Artificial flowers production

Makers of artificial plants and flowers in China areflowers," Lin said.
improving their products through the use ofXiamen Hanka's manufacturing procedures are
delicate materials and handcraft techniques. Thesedone both by hand and machine. The accessories,
enhancements are aimed at creating designs thatfruit and stems undergo plastic injection, while the
look like real ones.petals are molded. Gluing of parts and coloring of
Most suppliers use treated polyester for thefine details are carried out manually.
petals and leaves, as the material feels soft and isDeveloping realistic designs is also Evertrust Arts
easy to shape. Others work with silk to lend& Crafts Co. Ltd's key R&D focus. In fact, the
petals a brighter sheen and a softer texture.company operates a flower farm near its factory
Flowers made of sheer and velvetlike fabric areso that designers can study and have a closer
also offered. While stems usually come in moldedlook at the details, forms and colors of various
plastic, some are wrapped with paper strips toplants and flowers.
make them more realistic-looking.Roses, magnolias, lilies and sunflowers are the
To emphasize small details, some companies arebest-selling designs. Models intended for Valentine's
manufacturing artificial flowers by hand. ManualDay are also popular, especially red roses.
production results in slight imperfections andFlowers in cream or off-white likewise sell well, as
makes every item unique, just as in live plantsthey blend easily with any home interior color
and flowers. Pieces of fabric are normally cut,theme.
folded and glued manually to make the petals andThe company's artificial plants and flowers have
leaves. Painting and finishing of plastic fruit are alsopetals made of specially treated polyester and silk,
done mostly by hand.and stems in plastic. Paper is also being used. The
In addition, there are a number of China suppliersmaterials are sourced domestically.
that run their own flower farms. This enablesShandong Weifang Evertrust Arts & Crafts Co.
designers to have a close look at the colors andLtd's latest range is completely handmade. Leaves
forms of flowers in their different growth stages.and petals are cut, molded and glued by hand.
Design teams are also provided with regularShandong-based Qingdao Juyi International Trading
training to help them develop their skills.Co. Ltd exports artificial flowers mainly for
Because the line is seasonal, most suppliers areChristmas, spring and weddings. Among its popular
releasing artificial plants and flowers speciallydesigns are roses, lilies and poinsettias. The
designed for spring, autumn and Christmas. Rosescompany also releases flower collections for
and arrangements for Valentine's Day are alsosummer and autumn.
best-sellers.Designs are made of velvet, glitter and paper
Close to the real thingfoam sourced from domestic suppliers. The
Artificial flowercompany also imports sheer fabric from Taiwan,
Orchid model GFA56 from Qingdao Juyi hasand hard-to-find materials from Japan or South
seven 9cm-diameter flower heads, three budsKorea.
and six leaves. The flowers and leaves are silkThe company's R&D team visits Guangzhou twice
and the stem is plastic. Price is $1.47.a year to find new materials and attend
Close to the real thinginternational trade shows. Designers also speak
Xiamen Hanka Imp. & Exp. Ltd offers a range ofwith buyers from the US and Europe to learn
artificial fruit, plants and flowers. Among theabout the latest trends.
company's popular releases this year are theMost of Qingdao Juyi's designs are entirely
lemon and orange series, which are available inhandmade. "The majority of suppliers in Shandong
tree, garland or branch designs. Poppies, magnoliasand other northern provinces in China produce
and strawberries are also selling well.artificial flowers by hand," manager Margaret Lan
"From a distance of one meter, it would be verysaid.
difficult to determine whether our plants andTypically, the fabric undergoes cutting, petal
flowers are real or not. This is our mainfolding and forming, stitching and dyeing.Some
requirement to the R&D team," manager Frankmakers use molds in petal making, in which fabric
Lin said.is pressed against the mold and cut to shape.
Xiamen Hanka employs two part-time designersHowever, a single mold may cost $12,000.
from the Netherlands, who conduct training for itsBut even while artificial plants and flowers from
local designers and keep them abreast of theQingdao are mostly handcrafted, their export
latest trends.prices are still lower than those of
The company uses polyester for most of itsmachine-processed versions from the southern
flowers because of the material's softness, andprovinces of Guangdong and Zhejiang.
Styrofoam and PU for fruit. Some materials are"This is mainly because labor wages in the
imported from Taiwan and South Korea. "Ournorthern provinces are much lower. For instance,
suppliers do not care much about the material.workers in Qingdao are paid three to four times
What they are more concerned about is how weless than in Guangdong and Zhejiang," Lan said.
make our products look and feel like real plants or