Beautiful friends, I have a crafty project today that is just perfect for Spring!
But first I’ll reveal what items I kept from my mini-makeovers painting marathon! Ya’ll know me so well! I kept the corbels of course…how could I not?
I also kept one of the lamps since it looks so sweet here in my office:
But I also have yet to drop off another item… this sweet little napkin holder I shared:
I just love the vintage feel of it! Thanks for guessing! 🙂 If you missed any of these 15 mini makeovers, you can visit them HERE and HERE!
Now onto today’s project:
I love having fresh flowers throughout my house, and I love using them in my photo shoots, really I do. I also love perusing the faux floral aisle at HomeGoods. You know the one? The one that has already arranged florals in vases WITH water. Faux water, that is.
When we bought this house, I found this arrangement at HomeGoods for $40:
I rationalized that $40 wasn’t too bad since these flowers will never die, and then I bought another arrangement just like it for my bedside table.
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I use.
Then it occurred to me…what if I could make my own “faux-real” arrangements? I figured they have to sell that fake water somewhere, and guess what? They do! I found it at Hobby Lobby near the faux florals:
(If you don’t have a Hobby Lobby, they also sell it on Amazon HERE.)
We planted tons of beautiful flowers at our old house, especially hydrangeas that I could cut and bring in during the warmer months…
Holy hydrangeas!
They lasted from the end of May all the way through early Fall. I loved using them to style my photos:
I also brought in clippings of Russian Sage:
And whatever this is…pretty much anything that was blooming at the time!
This house has nothing to clip whatsoever (yet). So instead of spending a fortune buying the real deal, making a few good fakes might do the trick until I have fresh flowers to cut again.
You may have seen these pretty white roses I’ve used in my photos recently:
Well…they’re fakes, but really good ones don’t you think? The water in that photo is real, just to make the flowers look more realistic for the photo.
I chose to use these same white roses to test out the Quick Water.
I think this arrangement looks pretty darned realistic:
Right? Doesn’t it look like I went out to the garden and snipped some roses to dress up my tray?
If y’all are interested in making your own faux-real arrangement, here’s what you’ll need:
1. Faux florals (The more realistic, the better!)
3. Glass container
4. Quick Water (Find it online HERE if you don’t have a Hobby Lobby near you.)
5. Plastic container and something to stir with
6. Hot glue gun and hot glue (optional)
I started by finding my florals. I found five of these beautiful white roses at Michaels as part of their Spring collection. They were $4.99 each plus 40% off:
Realistic as possible is key, including the stems, since you will see them through the glass. These stems even had faux thorns on them.
I started by trimming the stems to the desired length:
Then, just as I would with real flowers, I trimmed away any leaves that would Fall below the water line:
Then I started dry-arranging them:
Once I had them arranged how I wanted, I opened my Quick Water box and pulled out the contents, which consisted of two bottles of clear fluid:
The instructions stated to mix the two, equal parts of each, into a plastic container for at least five minutes. I used all of both bottles:
This tongue depressor worked perfectly. (I found it in our first aid kit!)
Once it was mixed thoroughly, I removed my florals from the glass container and poured the mix into it, making sure to pour it in the center as not to get on the sides, per the instructions.
Then I added back my roses. There’s no need to rush…you have about an hour before the liquid starts to set up.
Finally, I decided to add back some of the greenery I had snipped off earlier:
I used my cordless glue gun to add them back here and there:
I think the greenery adds to the authentic factor:
Then I let the whole thing sit to cure, and that was it! Now I will be able to enjoy this little arrangement forever!
I should add a disclaimer that I am NOT a professional floral arranger. I go for an “I just cut these and brought them inside” kind of look which is a bit more haphazard.
This was a nice sized arrangement to start with. I’d love to tackle something a bit bigger next time.
The water looks pretty authentic too:
The instructions say that any air bubbles will rise to the top in the first hour. I don’t see much in the way of air bubbles at all.
This little arrangement cost me around $25. That’s not too bad in my opinion.
Now when you see it in a photo, you’ll know my secret ha ha! Shh…that’s just between us friends okay? Don’t tell my guests!
I hope you enjoyed this quick project and are inspired to make your own faux-floral arrangement!
I’ll be back on Tuesday with my Trash-to-Treasure girls sharing how I gave this desk some love:
Update: See how it turned out plus what my girls shared too HERE!
