The fresh flowers’ nature of seasonality and regionality makes it a poor choice if you are searching for some long-lasting floral for house decoration. But we still want those colorful, elf-like natural product to be on our table or bookshelf. So among the remaining options, which one you think is better, real touch flowers or dried/preserved flowers ? We won’t easily reach an agreement on this issue. Dried/preserved flowers are real plants processed to be crafts and real touch flowers are industrial productions, one of the categories of artificial flower . But they both have their own Pros and Cons as an alternative for real fresh flowers. Today I gathered some information about how they are produced and what their advantages are as home arrangements, hoping to bring some help for you. Stay tuned.

 

How real touch flowers and dried/preserved flowers are made? 

 These two kinds of flowers are made to freeze the perfect moments. At first, both fake flowers and dried/preserved flowers were handicrafts from small workshops (according to research, there were dried flowers back to even ancient Egypt), but now they can be produced industrially. The crafting processes have gradually begun to diversify and a variety of materials are now being used for their production.

 

Speaking to fake flowers, they were once criticized for being plastic-feeling. But now with the advancement of industrial technology, we’re able to make artificial flowers with real touch and even real smelling. So how did we do it?

 

The first real touch flower was made in 2006 when someone used polyether polyurethane (PU)  foam as material to produce fake flowers and find them having an almost real touch (look more like real flowers, too). Later, the materials selection expanded to different kinds of polymers (latex, silicone and other), fabric and plastic. Petals made of silk or plastic will be coated with latex and assembly together, then a real touch flower is produced.Different companies use different compositions of polymeric materials to mimic the real touch of flowers.

 

Some flowers without petals (or all-in-one, like Calla lily or marigold) are made by press models using polymer.

 

 

 Then it comes to dried/preserved flowers. First to say, there are some tiny differences between dried and preserved flowers. Dried flowers are made by dehydration and anti-corrosion treatments to preserve the flower at its best. It will be able to retain its shape and color for years if the drying is done properly. Here are some common ways of producing dried flower:

1. Hang it up (usually upside down) and have it naturally air dried. It takes weeks to fully dehydrate.
2. Use some highly absorbent materials such as Silica gel and Molecular sieve to quickly suck water out of the flower. The process should be applied to both petals and stems.
3. Freezing dried - using extremely low temperature and vacuum pump to dehydrate the flower, it preserves its color better than other ways.
4. Hot-air drying in a special machine.

 

 

 

Now many people tend to preserve their flower (‘cause it’s the fruit of their labor or it means special to him/her), giving birth to a new industry called “flower-drying”.

 

Preserved flower, different from dried flower, is made by replacing the water in its petals and stem with some other liquids. And that’s the reason why it keeps its plump shape. Bath a flower’s stem in glycerin and the flower would absorb the liquid and become less prone to wilting and decay (Because the water in its body is replaced by glycerin). Preserved flowers don’t get shriveled and last a little bit longer than dried flowers. While some people might prefer the dried flower for its unique shape like a work of art. Btw preserved flowers cost a lot more.

 

 

Their Pros and Cons 

For those who are considering bringing some floral decors back to their house and not knowing which one to choose, I’ve put them together for a comparison.

 

Pros of dried/preserved flowers 

1. They are real

That’s the fact. Though modern craftsmanship has been able to make artificial flowers extremely vividly, even imitating their natural touch and smell, they are still not natural products of mother nature.

 

2. They freeze the fond memories while freezing themselves

For those flowers that are of special significance to you (such as proposing flowers), it is certainly better to air-dry or preserve them than to make a fake copy.

 

3. You can DIY it in your own home

The production of dried flowers and even preserved flowers can be done at home, so you can make a beautiful decoration and enjoy the fun of craftsmanship at the same time.

 

4. The unique texture

Though they are somewhat different from real flowers, dried flowers and preserved flowers have a unique texture that fresh flowers do not have, and they are more like a work of art...

 

 

Pros of real touch flowers 

 

1. Cheaper price

Due to different production techniques and materials used, dried flowers, especially preserved flowers, tend to be more expensive. For people who want their floral decorations frequently changed, fake flowers are a more economical choice.

 

2. Longer lastingtime and no care needed

If preserved properly, dried flowers and preserved flowers can last for several years, but as long as the fake flowers are not damaged, they can be on your table till you are tired of them, and there is no need for any care.

 

3. Theywon’t attract bugs

Dried flowers and preserved flowers have been processed with anti-corrosion and insect-proof treatment,  but they may still attract some insects or produce some scum dust. With artificial flowers, there is need to worry about that.

 

4. Not fragile at all

Dried flowers and preserved flowers need to be preserved with caution, ‘cause they are very fragile and easily damaged. But fake flowers can be really tough.

 

 So you got an idea now? Go to ArtificialMerch  and pick them home!