My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop, special department of tinkering together those Soooo Good, for Goodness Sake moments

Low on elf-motivation? In celebration of this Christmas Season I invite you to join me in Santa’s workshop as I design my way to an even more inspired 2025. I am focussing on embracing what brings joy, kindness and uplifts our creative spirits.

So go on... assemble at least one Sooo Good! moment before Christmas:

… that tingling feeling of sinking into a warm bath (a cup of warm tea can also work) after being caught in the icy rain while out cutting fresh evergreen design ingredients.

A long lasting Christmas buffet design on a cake stand

Then there’s getting great feedback on a design that was oh so tricky to get just right.

Using tinsel in a flower arrangement

And what about when you have your hands full and need… and then you glance down to see your favourite tool to solve this right at the top of your tool box, ready to go...?

Christmas cake stand no foam floral design

Getting something done just in time to hear your fresh coffee make its last gurgle sound (or the beep of the microwave counts as well)

A white Christmas flower arrangement using zero floral foam

Adding just the right “it needs a little something” something and your design quite literally lights up.

Succulent kalanchoe flowers and evergreen for Christmas designs

Someone letting you know that they are happy to hear from you.

Space saving floral display

Struggling to match the right “vibe” for your design and then a song comes on and it fits… perfectly.

Festive flowers that can be made ahead of time

The smell of lemon cypress... ooooh and peeling your orange… around and around and around… and it stays in one piece!

Minimal soft white Christmas floral styling using real flowers

Spending time tidying up your workshop… and kinda forgetting about doing it… and then… walking back into your space for the first time.

Oh yes… make something that feels this good, for goodness sake!

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

Tutorials

27 November 2024 Edge of a platter Christmas quarter wreath garland

How to make a floral display design that will leave space for even more decorations.

24 December 2018 Curl tinsel

Gently pull the tinsel over a blade to curl

1 November 2011 Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling...

8 July 2015 Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals

It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.

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!

8 November 2023 First Frost Sparkle Wire and Twinkle Vine Wreath

An impossibly delicate wreath shape that will last... and last... all Festive Season long.

25 November 2015 Winter White Gyp Wreath

A dried wreath in winter white

20 December 2017 Twinkle and Pine Christmas Star

Use a cardboard shape to craft a simple wire Christmas star

25 December 2018 Twig Snowflake

Glue twigs into a snowflake twig armature for Christmas trimmings.

6 December 2017 Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree

Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree

29 November 2011 Messy wire lace

I call this “lace” because I use pins to guide the wire sections together- almost like you do when making lace.

12 December 2012 Piled Pine Needle Tabletop Wreath

Use wood glue to make a light as air table top wreath from pine needles

23 November 2022 Snowy Pinecone with green tomato berries and Kalanchoe flowers

A snowflake covered design that will hang on to well past Christmas.

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

27 December 2017 Pine NeedleTube

Glue pine needles to a up-cycled disk to create a winter scene

4 December 2019 Eucalyptus collar for a snow-covered Christmas candle

Not only will your home smell wonderful while crafting this design you will also have a ethereal and long lasting design to enjoy.

10 January 2018 Long lasting flower wand

Create a long lasting wand with Kalachoe.

Favourite Flowers

Kalanchoe

Christmas Kalanchoe, Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë

Related Designs

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

8 November 2023 A warm up

An almost Christmas... Christmas wreath featured in the winter edition of Flora Magazine.

25 November 2015 So white

A dried Baby's breath and fresh orchid wreath

20 December 2017 A Very Merry Christmas Star

A wire Christmas star with a secret plan to hide the twinkle

6 December 2017 While I sing of beauty's treasure

Glue the most delicate twig table top Christmas tree

29 November 2011 Jack Frost’s Christmas stocking

I used wire, fishing line (mono-filament) and Phalaenopsis orchid roots to make a messy lace Christmas stocking and dressed the stocking with frost green Cymbidium orchids

12 December 2012 It's a swell time…

An exceptional moment frozen in time… 12:12:12 12/12/12

7 September 2016 You are all invited!

My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

23 November 2022 Ways to Merry a Christmas

A little bit of effort... that will last for weeks design to hang about the whole Festive Season.

2 December 2015 Stacking the odds in your favour

Cover a wire frame for a winter kissing bough.

27 December 2017 Can it be?

Craft a pine tube to display a soft and snow filled winter scene

18 December 2012 So this is Christmas, I hope you had fun…

Capilano Flower Arranging Club Designing for Christmas Workshop: Yule log

4 December 2019 A Very Merry eucalyptus-collar-candle Christmas!

An easy and naturally fragrant winter white candle decoration to bring nature into your house this Christmas.

10 January 2018 Let some magic find you

My article and floral wand design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine