Redoing a faux succulent arrangement from Target
Fellow blogger Helen Yoest recently mentioned on Facebook that Target is selling potted faux succulents, so of course I had to go take a look. I’m not averse to using fake plants in my home, which is rather dim along one side, making for houseplant Hades. I’ve wanted to use potted succulents on a narrow console in my dining room, but I knew live plants wouldn’t get the bright, indirect light they need to thrive.
Still, when I checked out Target’s selection of faux echeverias, donkey’s tail, and sedums, I wasn’t bowled over by their verisimilitude. But I did think these little agaves looked real. I loved the white, textured, vaguely African-style pot as well.
The only problem? Those in-your-face silk peonies, or whatever they’re supposed to be. In what universe would agaves and peonies be growing together?
Image from Target.com
I didn’t want to give up on those faux agaves and the cool pot, though, and I liked the color contrast provided by the white flowers. So I picked up a box of vase filler balls with a naturalistic look and feel, kind of like seedpods or cones.
When I got home I used needle-nose pliers to tug out the silk flowers and leaves. Then I selected two sizes of vase-filler balls and used a hot-glue gun to secure them, filling the holes left by the flowers. I also grabbed a box of potpourri I had lying around and used some of the small, purplish brown seedpods to fill the smaller holes, hot-gluing them in place as well. Now it smelled good! Here’s one side.
And here’s the other. The faux agaves show up better without the floral distraction, but the white balls still give it a little pop.
And here it is on my console, along with a metal raven and a wooden vase (also from Target) filled with poppy seedheads. This wall is my homage to the desert Southwest, painted a warm tomato-red, with fanciful prints by Arizona artist Carolyn Schmitz that feature shoes made of agave leaves, seedpods, and scorpion tails. The folk-art winged heart at top came from a fun, girly shop in Dallas called The Gypsy Wagon.
The faux agaves now tie the console to the art, and I’m very pleased with how my little Frankenstein arrangement turned out.
So have you ever tinkered with something you bought for your home to make it your own?
All material © 2006-2014 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Very cool! I especially like the winged heart above but those agave shoes and boots are to die for too. I’ve been looking for some realistic fake succulents as well.. didn’t think to check Target.
They have a bunch of ’em in little pots, wall-hanging frames, and arrangements like this one, Cheryl. —Pam
Very clever use of the faux agaves! It never occurred to me to rip out the really plastic looking flowers you see on those arrangements. Thanks for the inspiration!
It was simple to do, Gail. You could also use natural seedpods, pinecones, etc., from your own garden. —Pam
I love what you did with this pot of faux Agaves. And I love everything else on the wall with it, especially that winged heart. I redid a wreath that contained dried and silk flowers and twigs from the thrift store a couple of years ago, replacing a few fake flowers with real dried ones from my own garden.
I love the idea of customizing a wreath or arrangement with plants collected from your own garden, Alison. —Pam
Much better! You certainly did a nice job in re-vamping that arrangement and it looks more realistic without the flowers (what were they thinking?!) They are getting much better with faux plants these days. I had one I bought and friends thought it was real! Yours looks perfect on the shelf where you have it!
Thanks, Lee. Now I just need to remember to keep it dusted. 😉 —Pam
Only you could get away with using verisimilitude correctly in a sentence, Pam. Good job!
Ha ha! I couldn’t help thinking of “The Moderns” when I used that word. Remember that movie? —Pam
You are pretty clever ma’m! I like it.
Sometimes I surprise myself, Janet. —Pam
That looks lovely – the white sure POPS those agaves. They should make yours next time. 🙂
Did you see the ones on Peter’s blog Outlaw Gardener, Heather? Here’s the link: http://outlawgarden.blogspot.com/2014/01/plants-are-difficult-immitation-is.html . Now THOSE are some beautiful arrangements. I wish our local nurseries offered a few fakes like those for the unlit rooms in our homes. —Pam
This is a great make over. I rarely use fake plants but I am always moving things around here.
Gotta keep it fresh, right, Lisa? —Pam
I like the way you have tied it all together! I have found some very tasteful home items at Target. I am taking a break from painting a room myself. You are inspiring! Thanks!
The only other thing I can think of that is natural and white are the pods from the Chinese Tallow Tree. I like the white cones!
Those tallow seedpods would be easy to find, as that tree grows all over Austin! And glued into an arrangement would be much better than germinating hither and yon. 🙂 —Pam
I was fascinated by your agave artwork on those beautiful red walls of your home. Thank you for giving credit to the artist Carolyn Schmitz. I went to her website and she has some fascinating stuff. I have contacted her and may order some prints. I have never seen anything like that! Plant and animal lovers art for sure!
Isn’t her art amazing? So whimsical and so perfect for nature lovers, especially those who love the plants of the Southwest — and shoes. —Pam
That looks great — I really like the white balls instead of the white magnolias. It all looks wonderful under your art work. Good job!
Thanks, Diana. I had fun with my little gluing project! —Pam
Apparently, faux succulents are a new trend who knew? I came across them before Christmas at a local craft emporium and Peter of The Outlaw Gardener also posted a piece on them this week.
Thanks for mentioning Outlaw Gardener’s post about faux succulents. I just checked it out — wowee, those are fancy arrangements, and I love them! Here’s his post, for anyone else who wants to see high-end arrangements: http://outlawgarden.blogspot.com/2014/01/plants-are-difficult-immitation-is.html —Pam
Thanks for the link love, Pam! I would have looked at those arrangements at Target and thought that the pot and agaves were great but not so much the peonies and left them, not thinking of how I could replace the peonies. You, ma’am are a woman of vision! Your wall and console are delightful!
Thanks, Peter. If I could create the arrangements YOU showed I’d feel like I actually had vision. —Pam
These are great Pam – thanks for the heads up!
I have not checked prices (definitely will run higher than Target’s), but for readers in the Austin area, they offer a fine selection of faux succulents inside the little house/register area for Barton Springs Nursery.
As to local seedpods for use as filler? You’ll have to look ahead to Fall, when local Mexican Buckeye trees and Sycamores have really interesting seedpods and the burr oaks used in median plantings around town will be dropping great acorns. I’ve also been known to use ball moss as filler in pots – if you’re willing, a pop of spray paint can transform them into spiky wonders.
Great suggestions on locally available seedpods and the ball moss, TexasDeb! —Pam
The faux succulents at Barton Springs Nursery are so good that I had both my parents at Thanksgiving ask me how long the aeonium had been sitting outside of its pot!
Fantastic, Astra. —Pam
Oh, much better than with those silk flowers! I don’t ever use fake flowers, as I’m sure I would forget to dust them and then they’d look ridiculous. I do often change things I buy at the store, though it usually involves a coat of paint. I love your tomato-red wall!
Paint is a wonderful and inexpensive way to make something your own, isn’t it? I’m keen on spray paint myself. —Pam
You just bumped me off my smug high horse.
Ha ha! I wondered what that thump was, Ricki. 😉 —Pam