Enjoy your weekend! 🙂
XO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Mary Kaiser says
I knew I was right with my guess on what you kept!! Your much better than me though, I would have kept them all! I love this flower post also, those flowers sure look real. I was just looking at real flowers at grocery store yesterday. Very over priced and already wilting and sad looking. Now I can make my own real/fake flowers!! Thanks again for the great inspiration!!
Christy says
Ha ha yep you know me well! It is hard d to let many things go, but I can’t keep it all. And yes it’s a shame to pay so much for fresh flowers just to see them die. I do love them though…but this is a great alternative! XOXO
Diane says
Thank for sharing. I didn’t know about quick water or where it was sold. I enjoy shopping for high end faux florals at the thrift store. Occasionally, I find some that dont have the crap beat out of them and purchase for home use. I love making arrangements with even tho it does take awhile to amass enough to work with. I’ve used dry foam in the past but now I want to make a few with quick water. Thx again
Christy says
My pleasure, Diane! I’m glad I finally gave it a try! XO
Christine DiTrinco Prowak says
I guessed right….woo hooo! See, we know you so well:)
Christy says
Ha ha yes you do! ????
Christina in SW FL says
Beautiful flowers and arrangement Christy. I had never heard of that faux water stuff and it intrigues me… what else could be done with it. 🙂
Christy says
Thanks, Christina! I know…I’m curious too what else you could do with it! XO
Moriah says
I needed s little spring pick-me-up as it’s snowing here. Love your ideas! And the corbals and lights with no shades :). Great makeovers!
Christy says
Oh no…I’ve seen all that crazy weather on TV…I know you must be so ready for Spring! Stay warm!! XO
Cecilia says
Oh nice! They do look real! Faux flowers have come a long way, haven’t they? Thanks for the tutorial.
Christy says
Thanks, Cecilia! They sure have!! XOXO
Becky says
Very pretty! I’d call your “just picked” look a complete success. : ) …And I’m now kicking myself SO HARD: I just saw that jar (quart size) for a dollar, thrifting yesterday, and …made myself leave it behind. Ugh! Yours is so cute! Maybe no one will see it before I get back, haha!
Christy says
Thank you, Becky! Oh no…I hope it’s still there!! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
Corbels for the win! Your bookcases are shaping up quite nicely, Christy.
Beautiful job on the flowers. The first time I saw the fake water, I was flabbergasted. When you choose good flowers, it looks so realistic. Sometimes I go over and touch an arrangement just to see if they’re real!
Christy says
Thanks, Marcie! Yes I had to keep the corbels! I just love this fake water stuff…looking forward to making another! XOXO
Barbara says
Love this! Did not know about Quick Water. Thank you!!
Christy says
Thanks, Barbara! It’s a great alternative to the real deal! XO
Sherry Stuifbergen says
I never would have thought to “make my own” of the fake water that is in most of those “high priced” arrangements you see in catalogs. You are a “mecca” of knowledge and I thank you for sharing all you do and think up. Your blog is so real and you make your house so attractive for less. I saw that book in one pic w/corbels…”Decorating with White”…I will look it up on Amazon. I love decorating books for ideas.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Sherry! I truly appreciate your thoughtful words!! Those fake arrangements really are crazy expensive, aren’t they? And that book is great for decorating inspiration! XOXO
JennieLee says
I’m excited you posted this! I’ve always wanted to make some smaller arrangements with the faux water. So glad there’s a Hobby Lobby in my town.
Thanks, Christy! Also love your photos and remakes of furniture & accessories.
Christy says
Oh yay!! I hope you try it…I am ready to do another now! Thank you so much, JennieLee! XOXO
Ange says
Those roses look so real. Great job! Love that you can make your own arrangements for so much less than the stores.
Christy says
Don’t they look so real? Thanks, Ange! Hope you are enjoying your weekend! XOXO
Jenna says
So brilliant Christy! I didn’t know there was such a thing!
Christy says
I know, right? I have admired those faux floral arrangements for years, and now we can make our own! XOXO
Nancy Walden says
I love your rose arrangement! A few months ago, I used Quick Water to make an arrangement for my living room. I simply could not find anything pre-made in the right size and color so I had to get creative. I found very realistic peonies at Hobby Lobby that were just the right color and ,bonus, they were 50% off! I used a coupon to buy Quick Water so the total cost was very reasonable.
