in the flower beds outside. Yes,it is true! Someone in my neighborhood sticks poinsettias in the flower beds at Christmas. Seriously!
ReplyDeleteWell, aren't you just my kind of girl loving faux and all? Since I have owned a silk floral/greenery business for 21 yrs. it pleased me to see so many of your readers approve of faux. That cute Nate on Oprah is the one who told the public to only use real...he and HGTV.. :(
ReplyDeleteLove your topiary! It looks every bit as nice as the pricey ones, and I even sell those too!
Oh goodness, I just love this one! I have a definite brown thumb and couldn't keep anything (well, plants) alive back when I use to try... even plants my Dad told me I couldn't kill. Ha ha... he jokes! I'm going to have to try this one for sure!
ReplyDeleteHorray! Finally somebody in blogland who isn't repelled by faux greenery! Let's face it - flowers are expensive. So to keep greenery and flowers all year long in my house, sometimes I gotta use the fake stuff! My only rule is that I only use colors that I'd actually find in real plants and flowers. So no turquoise flowers for me! :-)
ReplyDeleteI use fake also--my thumb is not so green. Your arrangement looks awesome! I find that Hobby Lobby is a great source for fake plantings. Can't beat that 50% off and you can find plants that look almost real. I will be making one of these myself. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteVery cute!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love it. I want one too. The one under the cloche is perfect for the "Summer Cloche Party". I will have Mr. Linky up tonight. Hope you will join. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeletelove your post! i use a small amout of faux greenery in my home. i do LOVE the topiary ball and think i will incorporate one in my main bath soon. =]
ReplyDeletehave a creative day,
Amy W.
love your post! i use a small amout of faux greenery in my home. i do LOVE the topiary ball and think i will incorporate one in my main bath soon. =]
ReplyDeletehave a creative day,
Amy W.
love your post! i use a small amout of faux greenery in my home. i do LOVE the topiary ball and think i will incorporate one in my main bath soon. =]
ReplyDeletehave a creative day,
Amy W.
love your post! i use a small amout of faux greenery in my home. i do LOVE the topiary ball and think i will incorporate one in my main bath soon. =]
ReplyDeletehave a creative day,
Amy W.
Thank you, thank you!! I laughed out loud at the business in front, party in the back. I love a good mullet joke :)
ReplyDeleteAnd the iron vase under the cloche...GORGEOUS!!!! I need to find me some cloches (?). Been looking all over and haven't scored any yet!
This is too cute! I love it! And thank you for posting positives about faux plants... :)
ReplyDeleteI am totally heading to Hobby Lobby Saturday for a foam ball and faux greenery. I have the perfect container! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI love your cloche. Is it light blue? Great purchase.
ReplyDeleteAlas, I am not a fan of fake greenery. My father was a farm boy and wouldn't allow it in our house. My mother used newly dried bittersweet, etc. in the winter.
I'm right there with you! I tried real plants years ago,spent a bundle on them all. They all died. NOTHING beats faux greenery! I stand by it completely. It always looks top notch. Love your little arrangements!
ReplyDeleteLisa
ok that is just super cute and super smart!! I too love the faux greenery that looks so real you have to touch it to make sure. The 80'sIvy however is a big no,no. But i love the ferny, herby stuff!
ReplyDeleteI am not opposed to it, but use it sparingly due to allergies (they tend to collect dust easily). I love greenery versus floral...I think they look more natural.
ReplyDeleteI use fake flowers too!!! I love your idea, though, of using a lot of greenery. The white pot looks fantastic, I may have to steal your idea ;)
ReplyDeletewow, i am so impressed! and i use fake plants, too. our cats try to make dinner out of the real ones :/
ReplyDeleteSeriously adorable! I would just never think of this stuff!
ReplyDeleteI love that you are real! The empty back of your beautiful creation made my day. It is so like me, to get 3/4 of the way done and run out of "ingredients". Thanks for always sharing the reality with us!
ReplyDeleteI had just finished laying out all my supplies to make one of these--and was getting ready to look up Miss Mustard Seed's tutoria--when I clicked on you in Google Reader! So yes, I love a convincing faux, and I can't wait to see the transformation of this lovely Goodwill ivy & pink roses topiary. :)
ReplyDelete"That's money I could be shopping Goodwill with."
ReplyDeleteYOU are a woman after my own heart! :)
I'd been considering going faux for some hanging baskets on my front porch, but was coming up short on arrangement ideas. You have inspired me! Thank you!
Yes I am a faux lover too and in fact just came in from my lunch break at Hob Lob meself, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI scored some cool florals at 1/2 off. I really want some topiaries flanking either side of my mantle but am too cheap to spring for them. I think I'll go back tonight and get some to make my own :)
Love it!! Gonna copy :) And I'm all about FAUX!!
ReplyDeleteAs a girl who bills herself as "twenty-faux," you could say that yes, I am a faux lover. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love that greenery project, mullet and all. ;)
I'm pretty sure I've spent 47 of the last 48 hours on your blog. I love it! Excuse me while I run out to every Goodwill and Habitat Restore in my general location :)
ReplyDeletei do not have a green thumb, so we are all about faux greenery around here!
ReplyDeletei did a similiar project with roses and foam topiaries for our wedding ceremony. afterward i took the roses out and replaced it with ivy. The topiaries are still a part of our decor, 7 years later! great job!
You may have changed me perspective on faux flower arrangements. This looks way different than the dustry silk flowers my Granny used at her home. I think I may try the smaller version for our piano room.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with a little greenery anyway!! Especially when it is as cute as that!!
ReplyDeleteLove it!!
A little faux never hurt anybody. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are just the bomb, you know?
