FAQ'S

How do you make your flowers so realistic? Firstly we take a great deal of time carefully selecting the silk flowers we use and only pick the most lifelike stems. Everyone of our flowers are hand made and hand painted so that each one is slightly different from the next, perfectly reflecting nature. Not only do we ensure that the heads of each of our flowers are incredibly realistic but we have paid a lot of attention to the stems of our flowers as well to ensure that these too are as close to nature as possible. Some of our flowers are even called "real touch" as when handled they are hard to tell apart from the real thing. 

How do I care for my Flowers? A big advantage of artificial flowers is that they require very little maintenance and will remain looking beautiful for many years. However we do have a few tips for you to keep your blooms looking 'fresh'. A real giveaway of artificial flowers is if you let dust settle and build up. This is very easily avoided and we recommend each month putting your hairdryer on a cool setting and using this to blow away any dust that may have settled on the petals. If you do see a mark on the blooms we would suggest using a damp cloth to try remove any stains. For the more delicate flowers such as our tulips, lilies and magnolia these are made from a special type of treated foam and it's important not to get these wet! If you do spot any marks on them then the best remedy is to use a baby wipe to try to remove the stain.

How can I make my flowers smell real? Our faux flowers are so realistic that you will find yourself leaning to breathe in the fragrance, as the smell of a fresh flower bouquet is one of their most compelling features. One great way to enhance the feel of your bouquet is to  use one of our floral mist sprays. We have several fragrances which when lightly sprayed over your blooms will give them a delightful floral air. You can also place one of our gorgeously scented, fabulous diffusers next to your arrangement. You will find these products in the home fragrance section.

Can my flowers be placed in water? Yes! The stems are sealed at the bottom therefore placing them in water for short periods of time is absolutely fine and is a clever trick to fool your guests into thinking they are fresh! We don't recommend keeping the stems in water for long periods. We love putting our blooms in water just before guests arrive and fools them into thinking the flowers are fresh.

Can my flowers be placed outside? The flowers are not specifically designed to be outside.

What are your flowers made of? All of our faux flowers are hand made from the finest materials and carefully selected for a premium, high quality standard. We source flowers from all over the world and the fabrics have been carefully selected ensuring that our flowers look as natural as possible. Some of our blooms such as our roses are made from a synthetic material such as polyester whereas our lilies, tulips and magnolia stems are made from a type of foam that has been treated to ensure that each petal holds it's shape perfectly. 

How do I cut the stems? We would ideally recommend using wire cutters to cut through the stem as there is a wire running through it, however, if these aren't available then a strong pair of garden or kitchen scissors should do the trick!  If you are struggling to cut through the wire then you can make a small indentation in the wire. Bend the wire back and forth which will help to weaken the wire and ultimately break it. If you don't want to cut the stems but want to arrange them in a shorter vase, you can bend and fold the stem to the required and length and then tie them with some binding wire. 

How will my flowers be packaged? The flowers will be carefully chosen and arranged by one of our florists. They will be wrapped in tissue paper, tied with some pretty ribbon and placed in one of our cardboard boxes for shipping. The parcel will be a  delight to open and enjoyed! 

If your flowers are a gift, simply email us at info@alexjamesflowers.com and we can leave out the invoice from your order.

Will my bouquet arrive tied together? Yes, each of our bouquets are made to order and they will arrive tied together with the stems trimmed to the appropriate lengths. Our wrapped bunches and single stems will not be cut or tied together allowing you to arrange them yourself. Often the stems may have been slightly bent for packaging and you will just need to bend them back. Some of our arrangements will arrive already in the vase depending on which style you have chosen.

How long can I expect my faux blooms to last? We cannot say exactly how long our artificial flowers will last however our estimate would be around 5-10 years depending on the environment that they have been displayed in. 

How many flowers do I need? Depending on the size of arrangement that you are looking to create and whether you like a fuller or more minimal look we would suggest styling your flowers in odd numbers when working with just a few stems. The heights and size of the flower heads are all listed in their descriptions so you can compare these with the vase that you have. Some of our arrangements have the option of adding a vase.

Do you sell vases? We have a whole section on our website dedicated to our gorgeous collection of  vases. Some of our arrangements listed on the website have the option to order your bouquet with the vase. Feel free to ask for any advice on which of our vases would suit a particular bouquet, please get in touch at info@alexjamesflowers.com.

What is the best style of vase for my flowers? We find that vases with a wider base and narrower neck are the best design for displaying our artificial flowers and this is the basic style of vase that we tend to stock.

If we haven't answered a question you have please feel free to drop us an email and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

info@alexjamesflowers.com

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