My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

A Very Merry Season’s Greetings Holly Jolly Happy Most Wonderful Christmas Time to you!

So… I was thinking…

Maybe… just maybe…

You need an extra Christmas wish this year.

So from my design room to yours:

Merry Christmas to you.

And if you are struggling a bit today: Please know that I am so, so happy there’s a “you”. You have added so much joy to my life. And if you did not visit me every week my life would be poorer.

Thank you for stopping by.

Merry Christmas to you.

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Tutorials
Twig Snowflake
25 December 2018
Twig Snowflake

Glue twigs into a snowflake twig armature for Christmas trimmings.
Curl tinsel
24 December 2018
Curl tinsel

Gently pull the tinsel over a blade to curl
Unravel wire from a copper pot scrubber
5 May 2011
Unravel wire from a copper pot scrubber

Up-cycle a pot scrubber to get a huge roll of very pretty copper wire
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.
Bite and snap a sturdy twig
22 May 2012
Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.
Adding snow to twigs
28 December 2016
Adding snow to twigs

Glue artificial snow to twigs
A Sprouting Spring Twig Heart
8 February 2017
A Sprouting Spring Twig Heart

Carefully glue a twig armature to display the mini-miniature Darling orchids
T-connect twigs to shadow a design
18 January 2017
T-connect twigs to shadow a design

Split a twig to create a t connection to hover a twig over the design
Twinkle and Pine Christmas Star
20 December 2017
Twinkle and Pine Christmas Star

Use a cardboard shape to craft a simple wire Christmas star
Sticky Shooting Star
12 June 2012
Sticky Shooting Star

Glue gypsophila sticks, flowers and dandelion seeds into a star shape
Winter White Gyp Wreath
25 November 2015
Winter White Gyp Wreath

A dried wreath in winter white
Wire hooks for baubles
18 December 2012
Wire hooks for baubles

Bend thin decorative wire to create hooks to hang baubles or design details
Butterfly hairclip claws to hold twigs in place while glue dries
18 January 2012
Butterfly hairclip claws to hold twigs in place while glue dries

Butterfly hair clips are the perfect little claws to help you hold tiny items in place while you wait for glue to dry
Twirling New Year’s wish upon a sparkle star
1 January 2025
Twirling New Year’s wish upon a sparkle star

Craft a birch bark star mobile to celebrate the sparkling New Year
Edge of a platter Christmas quarter wreath garland
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.
Rudolph the red nosed reindeer... the seed cone and twig version
13 December 2023
Rudolph the red nosed reindeer... the seed cone and twig version

Seed cone and Twig Reindeer
Snowy Bead Garland Planter Bowl
13 December 2023
Snowy Bead Garland Planter Bowl

Glue a beaded garland into a coiled bowl
Stack and Glue Needle Trees
13 December 2023
Stack and Glue Needle Trees

I am showing you a few versions of the tree. One with lights, with and without a stand, a pyramid stacked one and one on a wire.
Quick and Easy way to dress up poinsettia plants for Christmas
13 December 2023
Quick and Easy way to dress up poinsettia plants for Christmas

Colour coordinate your tiny plant pots and add a bauble... or three
Fluffy Seed Snowflake Sparkle
22 November 2023
Fluffy Seed Snowflake Sparkle

A gentle switch between designing for Autumn and Thanksgiving and Christmas.
First Frost Sparkle Wire and Twinkle Vine Wreath
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.
Hover winter twig armature with an acetate platform
8 February 2023
Hover winter twig armature with an acetate platform

Crystal clear floral design for winter styling
Bundled up Rosehip Scatter twigs… for anywhere you need a small frosted winter decorating touch
28 December 2022
Bundled up Rosehip Scatter twigs… for anywhere you need a small frosted winter decorating touch

A delicate winter decoration to add sparkle to those in between Christmas and New Years Eve days.
A berry and kalanchoe sleigh… to carry your twig tree home, of course
7 December 2022
A berry and kalanchoe sleigh… to carry your twig tree home, of course

A snowy Christmas scene crafted from a handful of twigs... and a few kalanchoe flowers.
Fork In the Twig Tree
7 December 2022
Fork In the Twig Tree

Minimal and so easy to do... craft an upside down twig tree.
The coziest Wool, Holly and Kalanchoe Table Top Candy Cane Snowflake
30 November 2022
The coziest Wool, Holly and Kalanchoe Table Top Candy Cane Snowflake

