Why are artificial flowers sometimes called silk flowers?

The term ‘silk flowers' is a generic term that is commonly used throughout the artificial flowers industry to describe artificial and fake flowers made from fabric. In the past flowers were made from pure silk but as the manufacturing process has improved to use more durable and less expensive fabrics like nylon and polyester the term 'silk flowers' has remained and has become synonymous with any flower that is artificial.

There are several advantages to using synthetic fabrics instead of real silk: 

• Your flowers become washable (rinse, gently shake and allow to dry). NOTE: Always test a small area first as not all silk flowers are colourfast.
• Wrinkled leaves and petals may be ironed (use a low setting and a protective layer between iron and flower) or steamed (hold the flower over a boiling kettle/pan of water to remove creases)
• Increased resistance against colour fading and other environmental 'hazards'
• Synthetic is cheaper to produce, without compromising quality

The majority of our flowers and plants have leaves and petals made from synthetic, polyester fabrics and stems or branches made from plastics (often with supportive wired centers). If you want to make your artificial flowers look as realistic as possible don't forget the stems, particularly when using a limited number of blooms. Rarely do real flowers grow with poker straight stems. To increase the deception, study the real flower and bend and shape the stem of your artificial flowers to copy their real equivalents.

Other types of Artificial Flowers

Foam Flowers

Foam flowers are made from a fine grade foam which gives a lifelike look whilst being robust but the feel of the flowers is instantly recognisable as fake. Fantastic for bridesmaid flowers. Foam flowers will withstand the attentions of the most energetic young children making them a popular choice for bridesmaid flowers as the edges of petals won't fray. The disadvantages of foam flowers is the lack of choice of flower type and the colours are often flat and one dimensional.

Plastic Flowers

In some cases the artificial flowers or foliage may be made from latex. This is a soft and pliable plastic that will give the right level of substance to some more exotic artificial flowers like birds of paradise, protea, heliconia and some calla lilies. Plastic is used to form flower shapes that wouldn't be possible using fabrics such as polyester and nylon.

Real Touch Flowers

Our real touch flowers are generally made from synthetic, polyester fabrics that are coated with a fine latex type component that replicates the feel of real petals. Our popular and rapidly expanding range of real touch flowers is exactly what their name implies. A luxury range of silk, artificial and faux flowers that even feel like the real thing! Every petal of real touch flowers is coated to resemble the look and feel of their fresh flower contemporary and the attention to detail is exceptional. Even the bees will be fooled.

Some real touch flowers are made from latex or polymer that feels lovely and soft to the touch and the convincing feel of the petal has earned them the ‘real touch’ name they deserve. Real touch flowers are usually the preferred choice when customers are discussing their ideas with us but their high price can be deterrent. If price is an issue they can be mixed with silk flowers to reduce the overall cost and they will help bring out the realism of any floral arrangement.