A step-by-step tutorial for creating a beautiful peony centerpiece for your summer table or entryway using silk flowers and greenery. Plus, learn where to shop for the most realistic fake flowers.
CREATE | Updated November 21, 2024
Although you may prefer using fresh flowers, don't overlook the benefits of (realistic looking) artificial flowers for creating arrangements.
The market for faux has improved over the years and if you keep your eyes open, you'll likely find some that are just about as good as the real thing. And they will last much longer for you to enjoy!
Silk flowers are especially nice when creating centerpieces because the fragrance of an elaborate bouquet in the middle of a tablescape may be too much when gathered to eat.
And in this instance of using peonies at a summer garden party, one should not forget that ants really love crawling around inside the flowers. Ants on the table of a fancy garden party are not a good combination!
READ NEXT: Hosting a Summer Garden Party....Find the tablescape, lunch menu and free printable invitations!
Arranging faux flowers is very similar to that of real flowers. Let's go step by step through the construction of the centerpiece from my summer garden tablescape so that you can make one, too!.
What Flowers Are Needed for a Summertime Arrangement?
Peonies are one of the most popular flowers you'll see in the early summer and that is something you want to consider when creating arrangements with artificial flowers. It will seem more realistic if you keep your flower choice seasonally appropriate.
I chose to combine the peonies with hydrangeas and eucalyptus because they looked pretty together and the watercolor graphics I was using on my Garden Party Invitations included the trio.
Other artificial flower choices you might consider for an early summer centerpiece would be roses, magnolias, daisies, irises, trumpet lillies, and lavender. Add two or three different varieties together with some greenery for a centerpiece with interest.
Other greenery options could be olive branches, ivy, magnolia leaves, or ferns.
Where to Buy Fake Flowers that Look Real
Craft stores like JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels always have a selection of seasonal flowers. It is nice to be able to see and feel them in person so that you know whether or not they look realistic. Sometimes flower bush options from stores can look pretty fake, but they typically have nice single stem varieties at a reasonable price.
Specialty home decor shops are another brick and mortar option to look in for nice artificial flower stems.
Online, you'll pay a lot more, but likely will find the most realistic flowers and varieties that you won't find in the stores. The best options to look at are:
- Aflora
- Pottery Barn
- Terrain
- Etsy
- Magnolia
- Prestige Botanicals
- Crate and Barrel
- Nearly Natural
- Silks Are Forever
- Ikea
- Amazon
- Target
Keep in mind that rarer types of flowers will be harder to find in a retail store and at a lower price point. But if the flowers are something you'll use year after year, they can be worth the investment you'll make with the online options.
What Should I Use to Hold My Silk Flower Arrangement?
Every beautiful arrangement begins with a great container.
We typically think of using vases and glass vessels, but practically anything can be used to make a unique floral arrangement, especially with flowers that don't require water. Think outside the box and use baskets, urns, glass bowls, or whatever you might have on hand that will fit the blooms you're using.
I choose a wood box handcrafted using chunky antique baseboards that purchased at an artisan market. Because my tablescape was created on a shabby old farm table, I thought the chipped white paint of this box paired perfectly and contrasted nicely with the basic white dinnerware and glass candlesticks.
The Steps to Building a Stunning Faux Flower Arrangement
STEP 1: Start your fake flower arrangement with a base of something green.
It creates a neutral palette for the colorful flowers to shine against and fills in any empty spaces you may have. The greenery helps create structure in the arrangement for the flowers to tuck into similar to what chicken wire does in a real arrangement.
In this instance, I used a seeded eucalyptus garland from Hobby Lobby. Using wire cutters, I cut three portions of about 1 1/2 feet each from the garland and stuck them in cascading out over the sides of the box. (This is a similar garland option on Amazon).
STEP 2: Next, I tucked in three large Oak Leaf Hydrangea stems purchased from Pottery Barn, fluffing the eucalyptus branches around to hold the stems in place. At first, I thought they might be too big for this arrangement, but they actually filled in the arrangement perfectly once everything was in place.
The wired stems were quite long, so I folded them to get the flowers to fit, but you can also cut the branch if you think that you won't want a longer branch in the future.
STEP 3: A combination of white and pink peonies came next. I love these artificial peonies from Pottery Barn because they come in a group of four separate branches with both open and closed flowers. The variety gives a more realistic feel to the peonies because that is what you'd see with freshly cut flowers.
Once again, I bent and folded the stems to make the flowers rise out of the arrangement where I wanted them, but the stems could be cut if you'd like.
STEP 4: Finally, I added a few smaller sprigs of eucalyptus where there were empty spots in the arrangement.
When you think you're done arranging your flowers, look at the centerpiece from all angles making sure that everything is in place regardless of where you are viewing it. Do a little extra fluffing or move flowers to fill in empty gaps and ensure your guests have something pretty to look at wherever they may sit if you are using it for a centerpiece.
It always takes me a little time to finally get the arrangement to look how I want, so don't get discouraged if what you put together doesn't immediately look the way you envision.
I think I tore this one completely apart three times before I got it to come together, which is probably one of the reasons why I enjoy working with artificial flowers so much!
The more you practice arranging flowers the better you will get and the faster they will come together. It feels very rewarding to be able to craft something like this each season (or every few weeks!) for an entryway table or centerpiece.
Other Posts You Might Love
Simple Tips that Will Have You Arranging Flowers Like a Pro
Faux Flower Arranging 101
A Simple Fall Flower Arrangement - Using end-of-the-season cuttings to create a beautiful varied arrangement.
How to Create Stunning Planters with Faux Flowers for Your Summer Porch - Fake florals aren't just for indoors!
"Growing" Shrubs in Containers Without a Green Thumb - My trick to lush and thriving bushes outside.
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