Crafty Ways to Recycle Silk Flowers

Unlike real flowers, your silk ones can’t be composted. So what can you do with the various types of silk flowers you have around your home? First, you should collect all of your fake flowers whether they are in old flower arrangements, wedding bouquets or in a drawer that you have forgotten. Once you know what you have to work with, you can turn these flowers into something you can actually use.

After you have collected your flowers, look around your house to see what could use a little bit of color and flower detail. For example, you can add a few petals to your lampshades, storage boxes, candleholders or mirrors. All you need are scissors and a hot glue gun. Or you can update your flower arrangements and add new ones in the kitchen or living room, especially for spring, summer and fall. Start using those empty baskets, containers and vases that you keep in the basement and garage for these seasonal arrangements.

If changing your home accents doesn’t sound appealing to you, use those old silk bridal flowers to enhance your accessories. You can add flower heads to the end of bobby pins to make barrettes or you can make a necklace and matching bracelet. Children even enjoy these types of crafts, but make sure to supervise the glue gun.

Whenever you’re recycling silk flowers, you should pull out your craft containers. Sometimes ribbon, twine, beads, glitter, etc. come in handy, and you can fix any discolored petals with markers. It’s often the smaller details that make all of the difference.

Tearing apart a bridal bouquet may break your heart, so offer it up to a bride to be. For all of your remaining flowers, donate them to a local school, daycare or art center where children can have fun and create works of art.

Silk flowers are expensive so don’t let them go to waste. Once you start recycling them, you will realize that there are so many opportunities for reuse. You can decorate your home, office and car, and you can create homemade gifts.