My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

And just like that, it is The Pumpkin’s Turn

1 October 2025
and more

… it is almost as easy as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother said….

“the thingamabob that does the job is…

... Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo”

But uhmmm… kinda… well… more like… when you sign in to try the new Search-amebob and it does the job…

add it to your personal Favourite list

so that when inspiration hits…

you can go… Buildity-Boldity-You!

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Gather what you'll need

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Dew-Drop Crystals

I created the Tutorial for how I add these crystals to my floral designs 11 years ago! Since then I have tried, tested and searched for the perfect crystals that would go from studio‑table picture perfect to show‑day‑dependable and I always come back to these. They remain the absolute best. They’re inexpensive yet have a refined, high‑quality crystal brilliance; they don’t tarnish and their adhesive backing stays reliably tacky even after they were exposed to water.

Tutorials

1 October 2025

Turning a pumpkin to hover for a sway in the lightest autumn breeze display

A pretty pumpkin deserves some fancy mechanics to create an impossibly ethereal display.

1 September 2021

Above and below eucalyptus curve butternut cradle

Suspend a heavy butternut over water in an early Autumn design.

29 September 2021

Over the edge flower, floral support

Hook the calla lilies over the edge of a vase to create a support for your taller floral details.

31 July 2019

Adding folded grass "jitters" to a Sunflower

Adding tension to a design with a grass frame and collar.

7 October 2020

Floral wreath ring stem armature for a cute pumpkin patch in a stem vase design

Use a wreath to keep flower and a heavy little ghost pumpkin in place in a small vase.

3 October 2018

Inside Pod Designing

Snip open a Physalis pod to create a cavity for delicate floral details.

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.

31 October 2018

Peg and glue a floating Halloween design

A hovering Halloween design that seems to float.

24 July 2018

Lemon Aid Container Stopper

Keep flowers in place by placing a lemon on the narrow rim of the container.

4 October 2017

Display wreath that hover around a big shiny pumpkin

For this design I wanted my wreath to be light and airy so that it just whips around the solid pumpkin like a breeze.

26 October 2016

Folded Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath Armature

Glued Baby's Breath Wreath, folded in half to create a moon shaped armature

13 November 2024

Double down on the Fall magic with the earliest hint of bare (but sparkly) Twig Season

A double vase to keep the bit of sparkle you add to transition a Fall design into Christmas nice and dry... while the fresh plant material remain hydrated.

9 October 2024

Making light of a heavy, heavy pumpkin in double low containers for a zero waste kitchen pumpkin display… a few days before Thanksgiving

A great way to show off your Thanksgiving pumpkin before cooking it… keeping the pumpkin well above and out of the water so that it will not rot and you can easily remove it from the design when you are ready.

12 October 2022

Corn-o’leaf mummy-o'lantern

Wrap and tie a fishbowl vase with corn foliage to craft a lantern for autumn... almost... Halloween.

9 November 2022

Roof-tile pumpkin from dried physalis pods

Carefully stack dried physalis berry husks to craft a long lasting pumpkin that you can refresh with fresh flowers and vines.

11 March 2026

Turn, tuck and refine a papyrus disk bird’s nest armature

Twist the edge of a papyrus together to craft a neat little nest for a bird for your Spring floral display.

21 January 2026

Close an open pinecone to use as a flower frog

Use the natural way pinecones close their scales when wet or cold to protect the little seeds from moisture and damage to display your winter flowers in a small container.

Related Designs

1 September 2021

It’s butter… nuts!

An it's not too early to decorate for Autumn, Autumn design

29 September 2021

Creative Direction

Hang the arum lilies from the edge of a container to support all the other floral details.

31 July 2019

Jitters!

Zig-zag grass details add a bit of tension to the design

7 October 2020

Let’s circle around to this one

Create a floral circlet to rest the little pumpkin on... but above the water line.

21 October 2020

When it gets chilly

Use the heart of a sunflower as a platform to place your autumn floral details on.

3 October 2018

But what’s inside?

This week we are looking at the contents pages of my book... but more specifically at the sweet little pod design on the content page of my book.

24 October 2018

It all stacks up

Quick and easy: Stack autumn leaves onto a wire for a... tiny table top Christmas tree.

31 October 2018

Scary stuff!

My Halloween design... with some scary stuff hidden if you can read between the leaves!

30 September 2020

This season all the stylish pumpkins will be wearing them!

A simple way to keep the plastic mesh the pumpkins are sold in from becoming trash: wrap it around the container as an armature for a quick Fall design. Replace the flowers as they fade and top up the water as needed.

25 July 2018

Lemon Aid

Use a lemon as a stopper to keep floral material in place

23 September 2020

Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing

Floral styling using mostly dried material that will last the entire Autumn.

25 October 2017

When the pretty eyeballs you back!

Barely there skeleton blossoms with Eucalyptus eyes for my Halloween design... Oh! and a Willow Paddle, which probably should have been the main Tutorial... but... well...