Designing Silk
Flowers-Both Art and Science
The Silk Flower
Artisan
Even an untrained eye can see that the advancements in silk
flower crafting have been blossoming--literally! Silk flower
arrangements are becoming more realistic, more affordable, and
easier to take care of each year. Being that silk and plastic
haven’t changed, how is it that silk flowers and plants are
getting better?
The answer is simple: the expert floriculturists who craft silk
flowers and Silk Miniature Cosmos Accents
are constantly improving their craft.
Silk flower artisans are experts in horticulture and have
worked as nursery owners, florists, and landscapers. Like
all artists, silk flower artisans typically have private
studios in their homes, full of supplies, good lighting,
and inspiration. A silk flower artisan must be skilled in
everything from flower arranging and color to different
stages of plant development and hand-eye
coordination.
Silk plants and flowers are more popular today than ever. Many
brides are choosing silk for their wedding centerpieces,
bouquets, and corsages. Offices are replacing messy potted
ficuses, that no one has time to water, with Blooming Garden Planters.
Husbands have even started giving silk
flowers in place of the traditional dozen roses for
Valentine‘s and Mother‘s Day. For the same price as a dozen
roses, why not give an arrangement that will look fresh and
vibrant for years? Soon, we’ll probably have all-weather
silk plants out in the front yard.
With the consistent growth that the silk flower industry has
witnessed, the artisans crafting these high-quality,
natural-looking arrangements are starting to finally see their
dedication and focus pay off. Mainstream recognition has been a
long time coming. Now, there are even books and classes
available on the subject of “Silk Flower
Making.”
How do the silk flower
arrangements made at the artisan’s studio make it to the
store? After the artisans have hand-cut each leaf, petal,
branch, stem, and bud for proper size and shape, then
finished them with the right color and texture, the silk
components are arranged to create a beautiful and
life-like final product. These final products are then
re-created in factories and mass produced, making the
artisan’s creations readily available and
affordable.
Adding to the ease of silk flower ownership is the increased
availability of products for upkeep and maintenance of silk
arrangements. With low-cost sprays, dusters, and cleaners
available at even the local grocery store, the life of a silk
flower arrangement or plant has gone from a few years to
decades. Many of these cleaning products are as easy to use as
just spraying the surface of the plant and letting it
dry.
More than just owning a beautiful work of art, people who
display silk plants and flowers in their homes get to enjoy the
creations of the artisans on many levels. Where paintings and
photographs can add color and help set the mood of a room, silk
flowers can do all that plus provide texture. Additionally, a
silk flower or plant is mobile and not restricted to merely
being displayed on a wall. Furthermore, many silk flower
conniseurs are primarily vase-enthusiasts looking for an
affordable and easy way to display their vase collections. In
some houses, up-lights have even been installed to further
enhance the beauty of hand-crafted silk
arrangements.
For most of the artisans, their greatest joy is being told
their creations were mistaken for real flowers. “My
mother-in-law came over and saw my new Orchid Bouquets. She actually said to me,
’I didn’t know you could grow orchids.’ I never told her
that she was right!” Twenty years ago, a silk orchid was
unheard of. Today, stories like these are abundant for many
of the artisans.
By Staci
Marquez-Nichols
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