My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

A Jingle Cotton Christmas

Jingle bell, jingle bell,

jingle bell rock

Jingle bells chime

in jingle bell time

Dancing and prancing

in Jingle Bell Square

... in the frosty air...

"Jingle Bell Rock" is an American popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957

Sign up for my weekly newsletter

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Sign Up Now
Tutorials
A bark strip and fluffed cotton disk wreath
28 December 2016
A bark strip and fluffed cotton disk wreath

Cover a wreath frame with bark strips and fluffed out cotton
Drinking straw "test tubes"
4 January 2011
Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.
Adding snow to twigs
28 December 2016
Adding snow to twigs

Glue artificial snow to twigs
A secret trick to conditioning new growth
13 April 2012
A secret trick to conditioning new growth

Conditioning new growth and sprouts are difficult because the little sprouts have not had time to fully develop its cellular structure to survive being cut and taking up water on its own. The cells will collapse within hours from severing and the beautiful new growth will wilt looking limp in your design. But new growth looks so fantastic and it is always tempting to try to include it.
Papier Mache
2 June 2011
Papier Mache

I save all the thin tissue paper or un-printed newsprint papers that are wrapped around the flowers that are delivered to me to make batches of Papier Mache with. These sheets make fantastic Papier Mache because it is designed to be super absorbent and colour fast.
Bark pod for growing a Pearl Oyster mushroom mini farm
19 August 2015
Bark pod for growing a Pearl Oyster mushroom mini farm

Glue bark to a Papier Maché and wire frame to create a pod shaped armature
Bark covered heart
10 July 2012
Bark covered heart

Cover cardboard with bark to create a heart shaped log
Melting Wax for Floral Art
19 March 2011
Melting Wax for Floral Art

For Floral Art the temperature of the wax rarely exceeds the minimum melting point.
Large wax snowflakes
4 December 2013
Large wax snowflakes

Artificial snow can be very "chemical" and flowers deteriorate quickly when exposed to it. It also dissolves in water. I use candle wax as "snow"
Silver bell Christmas Greenery kissing ball
2 December 2015
Silver bell Christmas Greenery kissing ball

Use delicate sprigs of cypress or juniper, fir, pine, eucalyptus, ivy or a combination of them all to create a winter themed kissing bough
Sugar Frosted flowers, fruit or foliage
15 December 2011
Sugar Frosted flowers, fruit or foliage

Egg white and sugar creates a natural frost effect
Candle in a window pane Christmas glow
25 December 2024
Candle in a window pane Christmas glow

Stack glass containers as your mechanic and frame for a Christmas glow design.
Birch bark ice skates on a glistening kalanchoe and cypress snow pond ice skating rink
18 December 2024
Birch bark ice skates on a glistening kalanchoe and cypress snow pond ice skating rink

A winter wonderland ice pond table top design... with sparkling bark ice skates
Glistening kalanchoe and cypress snow pond ice skating rink
18 December 2024
Glistening kalanchoe and cypress snow pond ice skating rink

Fill an upturned container with a string of fairy lights to look like a glistening snow rink for ice skating.
A slow reveal Birch Bark Scroll Nice List
4 December 2024
A slow reveal Birch Bark Scroll Nice List

Soak and roll a sheet of birch bark into a scroll for a woodland inspired Santa's Nice list
Long lasting floral finial decoration for Christmas
20 November 2024
Long lasting floral finial decoration for Christmas

Make ahead (oversized) bark and kalanchoe Christmas decoration... and best of all it last for weeks!
Sweet pea and Felting Wool Swirl Around a Log
10 July 2024
Sweet pea and Felting Wool Swirl Around a Log

Arrange beautiful King Tut sweet pea vines to swirl around a piece of fire wood... with a bit of help from a felting technique
Spaced birch bark strip basket
13 March 2024
Spaced birch bark strip basket

Sturdy and easy to make... a small harvest basket ready for all the Spring flowers still to come.
A birch bark spiral wrap to cradle floral details in a wine glass
17 January 2024
A birch bark spiral wrap to cradle floral details in a wine glass

Spiral birch bark strips into two mirror images to create a wintery wrap for a bud vase.
Velvet Magnolia Leaf Christmas Tree
20 December 2023
Velvet Magnolia Leaf Christmas Tree

Cozy textured tall and luxurious table top tree design.
Starlight Garland
20 December 2023
Starlight Garland

Fold a continues strand of stars on a wire fairy light strand.
Bind Autumn design details and Christmas evergreens around an upturned vase to keep the stem ends hydrated... from Fall to Christmas!
29 November 2023
Bind Autumn design details and Christmas evergreens around an upturned vase to keep the stem ends hydrated... from Fall to Christmas!

