Flowers and plants add an interesting element to home decor and offer a break from the linear shapes of traditional furniture. Not everyone is comfortable with growing plants, or has the time to spend caring for them, but artificial flowers offer a great alternative. They consistently look great and need very little care to stay that way; as a result they are also incredibly versatile.

There is one thing to keep in mind when decorating your home with artificial flowers... if you're using a see-through glass container you may need to add something to the vase to make your flowers look grounded and to keep your arrangement in place. Real flowers are arranged in vases filled with water, the water not only keeps the flowers alive but it also helps to keep the flowers from becoming disarrayed. For artificial flowers, try adding decorative stones, split peas, lentils, or even crumpled tissue paper to your vase. All of these items come in a variety of colours to complement your arrangement.

Need some ideas?

Artificial flower arrangements are a great way to use that vase or urn that has been sitting empty because you just didn't know what else to do with it. For a pottery vase or urn that is best placed on the floor, try using some artificial grasses or reeds mixed with some tall flowers. The vase doesn't have to be packed full of flowers, just enough to complement the area around the arrangement. An unused umbrella stand is also a great container for artificial flowers.

More flower arrangement tips on... decorating with fresh cut flowers

For a table centerpiece, use a short vase and fill it with small to medium size flowers of complementing colors, making sure to keep the arrangement low enough that people seated at the table will be able to see over it. During the spring use tulips and daffodils, or use roses any time of the year for a timeless look.

For a side table arrangement, try using slightly taller and larger flowers. Silk poppies are great in a mixture of red and orange flowers with the vase one third filled with split peas.

Artificial flowers are widely available and can be found in most craft stores as well as in home renovation stores and even in some grocery stores, and are usually quite reasonable priced. Mix and match different types of flowers and change your arrangements as often as you want. Then sit back and enjoy!