Tired of Dealing with Dead Mums? This TikTok Hack Will Help

Nothing says fall quite like big, beautiful bouquets of mums. However, they can be finicky, and those papery-thin petals can dry out quickly.

This fall, TikToker Tracy (@remingtonranchfarmhouse) offers a solution: fake mums! Read on to discover their benefits, which fake mums look the most realistic, and how to style them for porch decorations.

Benefits of Using Fake Mums

Tracy cites a number of reasons to use fake flowers. The first is, of course, they require no water and next to no effort to maintain. Additionally, according to Tracy, fake mums “come in a variety of colors, which is great for decorating, and they hold up great in all kinds of weather.”

Finally, they can be more affordable than real mums in the long term, because they can be reused year after year.

@remingtonranchfarmhouse My biggest fall decorating hack for the past 3 years! My favorite faux mums are back and this will be my 4th fall decorating with them! Comment below for the link or click the website in my profile then Shop Reels Link Tips: you want your mum in a planter that is slightly smaller so it looks more realistic. I have also used these in large pots and then put other faux plants like cabbage behind (just have the mum spill over the front). If you have lightweight planters, throw in a brick or something heavy at the bottom so they don’t blow away! Pictured are 13” (white) and 15” (orange). #falldecorating #fallfrontporch #fallmodernfarmhouse #falldecor #exteriordesign #whitefarmhouse #modernfarmhouse #fallstyle #porchdecor #frontporch ♬ Cooped Up / Return Of The Mack – Post Malone & Mark Morrison & Sickick

Where to Buy Fake Mums

Tracy’s favorite mums are the Wicker Park sets sold exclusively at QVC. However, as of the time of writing, all the Wicker Park mums were sold out.

White “baby’s breath” versions of the fake flowers are available on Amazon here. We also like these affordable mum-like plastic flowers from Momkids and this flowering topiary by 3rd Street Inn at Wayfair. All can be styled as whole spheres, or cut in half to place into a faux container garden, as Tracy does.

How to Style Fake Mums

Tracy outlines a simple process for styling her fake mums to make them look the most realistic. To do so, you’ll need a planter or pot slightly larger than your mum ball, some floral foam and floral styling stakes.

Then, according to Tracy, you simply add the floral foam to your pot, “take one half of your mum plant and set it on top” and “secure the mum into the floral foam” using the stakes. That’s it!

To make them look even more convincing, you could plant other greenery around them, like cabbage as Tracy suggests. If your pots or planters are lightweight and may blow over in the wind, add a brick to the bottom or even regular planter fillers so they stay put.

At the end of the season, store the mums (Tracy keeps them in her garage), then dust them off for reuse next fall. Be sure to keep all of that floral foam, too. It can be reused multiple times, lessening the environmental impact of plastic waste.