A wrap-around-vase to show off new bits of Christmas and the last bits of our autumn treasures.
Water dip Wax to match the flame petals of a Cyclamen flower for a layered Twig and Leaf armature
15 November 2023
Water dip Wax to match the flame petals of a Cyclamen flower for a layered Twig and Leaf armature

Dipping wax in a deep bath of water makes the most beautiful streams of wax that looks just like the petals of a cyclamen flower.
Winter Solstice Kalanchoe and Berry twig Lantern
21 December 2022
Winter Solstice Kalanchoe and Berry twig Lantern

Soft and minimal glow lantern that you can make ahead of time to last all Festive Season.
Suspend design elements around a poinsettia forest floor display
30 December 2020
Suspend design elements around a poinsettia forest floor display

A low design that is still light and airy using a lot of convenient prepare ahead of time design elements.
Wired snowball pom pom
23 December 2020
Wired snowball pom pom

Craft an ornamental ball or tuft with wool and cardboard.
Weave a grass Christmas tree
23 December 2020
Weave a grass Christmas tree

Easy armature design that is actually quite relaxing to do... plant meditation!
Contactless gift exchange wreath perfect to double as Santa’s Gift Bag for your front door
25 November 2020
Contactless gift exchange wreath perfect to double as Santa’s Gift Bag for your front door

Craft a small pouch into a half-and-half wreath so that you can leave... and receive tiny gifts and cards in true Christmas 2020 style .
Wire Stars
25 November 2020
Wire Stars

Wrap wire around a cardboard star for a quick three dimensional decoration.
Here it is: the quickest, easiest Christmas wreath… ever!
18 December 2019
Here it is: the quickest, easiest Christmas wreath… ever!

My work is usually so labour intensive... this one came as a wonderful surprise... it really is both quick and easy to craft this wreath!
How to make a just-picked-it-a-moment-ago snow covered icicle and mistletoe hanging branch bunch
27 November 2019
How to make a just-picked-it-a-moment-ago snow covered icicle and mistletoe hanging branch bunch

Gather a few branches to hang as a magical winter wonderland Christmas decoration.
Fake real stems-ends for real fake branches
27 November 2019
Fake real stems-ends for real fake branches

Add a real stem to shorter artificial branches to incorporate them into a design.
Perk up faux plant material and flowers that are not wired
27 November 2019
Perk up faux plant material and flowers that are not wired

A sprig of wired faux plant material is easy to bend back into a more natural position. Plastic plant material without a wire in their stems need a bit of help to get back into shape.
Sparkling Eucalyptus Tabletop Christmas tree
19 December 2018
Sparkling Eucalyptus Tabletop Christmas tree

Craft an ethereal Christmas tree from Eucalyptus leaves, twigs and sparkling snow flake crystals.
Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree
6 December 2017
Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree

Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree
Fluffy pillow filler tree skirt
6 December 2017
Fluffy pillow filler tree skirt

The fluffy stuffing found in pillows create beautiful, water repellent tree skirts.
Related Designs
Staying connected
24 June 2015
Staying connected

My article and a floral cell phone re-charge station design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
A Gleaming Cotton Christmas
21 December 2016
A Gleaming Cotton Christmas

Glue bark to a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature
A Candy(cane) Cotton Christmas
14 December 2016
A Candy(cane) Cotton Christmas

A floral cotton candy cane
When the wind whisper
8 June 2016
When the wind whisper

Glue a fantasy forest from Popsicle sticks, grape vine tendrils and willow tips
Creative Expectations
16 March 2016
Creative Expectations

My article and a floral parasol design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
Growth Medium
19 August 2015
Growth Medium

Design a bark and moss pod for a mushroom mini farm
All it needed
26 June 2013
All it needed

