Photo: ARTFULLY PHOTOGRAPHER (Shutterstock)
Not everyone has a green thumb (although there there are apps for that), and you may never want to be bothered by keeping real plants alive. Fake ones look fine and are way less effort (though you still need to dust them as you would their natural counterparts), but sometimes they look a bit too fake. You can make them look better—from plain old faux to luxe artificial plants—in just a few simple steps.
Literally elevate your fake plants
For tree-sized artificial plants, the first thing you should do is find a bigger pot than you think you need. You want to create the illusion your plant has a bunch of roots somewhere down there, and a big, sturdy pot looks does the job—along with looking stately and chic.Watch this TikTok from Amy E. Peters to see how good it looks:
Of course, that big pot will probably outsize your little phony shrub by a considerable margin, so you should also give it a boost. Peters recommends putting bubble wrap or newspaper under the plant, while other TikTokers, like Michelle Lei, opt for bigger items like old books.
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A towering plant in a big, beautiful pot is a much bougier and more realistic-looking statement than a puny little guy in a boring vessel.
Add other bits of realism to your artificial plants
In Peters’ video, you’ll notice a second layer to the technique: You should trim some cardboard to the size of the pot’s opening, cut a hole for your plastic stems and leaves to come through, and then use that flush, flat space to create the illusion of reality. Add rocks, moss, or even soil, if you want. Your goal is to make it appear that you have a real plant growing the way real plants do, surrounded by other natural things. If you have smaller faux plants on tables or shelves, be sure to add moss, stones, and little decorations to their pots, too. Hardly anyone will be able to tell you bought those perfect-looking shrubs at the store.