Cant' kill it, can't dump dirt all over, can't go wrong with faux!! It's beautiful (and the partial one looks like something I would do)
ReplyDeleteI confess, I like silks too, and that's just an adorable topiary.
ReplyDeleteLove 'em! Thanks for the idea! :) You ROCK!
ReplyDeleteLove it....I'm a faux person too! I can grow great stuff outside, but am horrible with houseplants so I have half faux and half real!
ReplyDeleteLove it!!!!!! There's nothing wrong with faux if it doesn't look faux, kwim?? :) Yours are just bee-yoo-tiful!
ReplyDeleteOh my! Bravo to you for breaking free of the chains of real plants! I have a mix of real and faux and I always get the most real-looking faux I can find! Thank you for blowing the lid off the ridiculous-ness that I hear about not using any fake stuff EVER! Faux-shizzle!
ReplyDeleteVanessa
http://southerninmyheart.blogspot.com
I use fake flowers! And when I get tired of them I buy more and strip apart the old flowers to make little flower fairies... :)
ReplyDeleteCan I come live in your house??? Seriously, I could be very happy there :) I love EVERYTHING about this post. Fake flowers are one of the many loves of my life. I can't have enough of them around here.
ReplyDeleteI sent a bunch of faux foliage to Goodwill and have gotten some updated plants, still foliage. How could faux foliage ever go out of style? Cute projects!
ReplyDeleteLisa
I love faux! And I love your topiary thingy ma bobs.
ReplyDeleteI have a real ivy on top of my cabinets. How dumb am I? It's completely shriveled up and dead. So which looks better? Dead and real? Or Green and fake?
Very very pretty! All the faux plant lovers raise your hand up...me me me! I'm raising my hand up. I love decorating with them. You did a great job with everything.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Sandra
Oh love it!! I am sooo going to have to make one of these! Especially since I {heart} fake flowers too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sticking up for fake greenery. :-)I do use it, but I try not to overdo it. Ha
ReplyDeleteCute project.
I asbolutely need to go buy myself some fake green stuff. I had no idea how nice it could look!
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up. But you already knew that.
ReplyDeleteWe have a relative that pronounces "faux" as "fox". True story. And I die laughing every time he says it, but don't have the heart to correct him.
I pronounce it "badger".
And there may be a fake plant or two in my house. But I'm more of a natural stick and twig kind of girl.
LOVE IT!!! I'm going to copy it. I KILL anything that is real. Seriously, it just DIES!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the poofy topiary ball! It looks fabulous! I am going to have to remember this idea. :)
ReplyDeleteI love me some fake! You can get some really good ones that dont look crazy. This project is super cute, they always are when you do them!
ReplyDeleteYes, I love faux too!! Especially big vases with a big blob of fake, ahem, excuse me, FAUX hydrangeas in them! So pretty! I also love realy flowers, but only ones that grow in the garden... too expensive to buy flowers to decorate with when they will only last a few days.
ReplyDeleteLove you ideas! I passed the name of your blog onto my daughter, and now she is imagining every piece of furniture painted black! We are new fans, but we are here to stay! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteKathleen, same here. I love Faux too!! Flowers and greenery are my passion. I decorated my new bedroom furniture with some Faux vases placed quite nicely.
ReplyDeleteThough room is filled up, but it is lovely for me.
Love this idea. Such a great one. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these planter you did!! I'm SO copying this!
ReplyDeleteI use both...real and fake. Lately, I seem to be killing everything, so I've been replacing with some fake stuff lately. I look for the 'realest' (is that a word, LOL) looking ones I can find...for cheap of course.
I was just hunting for greenery and was very tempted to order one from Ballard Designs a couple of days ago...but now I am just going to make one! They look great!
ReplyDeleteI just love your greenery balls. They are just gorgeous. Love the tiny one under a cloche. How perfect. Great tutorial too. Gorgeous. Thanks so much for joining the party. Love them. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteAll the faux you showed was gorgeous, as are the new DIY topiaries. I'd say go with the faux!
ReplyDeletehaha, love how you were brave enough to show us the backside. Looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteTres Chic!! I love Faux plants and LOVE this post! ;) You mentioned the Midland Antique Market...been there once, but lately when I drive by I can't tell if it's open or not. Do you know??
ReplyDeleteblessings,
tonyad
You make faux look good!!!!
ReplyDeleteI also liked your jars with the vinyl and chalkboard ink. You share lots of great ideas! Thanks!
I think it's all lovely and just think, no watering needed. You don't have to worry about trimming or the light, it's perfect, Char
ReplyDeleteOk, so I just found your blog. I'm so excited! Love love love the greenery! Oh, and I plan on looking through Emily's blog over at Decorchick =)
ReplyDeleteI love your post on faux flowers. I am a florist and use and sell a lot of silks and faux green arrangements. So funny that many think my silks are real and my real flowers look silk. They are great for people who have a hard time keeping real ones alive on the inside. They are very much appreciated in our area for nursing homes. I really love you site and have been watching it for a couple of years now. You did a great job with those topiaries.
ReplyDeleteLove faux...Can't wait to try the topiary ball! ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's just charming, your greenery under glass! And the topiary ball..brilliant! I'm so glad I stopped by to visit!
ReplyDeleteLynette
I love faux flowers. I also have cats who like to eat real flowers, so it makes the decision a little easier. your greens turned out amazing! I might give it a try for myself!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love this!!! I can't wait to get myself to Hobby Lobby so I can try this out!!
ReplyDeleteThese are great! I too use faux....faux...even the word is fun! I will keep this project in the back of my head for that special spot! Thanks for all your inspiration!
ReplyDelete