Christy says
Thanks, Nancy! I bet your peonies are beautiful! I love that stuff! XOXO
Addie says
Ya had to torture me ONE more time with those hydrangeas !!!!! You must have just the right weather to grow those. Not enough water in the west. I had a big bush at one house…but I had to water every day. If it was hot, twice a day!!! I was a slave to them.
Pretty fakes!!!!
Christy says
Ha ha…don’t worry, I’m torturing myself as well now since they are no longer mine boooo hoooo! They are a bit of work the first couple of years until they are well established, then they are pretty self sufficient unless you get extremely hot days. Can’t wait to plant some at our new house! Thanks, Addie! XOXO
Leticia says
Very nice! Thank you for the tutorial! Loved it.. Have a good afternoon.
Leticia
Christy says
Thanks, Leticia! My pleasure! XOXO
Julie Briones says
Happy sigh…. just sighhhhh. You, again my dear, make my head shake in wonder! They look TOTALLY real!
Christy says
Aww ha ha…isn’t this stuff cool? They really do look real! Hope you are enjoying your weekend! XOXO
MaryJean says
Wow! I didn’t know they had fake water! ???? Your flowers look great, I wouldn’t know they weren’t real!
Christy says
I know, right?? I can’t wait to make another arrangement now! Thanks, MaryJean! XOXO
Linda Petersen says
Thank you for the new idea! The arrangement is lovely. My girlfriend & I are going out tomorrow & the first place we will hit is Michael’s & then Hobby Lobby!!! Can’t wait. I have another friend with a birthday coming up who loves peonies. Will start with those & hopefully it will be perfect????. XOXO
Christy says
My pleasure, Linda! I hope you and your girlfriend found some pretty florals! Peonies would be perfect for this! XOXO
Naomi S. says
So pretty! I might have to stop over at Michael’s soon! The roses do look real in the photos. Thanks for the information about the faux “water” mixture, too.
Christy says
Thanks, Naomi! They really do look like the real deal! XOXO
Janice says
Beautiful!
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! XOXO
Sandi says
So beautiful, Christy. Thanks for the instructions. I must try this soon!
Christy says
Thanks, Sandi, and you are so welcome! XOXO
Ann C says
Twenty years ago when I got married we had silk arrangements in “water” because we were moving across the country the next day and I wanted to be able to keep them. The water gradually turned yellowish over the years but I thought it just added to the authenticity until my mother mentioned I should really change the water on my flowers! That convinced me it was time to let them go.
Christy says
Oh no ha ha…I suppose this may yellow over time too. Great idea for your wedding though! XOXO
Marie says
Oh, I’ve admired those pretty faux arrangements at Homesense all the time but refuse to pay the price. Thanks for showing us how to make our own at a fraction of the cost. Mama needs some quick water!
Christy says
Same here…I love looking through that aisle! They can be very pricey though. I can’t wait to try another now! Go get you some quick water, Mama! XOXO
Maria says
This is something i love to do and i am going to save this post.
Maria
Christy says
Awesome! I really enjoyed this project. Thanks for stopping by! XO
Christy says
Awesome! I really enjoyed this project. Thanks for stopping by! XO
Debbie Mayfield says
Thanks for sharing! They look so real. I can’t wait to make my own. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Christy says
Thank you, Debbie! My husband even asked the other day where I got them from because he thought they were real ha ha! XOXO
MARY LOU ATENCIO says
Hello Christy,
Did you send out something on Tuesday of this week? I didn’t get your email and was just wondering. I don’t want to miss anything! (-:
Thank you
Christy says
Hi Mary Lou! I sure did…and my Mailchimp account shows that you received it? Check your spam folder if you don’t see it in your regular email. I’m sorry you are having trouble finding it. You can view it here in the meantime: https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/how-to-stop-that-pesky-bleed-through-once-and-for-all-an-antique-desk-makeover/ If you don’t get your Thursday email, please let me know so I can look into it further. Thank you SO much for being a longtime follower! 🙂 XOXO
Diana says
I just recently found your site and saw the faux water flower arrangement and was thinking that it would be interesting to use it to make faux water globes at Christmas or anything that you wanted to make look like it was suspended in water, a flower with a butterfly maybe?
Christy says
Hi Diana! Oh absolutely…great ideas! XO