It’s a well-known fact that adding front door planters with fresh plants makes your home look so welcoming, but if we’re being honest, plants are expensive and hard to keep alive (at least for me). So while those planters were great in theory, dead flowers at our doorway weren’t the vibe we were going for. Enter faux plants!
Fake plants have come a really long way in the last few years, and some of them are very realistic. There are lots of bad faux plants floating around, but if you’re lucky enough to find a good one, no one would guess that they’re not real. You might even find yourself bragging that “AND they’re FAKE!” just like you always mention about your favorite outfit, “AND it has POCKETS!”.
Steps to the Best Faux Plant Makeover
Choose Your Planter
There are all sorts of planters – just choose what material goes well with your home! Likely, you already have planters from old plants’ misadventures, so don’t feel like you have to rush out and buy anything new here.
If you have no planters on hand, there are just a few decisions to make!
- Quantity – I love symmetry, so I’d advise that if you have room on both sides of the door for a planter, use two! If you don’t have room on both sides OR if a planter on both sides would interrupt the natural walkway, just use one. Alternatively, you could place a group of three different-sized planters on one side of the doorway.
- Material – Your planter box style says more about the style of your home than the faux plants you fill it with. There are so many to choose between – wood, concrete, metal, terracotta, ceramic, or plastic. The sky is the limit – get something neutral, or something that makes you happy!
- Style – Think about whether you’re trying to make your front door area look more rustic, cottage-y, traditional, modern, etc. The style of your planters should accentuate your style!
- Size – This part is a bit more tricky! Too small or short, and your space will look a bit dinky and underwhelming. Too large, and it can restrict movement or make your space look unbalanced. This blog is so helpful to think through your options!
I chose these square black planters because I could get varying heights. This made it really easy to create dimension. They’re also light – so very easy to move around as needed.
Good Faux Plants:
This step will make or break whether your doorway looks good, or like “they bought fake plants”. Here are my tips:
- Buy more than you expect – volume is your friend.
- Don’t be afraid to send something back if it doesn’t look good. If you don’t like it on day 1, you’re not going to like it on day 100.
- Certain plants and flowers lend themselves better to faux versions – think of things with small or waxy leaves, so the plastic doesn’t look that different from the natural plant.
- Choose something made for the outdoors, and preferably marked “UV Resistant” to try to keep them from fading as quickly – especially if your doorway gets direct sun.
These are the faux flowers that I used – I bought one order (5 bundles) for each planter, which was the perfect amount for my project!
Decorating your Front Porch:
Set Up
When you get your faux plants, spread out all of the sprigs so they look realistic – just like an artificial Christmas Tree! Multiple bunches will help your planters look more full, so don’t be shy. I arranged them together like a bouquet, then used a thick rubber band to connect the stems together. I popped them directly into my pot, and I was all done!
Alternatively, if you have a large pot and your plants aren’t sitting quite right, you can put them in a smaller pot or a large cup to hold the stems more upright, then put that pot inside your planter. Just play around with it! You can also put it on top of some blocks if you need them to sit higher in the planter.
Just play around and see what works well for your situation!
Maintenance
Maintaining front door planters with faux plants doesn’t take a ton of work – just pay attention to leaves, spider webs, and dust!
Every little while you can sweep around them and blow the dust off with a leaf blower when you’re doing the yard. If you want to get detailed, you can wipe them quickly with a rag, or even use an air compressor to get very detailed!
Now you’re set for the season, and can likely re-use them again next spring and summer!
Faux Plants – The Pros and Cons:
Pro: Long lasting – they don’t die!
Pro: Little maintenance and no watering!
Con: Some faux plants look fake
Con: Some faux plants fade quickly
Ready to Level Up with Your Faux Plants?
Try layering multiple types of flowers and greenery in your planters! Look at pictures of real planters for inspiration.
Plan ahead for upcoming seasons so you’re ready with your new front porch vibe! The purple flowers that I have right now are perfect for spring/summer, and something like my evergreens is lovely for all seasons! You can get by with just two changes a year, or you can change it up as often as you like! When you switch your planters, I recommend labeling and storing your faux foliage like you would seasonal wreaths.
If you want to be a bit “extra”, experiment with switching out your faux plants regularly. Swapping a few different types of faux flowers or greenery occasionally can make you feel like you have a whole new look! This is not at all necessary, but if you’re craving a simple refresh, this can make you notice your happy little front door planters again!
Go-To Faux Faves!
If you’re looking for a one-and-done decorating tip, I do believe in faux plants!
All of the planters, faux plants, and solar lighting I used for our front door refresh are linked here. Just note – solar lighting is finicky, and the result will depend on where you place them, the amount of light they get, and… a bit of luck.
Want to do more outdoor decorating? This post is all about my backyard, and has lots of information about outdoor living!