A fuzzy wool and twig snowflake that starts out as a handful of candy canes.
Party popper inspired Copper curls for a New Year’s Eve double vase orchid heart centerpiece
29 December 2021
Party popper inspired Copper curls for a New Year’s Eve double vase orchid heart centerpiece

A design that is aged to ring in the new. Perfect for the a New Year's celebration.
Twig Christmas Star
8 December 2021
Twig Christmas Star

Make your own twig Christmas stars- the easy way.
Green Patina Copper Bells
8 December 2021
Green Patina Copper Bells

Easiest bell DIY. Add a bit more character by chemically treating the bell to have a lovely green patina.
A Twig and personal inner Gyp flurry melted snowman
9 December 2020
A Twig and personal inner Gyp flurry melted snowman

Remember how Olaf from Frozen remained cool? With a personal flurry, of course! Two fishbowls, stacked and you are very nearly done.
Ice skating pond inspired grid for a winter floral design
2 December 2020
Ice skating pond inspired grid for a winter floral design

Turn the tried and trusted tape over the vase grid idea sticky side out... and adding artificial snow for a Christmas in Winter design solution.
Lost and found snow mittens
2 December 2020
Lost and found snow mittens

Artificial snow covered cardboard mittens to add to a winter themed design.
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.
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.
Related Designs
It could hold
8 February 2017
It could hold

A fragile looking heart made from twigs that can hold a lot of orchids
Wish Upon a Dandelion Star
11 June 2012
Wish Upon a Dandelion Star

A sticky shooting star made with gypsophila stems and fluffy dandelion seeds
So white
25 November 2015
So white

A dried Baby's breath and fresh orchid wreath
The year is so new it… sparkles!
1 January 2025
The year is so new it… sparkles!

A sparkling star design to celebrate the New Year
A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop, special department of tinkering together those Soooo Good, for Goodness Sake moments
27 November 2024
A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop, special department of tinkering together those Soooo Good, for Goodness Sake moments

Long lasting and easy to pick up and place garland to decorate a Festive Platter of… anything, really!
A Very Merry Naked Tree and Woodland Woodsy and Oversized Flowers Trendy Christmas Cheer
13 December 2023
A Very Merry Naked Tree and Woodland Woodsy and Oversized Flowers Trendy Christmas Cheer

From now to a bit after New Year's Eve I will show you my take on the trends for Christmas 2023. This week I am continuing with a garland bowl and a cone and twig reindeer.
Gentle transition
22 November 2023
Gentle transition

There's no need to rush the seasons. Take it slow and enjoy the plant material that are still available even if you are excited about what is to come...
A warm up
8 November 2023
A warm up

An almost Christmas... Christmas wreath featured in the winter edition of Flora Magazine.
Snow… drops
8 February 2023
Snow… drops

A late winter design for minimal floral styling.
Giving a nod
28 December 2022
Giving a nod

A scattering of winter decorating for wherever you might need it.
Making spirits bright
7 December 2022
Making spirits bright

A twig sleigh... to collect your twig Christmas tree, of course!
Take a bough… it’s Christmas time!
30 November 2022
Take a bough… it’s Christmas time!

A wool and twig snowflake design (made from candy canes!) that will last the entire Festive Season.
It’s the most… it’s the most... Toast-iest Patina Christmas of all!
29 December 2021
It’s the most… it’s the most... Toast-iest Patina Christmas of all!

This is the sixth of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. This week I will show you how to go overboard on almost everything... and still get a pretty patina on your copper design details.
It’s the most… it’s the most... Jingle Patina Christmas of all!
8 December 2021
It’s the most… it’s the most... Jingle Patina Christmas of all!

This is the third of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Craft the easiest copper bells to hang in a Christmas star wreath.
Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Gyp flurry Snowman
9 December 2020
Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Gyp flurry Snowman

...ok not really that fancy- it’s paper pulp. Cardboard boxes, really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered. My list of inspiration would not be complete without showing a but-we-have-been-doing-this-forever “just wrap an empty box and place it in a design”, design.
Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Lost and Found Snow Mittens
2 December 2020
Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Lost and Found Snow Mittens

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. A cardboard box snow mittens… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered.
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.
… 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...?
Favourite Flowers
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis orchid detail from my Harnessing the Wind design