Clean, simple and restrained elegance: a single jasmine stem in a wine glass. All it needed was just a few extra blades of grass to tie it all together. And wings, of course!
Making it work somewhere between a rock and a hard place
14 February 2013
Making it work somewhere between a rock and a hard place

Sometimes creative blunders becomes creative inspiration
Stacking the odds in your favour
2 December 2015
Stacking the odds in your favour

Cover a wire frame for a winter kissing bough.
'Tis the Season
4 December 2012
'Tis the Season

My article looking at contrasts and 6 winter lantern designs featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine
Rocking around Three Candle Trees
15 December 2011
Rocking around Three Candle Trees

Wire spirals twisted around candles to make small Christmas trees for the Christmas Eve dinner table
A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop… ‘tis Christmas Day!
25 December 2024
A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop… ‘tis Christmas Day!

A sweet through-the-window candle glowing kind of design to celebrate Christmas.
A Very Merry… All Elf gliding along pass all the way from Santa’s workshop!
18 December 2024
A Very Merry… All Elf gliding along pass all the way from Santa’s workshop!

Bark ice skates on a snow covered pond... perfect for capturing Christmas memories!
A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop, department for checking it twice
4 December 2024
A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop, department for checking it twice

A frozen in a moment bark scroll with silver leaf letters that was about to reveal Santa's Nice list!
A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop!
20 November 2024
A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop!

A light... and slight start to designing for Christmas... an oversized Finial
Still wrapping my head around this one
10 July 2024
Still wrapping my head around this one

Craft a haze of green around a log for a sweet pea swirl effect.
In All Ways
13 March 2024
In All Ways

A birch bark basket... perfect for some new Spring floral details.
Wave Wrap
17 January 2024
Wave Wrap

Roll birch bark into a double spiral to cradle some perfect flowers to admire all winter.
A Very Merry Dark chocolate Velvet Texture of Yore, Tall and Trendy Christmas Cheer
20 December 2023
A Very Merry Dark chocolate Velvet Texture of Yore, Tall and Trendy Christmas Cheer

Tall and velvety Christmas tree... with a starlight garland
Fall into Christmas
29 November 2023
Fall into Christmas

Want to make your Christmas greenery last... this is perfect!
Freeze… just for a moment!
15 November 2023
Freeze… just for a moment!

Not quite winter but also a bit late for autumn design that is somewhere between sparkle and flying leaves.
Let it
21 December 2022
Let it

A happy December Solstice or the Winter Solstice lantern.
All is Calm, All is Bright
30 December 2020
All is Calm, All is Bright

An easy to do ahead of time winter wonderland themed design for the calm days just after Christmas but before New Years Eve.
Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: wired snowball pom pom for a woven grass Christmas tree
23 December 2020
Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: wired snowball pom pom for a woven grass Christmas tree

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. Some cardboard to wrap the string around… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered. This week I am making loads of snowball pom poms.
Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Santa’s gift bag wreath
25 November 2020
Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Santa’s gift bag wreath

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. A cardboard box gift bag wreath… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered.
A Happy, Merry, Jolly (easy as that!) Eucalyptus Christmas wreath
18 December 2019
A Happy, Merry, Jolly (easy as that!) Eucalyptus Christmas wreath

Now this is quite a discovery! And it honestly is the easiest and quickest way to go from "I still want to decorate for Christmas" to "... aaand I am done, I made our wreath"
The struggle is real!
27 November 2019
The struggle is real!

Design 3 looking at How to style with artificial plants and branches using quality faux plants and stems. This week: mistletoe! And also .. give your faux a reason for being there.
It’s unreal!
13 November 2019
It’s unreal!

Design 1 of my three week pre-Christmas designing series looking at How to style with artificial plants and branches using quality faux plants and stems. This week: a wreath
Oh Florist-tree
19 December 2018
Oh Florist-tree

Craft an Eucalyptus Christmas tree
While I sing of beauty's treasure
6 December 2017
While I sing of beauty's treasure

Glue the most delicate twig table top Christmas tree
Favourite Flowers
Rosa
Rosa

My all in the same boat floral art arrangement with roses in an Agave sisalana (sisal) leaf.