Caring for Your Clay Flowers: A Simple Guide
Clay flowers last for years with almost no care.
By Michelle Nguyen
Almost no care, but the right care
Clay flowers are famously easy to keep. No water, no feeding, no trimming. But "easy" is not "nothing". A few small habits keep them looking freshly made for years and years. Here is everything I tell my brides.
Dusting: little and gentle
Dust is the only real enemy. Once a month or so, use a soft, dry makeup brush or a feather duster with the lightest touch, working from the center of each bloom outward. A cool hair dryer on its lowest setting, held at a distance, also works beautifully for larger arrangements. Never use a damp cloth: water and dust together make mud, and mud stains petals.
Keep them dry
Clay flowers and water do not mix. Display them away from steamy bathrooms and kitchen splashes, and never submerge or rinse an arrangement. (The dew drops in my photographs are art, not a care routine.) If a piece ever does get spotted with water, let it air-dry completely before touching it.
Light: kinder than you think
Unlike fabric or dried flowers, quality clay holds its color well. Still, decades of direct, harsh sunlight will soften any color. A bright room is perfect; a south-facing windowsill for ten years is asking a lot. Normal indoor light is no worry at all.
Storing and moving
For a move or a season in storage: wrap loosely in acid-free tissue, support the arrangement so nothing bears weight on the petals, and box it with room to breathe. Never stack anything on top. Kept this way, pieces store safely for years.
If a petal ever chips
It happens rarely. A knock, a fall. Do not throw the piece away. Write to me through the website with a photo, and I will tell you honestly what can be done. A clean chip can often be repaired by hand, and any damage or mistake reported within 7 days is made right. These flowers were made by hand; very often, they can be mended by hand too.
That is the whole guide. Dust gently, keep dry, store softly, and your wedding garden lasts as long as the marriage it celebrates.
