My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

A bit Special... four dimensional designing

When you create a design that evolves over time it is called four dimensional designing. Three dimensions (length, height and depth) plus one: time

limited

rare

scant

scanty

sparse

… and that

makes it

even more special!

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Tutorials
Dried twig collar in a double vase display for gravity sensitive flowers
11 August 2021
Dried twig collar in a double vase display for gravity sensitive flowers

Putting the focus on the flowers with an ever changing design.
That good old double vase trick
22 January 2014
That good old double vase trick

Create a dry layer by placing a smaller vase inside the larger vase
Twig collar
6 September 2011
Twig collar

Create a light and transparent collar-base for the large composite flower to nestle into.
Bite and snap a sturdy twig
22 May 2012
Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.
Stack two glass vases to keep a leaf upright in water
24 January 2018
Stack two glass vases to keep a leaf upright in water

Slip a leaf into the gap between two glass containers to keep it upright... and add a plastic lining to support the flowers nestled into it.
Stack two glass vases to keep a leaf upright in water
24 January 2018
Stack two glass vases to keep a leaf upright in water

Slip a leaf into the gap between two glass containers to keep it upright... and add a plastic lining to support the flowers nestled into it.
Stacked bowl floral display
20 February 2019
Stacked bowl floral display

Create a foam free stacked design by slipping flowers between stacked bowls.
All dried Autumn hemisphere design that will outlast even the falling leaves outside
23 September 2020
All dried Autumn hemisphere design that will outlast even the falling leaves outside

Preserve some floral material to design with when it is but not quite Autumn outside.
Twig Tumbler
8 January 2014
Twig Tumbler

Wire and glue a stack of sticks into a cylindrical or tube shape
Twig Dome Armature
17 July 2019
Twig Dome Armature

Crafted from a hand full of twigs to give you a large design... even though you add only two stems of sweet peas.
Blow away hot glue strands
24 July 2012
Blow away hot glue strands

When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.
Disk Twig Armature
29 July 2015
Disk Twig Armature

Glue a few wigs to follow the shape of a glass bowl to create a disk armature
Twig snippet pillar armature
19 February 2020
Twig snippet pillar armature

A great do-in-advance and reusable design solution for a winter, early spring floral display.
Autumn Screen
29 November 2017
Autumn Screen

Craft a hanging twig and autumn leaf design
Stacked Twig Roundabout
24 July 2012
Stacked Twig Roundabout

This is a great way to use all those bits of twigs and sticks in your design room to make a floral armature
Straight up and down icicle, clematis vine and huckleberry twig double vase winter display
29 January 2025
Straight up and down icicle, clematis vine and huckleberry twig double vase winter display

Give an old mechanic a contemporary twist for creating light and airy flower displays.
Pinching vines in place with almost alike but perfectly unique double vases and twig peg
23 July 2024
Pinching vines in place with almost alike but perfectly unique double vases and twig peg

The tiniest twig peg keep the vines from spilling out of the minimal double vase display.
Tendril support to anchor a floating vase (and its ginormous bubble) in place
17 April 2024
Tendril support to anchor a floating vase (and its ginormous bubble) in place

Trap a bubble between two shallow containers to float clematis flowers for Spring.
Fold a crab from grass
14 June 2023
Fold a crab from grass

A fun coastal touch for your design... a woven crab.
Snowy twig band armature for a ever changing winter display
18 January 2023
Snowy twig band armature for a ever changing winter display

A well made snow covered twig band armature will last all winter so that you can display even the most delicate winter treasures.
A Reflex Rose Rose Hip… Rose
2 November 2022
A Reflex Rose Rose Hip… Rose

Making a rose even more roselike by enhancing its rosy-ness.
Dendrobium orchid and grass snippet cone around a glass container
27 July 2022
Dendrobium orchid and grass snippet cone around a glass container

Craft a grass armature to suspend the orchids in deep water from around the outside of your container.
Double vase Snow Glow Winter Centerpiece
5 January 2022
Double vase Snow Glow Winter Centerpiece

Add warmth to a space with a softly glowing winter white arrangement
Related Designs
Follow the line
11 April 2018
Follow the line

Stack a few glass containers and fill each with water to a different level.
How do you do?
22 January 2014
How do you do?

Snow and twigs winter design
How to make a stack of just enough:
24 January 2018
How to make a stack of just enough:

Stack two vases to create a small gap at the side to keep a leaf upright
Inna...
20 February 2019
Inna...

Stack bowls to keep your flower stems in place.
Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing
23 September 2020
Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing

Floral styling using mostly dried material that will last the entire Autumn.
It's stick season!
8 January 2014
It's stick season!

Snap and stack an glue a few twigs to create a lace like armature
When Autumn Fall
6 September 2011
When Autumn Fall

Autumn leaf composite flower
… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special
17 July 2019
… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special

Instead of just placing a handful of twigs and two stems of sweet peas in a vase... why not...?
Beautiful Things
29 July 2015
Beautiful Things

Glue a few twigs into a disk armature
The Upside of being Inside
19 February 2020
The Upside of being Inside

A creative design that has some height to it without blocking the view. This can easily be scaled up or down to match the environment you want to display it in.
Marcescent
29 November 2017
Marcescent

Glue a delicate autumn room devider
A little bit of Art and Soul
24 July 2012
A little bit of Art and Soul

A twig structure with roses
Into a Puddle!
30 June 2021
Into a Puddle!

Heat proof floral design for summer.
Hope Bubble
20 January 2021
Hope Bubble

That good old double vase trick... but this time I deliberately added a bubble between the two layers to create a third circle in the design.
Alrighty then
29 January 2025
Alrighty then

A fragrant spring display... but make it still look like winter
Just... the Most
24 July 2024
Just... the Most

Perfect for summer designing with some space for the vines to continue to grow in your design.
In The Time it Takes To Listen To Learn
17 April 2024
In The Time it Takes To Listen To Learn

Ideal design for those flowers that needs a deep soak to remain hydrated.
Because I am beautiful!
14 June 2023
Because I am beautiful!

It deserves a bowl all of it's own... right? I am (of course!) talking about these spectacular little sweet peas called King Tut. Not much else is needed. But add a cute little crab and you have a bowl filled with summer.
Getting the Band Back Together Again
18 January 2023
Getting the Band Back Together Again

Glue a band of snow dusted twigs to create a delicate armature for winter treasures.
bonfire
2 November 2022
bonfire

A final rosy burst of fiery autumn colour.
Wrong on the right, for a right
27 July 2022
Wrong on the right, for a right

A glued snipped to create a cooling cone for dangling orchids
Slow Glow
5 January 2022
Slow Glow

A slow but glowing start to the New Year and the new design season
Favourite Flowers
Eustoma
Eustoma

Lisianthus and Rose