Decorate your house with flowers


Artificial flowers production

Makers of artificial plants and flowers inXiamen Hanka's manufacturing procedures are
China are improving their products throughdone both by hand and machine. The
the use of delicate materials and handcraftaccessories, fruit and stems undergo plastic
techniques. These enhancements are aimed atinjection, while the petals are molded.
creating  designs  that  look like real ones.Gluing of parts and coloring of fine details
are  carried  out  manually.
Most suppliers use treated polyester for the
petals and leaves, as the material feels softDeveloping realistic designs is also
and is easy to shape. Others work with silkEvertrust Arts & Crafts Co. Ltd's key R&D
to lend petals a brighter sheen and a softerfocus. In fact, the company operates a flower
texture. Flowers made of sheer and velvetlikefarm near its factory so that designers can
fabric are also offered. While stems usuallystudy and have a closer look at the details,
come in molded plastic, some are wrapped withforms and colors of various plants and
paper strips to make them moreflowers.
realistic-looking.
Roses, magnolias, lilies and sunflowers are
To emphasize small details, some companiesthe best-selling designs. Models intended for
are manufacturing artificial flowers by hand.Valentine's Day are also popular, especially
Manual production results in slightred  roses.
imperfections and makes every item unique,
just as in live plants and flowers. Pieces ofFlowers in cream or off-white likewise sell
fabric are normally cut, folded and gluedwell, as they blend easily with any home
manually to make the petals and leaves.interior  color  theme.
Painting and finishing of plastic fruit are
also  done  mostly  by  hand.The company's artificial plants and flowers
have petals made of specially treated
In addition, there are a number of Chinapolyester and silk, and stems in plastic.
suppliers that run their own flower farms.Paper is also being used. The materials are
This enables designers to have a close looksourced  domestically.
at the colors and forms of flowers in their
different growth stages. Design teams areShandong Weifang Evertrust Arts & Crafts Co.
also provided with regular training to helpLtd's latest range is completely handmade.
them  develop  their  skills.Leaves and petals are cut, molded and glued
by  hand.
Because the line is seasonal, most suppliers
are releasing artificial plants and flowersShandong-based Qingdao Juyi International
specially designed for spring, autumn andTrading Co. Ltd exports artificial flowers
Christmas. Roses and arrangements formainly for Christmas, spring and weddings.
Valentine's  Day  are  also  best-sellers.Among its popular designs are roses, lilies
and poinsettias. The company also releases
Close  to  the  real  thingflower  collections  for  summer  and autumn.
Artificial  flowerDesigns are made of velvet, glitter and paper
foam sourced from domestic suppliers. The
Orchid model GFA56 from Qingdao Juyi hascompany also imports sheer fabric from
seven 9cm-diameter flower heads, three budsTaiwan, and hard-to-find materials from Japan
and six leaves. The flowers and leaves areor  South  Korea.
silk and the stem is plastic. Price is $1.47.
The company's R&D team visits Guangzhou twice
Close  to  the  real  thinga year to find new materials and attend
international trade shows. Designers also
Xiamen Hanka Imp. & Exp. Ltd offers a rangespeak with buyers from the US and Europe to
of artificial fruit, plants and flowers.learn  about  the  latest  trends.
Among the company's popular releases this
year are the lemon and orange series, whichMost of Qingdao Juyi's designs are entirely
are available in tree, garland or branchhandmade. "The majority of suppliers in
designs. Poppies, magnolias and strawberriesShandong and other northern provinces in
are  also  selling  well.China produce artificial flowers by hand,"
manager  Margaret  Lan  said.
"From a distance of one meter, it would be
very difficult to determine whether ourTypically, the fabric undergoes cutting,
plants and flowers are real or not. This ispetal folding and forming, stitching and
our main requirement to the R&D team,"dyeing.Some makers use molds in petal making,
manager  Frank  Lin  said.in which fabric is pressed against the mold
and cut to shape. However, a single mold may
Xiamen Hanka employs two part-time designerscost  $12,000.
from the Netherlands, who conduct training
for its local designers and keep them abreastBut even while artificial plants and flowers
of  the  latest  trends.from Qingdao are mostly handcrafted, their
export 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,provinces  of  Guangdong  and  Zhejiang.
and Styrofoam and PU for fruit. Some
materials are imported from Taiwan and South"This is mainly because labor wages in the
Korea. "Our suppliers do not care much aboutnorthern provinces are much lower. For
the material. What they are more concernedinstance, workers in Qingdao are paid three
about is how we make our products look andto four times less than in Guangdong and
feel  like real plants or flowers," Lin said.Zhejiang," Lan said.



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