The Simple TikTok Hack That Will Make Your Fake Plants Look More Realistic

Botanical interior design has risen in the trend charts, with many decorating their spaces with house plants, green palettes, exposed wood, organic shapes, and damask fabrics. The over one billion users on TikTok are showcasing these trends, significantly influencing the market. The social media platform finds that 43% of its users try something new after viewing it on the app. In one of the latest hacks to go viral, users are sharing their secrets on making fake plants look more realistic.

With numerous videos available to view, some gaining more than 800,000 likes, it's safe to say that people find this an excellent recommendation for their homes. Faux plants have gathered a bad wrap in the past, labeled cheap and gaudy, but many are realizing they are much more cost-efficient and timeless than living plants. So here is how you can spruce up those fake plants and remove the stress of remembering to replant and water your botany.

Tiktokers are filming how they DIY their spaces, receiving thousands of views for their creative efforts. A recent TikTok hack, showing how to make a faux olive tree look more realistic has been spreading through the platform, and hundreds of people are posting their takes on the viral trend. It is a simple trick that can be applied to any fake plant. The first thing you'll want to do after locating your plant of choice is find an oversized pot. Getting creative with your pot choice is essential to spruce up your plants. Many are using risers as well to give more dimension to the space. 

Next, place it into the pot and jam it into place with things like blankets, towels, and old packaging material. Whatever is lying around will most likely work as people show themselves using a range of materials, from packing peanuts and styrofoam to foil and saran wrap. Once your plant is snug in its new home, cover the top with artificial moss, and voila – you've got a completely new look. You can take things a step further by adding pebbles and other natural elements that complement your plant.

Investing in high-quality faux plants from sellers like Pottery Barn and Nearly Natural is another easy way to make your fake plants look real. But even if you acquired yours from the dollar store, there are other hacks to creating a natural glow around them. Placing them in direct sunlight makes them more appealing as the sun shines on their green foliage. It is also quite noticeable when a plant is sitting in a shady area that it probably isn't real. As the TikTok olive tree hack shows, any sort of natural soil or topping to the plant's base will reinvent its appearance. Fake dirt is usually the easiest way to tell if a plant is real. 

Another trick is to place real flowers or plants around the fake ones. Since many people choose faux plants because they don't want the pressure of caring for live ones, you can certainly use easy-care plants like succulents, pothos, and snake plants. Some commonly bought artificial plants that look more authentic are Croton plants, Dracaenas, Silver Queens, and Fiddle-leaf figs.