00:01Prefer real plants over fake? You just may change your mind after you see this.
00:07My criteria for collecting full plants is that they look realistic to some degree,
00:13especially from a distance. So I recently picked these eucalyptus stems up from the thrift store,
00:19and I love the realistic look, the variations, the tones, and that was a passing grade for me.
00:26Now that I've collected a few of my favorites, I'm going to bring them upstairs and put them to work,
00:32doing impossible things real plants can't. Here's a few realistic features to look for.
00:38This little pot had real stones. I love the purple tones, and I like the greens on that as well.
00:45Nice fur flash of color somewhere. I thought this fur looked pretty good, but once again,
00:50real stones, and the pot was pretty cute too. But this one fools the most people.
00:56This is a silk plant that is styled as bulbs planted in soil, with moss, with a grainy pot,
01:05and I think that one is a total win. After landing this gorgeous bird print at the thrift,
01:12I felt it deserved to be further enhanced in a special way to mimic the vibe.
01:16So I arranged some plants to hug one side of the frame, so the plants became part of the picture,
01:21rather than separate entities. Along the left side, I placed a piece of firewood with a unique shape,
01:28then dressed it up with a little fern on its side, tucked into a nook, as if it was growing
01:32in a forest.
01:39If you allow the plants to overlap the frame, they become part of the project, as opposed to having
01:46it completely separate. My bird picture now has the perfect companions to marry that woodland vibe,
01:53thanks to just a few carefully placed plants. Next up, let's morph a fun little wall cubby into
01:59something special. I gathered up some smaller plants that could fit inside the cube shapes.
02:05Some smaller succulents were pulled from pots, and some longer plants were either clipped or pulled
02:11apart to shorten their lengths. Then I tucked a plant into random squares, balancing texture and tone.
02:17This little cubby now mimics a mini plant wall, perfectly sized for a shelf, a windowsill, or to hang on
02:23a wall. Or even as a centerpiece. After laying the shelf on its back, I added an additional plant on
02:30top,
02:30along with some taller plants to give the piece a little more varied height. Now it stands alone as
02:36a unique centerpiece or shelf sitter, anywhere you wish. I was gifted this magnificent large fiddle leaf
02:43fig plant from a generous neighbor. However, the big empty pot could use some help. Some mid-sized plants
02:49in different shapes and sizes were placed inside the plant pot while varying their heights for a mounded
02:55look. I also like adding real branches on occasion to beef up the realism. And the fiddle leaf fig now
03:02looks full and lush from top to bottom. A plant-filled base pot gives a much different effect than just
03:07moss or otherwise, offering a unique twist to a typical plant pot look. Let's try a quirky take on an
03:14old
03:15vintage crate. The crate was placed in an open position on the table. I then gathered up some
03:20potted plants of equal sizes while still rotating out their shapes. After the crate was attached to the wall,
03:27I used various ways to hang the pots inside the crate. An easy way was using push pins to puncture
03:33a leaf
03:33to hang it up. If the leaves are too small, I also used a pin or screw to go right
03:39through the pot.
03:43Okay, I love this one the most so far. I love the fact that this can be placed anywhere where
03:49there's
03:49not enough light for a real plant, yet you get the full plant look, full pots too, and no need
03:56to water.
03:57Now how about that dust? Aren't fake plants a pain to keep clean? Sure, they get dusty, but since I'm
04:04dusting
04:04anyway, I don't hesitate to give some smaller plants a good swish of soapy water or take a cloth or
04:10duster
04:10to larger plants. I clean them when they need it, just like everything else in my home. How about ugly
04:16plants? What if you can't find ones that look real? Nine times out of ten I attempt to gather plants
04:22that
04:23I like the look of and color and texture. I look for realistic features. However, every once in a while
04:30you find a shape, say droopy, that you don't have at home, but you don't like the color. So that's
04:36where
04:36you can paint. So I painted both sides of each leaf in a mid green shade. Then after it dried,
04:47I dabbed on a slightly lighter and darker shade all over the leaves to give them a mottled look.
04:52Check out that difference. Since the leaves look so much better, I even used them in a small real flower
04:58arrangement. You know, I get it. Not everyone's going to be a fake plant lover. However, I use them
05:05as a decorating tool to inject light into low light areas that can't normally accommodate a plant.
05:12And you can never have too many plants. Wouldn't you agree?
05:18And since they can be arranged in unique ways real plants can't, I'll personally be collecting realistic
05:24faux plants for many years to come. If you desire some new fall decor but don't want to pay new
05:29prices,
05:30consider starting at a local thrift store to see what you can come up with on your own.
05:34I'm starting things fresh by washing each thrift store item and soaking off the labels. If the
05:40adhesive stays behind, a quick wipe with Goo Gone works instantly. Next up, two fall toned plates are
05:46getting the pumpkin treatment. I'm cutting a small piece of black sign green vinyl. However, you can also use
05:53contact paper. Placing a stencil on top, I'm cutting some pumpkin faces with an X-Acto knife. This stencil
06:00is called Mini Pumpkin Patch Kit from Funky Junk's Old Sign Stencils. After the design is cut, I'm scoring
06:06the vinyl from the designs to the edge of the vinyl so I can easily remove the background. Using the
06:13tip
06:13of an X-Acto blade, I'm lifting up each cut piece and placing them positioned off-center on both plates.
06:20And I'm left with an adorable matching serving plate and coaster so I can fully embrace fun treats to eat
06:26and delicious things to drink in fine fall style. I'm selecting a little pottery creamer thanks to its
06:33lovely rustic fall vibes. Heading outdoors, I'm cutting some fronds off of some grassy plants, choosing the
06:39ones that really fan out. Now I'm cutting the frond stems so they fit inside the creamer. Water can be
06:45used,
06:45or you can try your hand at drying the fronds to see what happens. Which creates an instantly cute and
06:51natural fall foliage arrangement. Now I'm choosing a wooden sign with huge fall potential. Turning the
06:58sign good side down, I'm lightly sanding the back to clean it up, however choosing to leave the wood raw.
07:04I'm using a stencil called Pumpkins Cider Hay Rides Fire Pit from Funky Junk's Old Sign Stencils.
07:10I'm selecting one fall sign saying per board, taking care to ensure the arrows are rotating directions.
07:17The words are being stenciled in coal black by Fusion Mineral Paint. To keep stencil images super sharp,
07:24just ensure the paint loaded stencil brush feels nearly dry to the touch before stenciling. Now I'm
07:30grabbing some thin rustic twine and wrapping it around the two ends of the longest sign board,
07:35then securing it by tying a knot. To decorate the sign, I'm trimming some faux dollar store flowers to
07:41tuck under the twine on one side, and gluing on some foam pumpkins to the other side. And I'm left
07:47with an adorable fall directional sign that can easily chime in with any other fall decor to theme up a
07:54vignette to the hilt. But it's also cute enough to stand out on its own too. I'm grabbing a cute
08:00fall cup
08:01and saucer combo to add a little nighttime ambience. A candle is getting re-wrapped with twine ribbon then
08:07is being placed inside the cup. Positioning a few real fall leaves on the saucer, I now have a lovely
08:14candle and holder that is heat safe and can be easily moved wherever I desire. I'm choosing some
08:20glass lanterns that came with battery operated candles that actually worked. The lanterns are getting
08:25a few snips of grass, leaves and flowers tucked inside. Then with candles aglow they are being hung up to
08:31create a charming ambiance outdoors. Just imagine the endless possibilities inside too!
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