My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

And there you glow

It is what is supposed

to happen

on crisp autumn nights like tonight…

exactly like when the breeze stir burgundy and orange to shine through clouds of autumn fog

carrying with it the fragrance of sweet fallen leaves and a forest full of damp woody tree bark

layered over soil scented rain and a hint of loitering faraway smoke

Like that inside feeling warms with a glow of a crackling, ambient flame…?

You catch a spark of inspiration and there you glow.

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
Protect your “mercury” glass vases with a reusable lining when using wire as a mechanic
16 October 2024
Protect your “mercury” glass vases with a reusable lining when using wire as a mechanic

How to protect glass vases from scratching when using wire as a mechanic
Wire baubles
5 May 2011
Wire baubles

Make baubles from wire
Twig Lanterns
4 December 2012
Twig Lanterns

Wire short twigs around wire rings to create rustic flameless tea-light lanterns
Stacked Grass Pyramid Armature
13 January 2016
Stacked Grass Pyramid Armature

Stack snippets of grass on a wire frame to make a floating pyramid armature
Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers
28 June 2017
Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers

Hide the water source in a rolled leaf
Weave a flat top to tip at an angle with flower stems
9 August 2017
Weave a flat top to tip at an angle with flower stems

Craft a platform to highlight small flowers
Stacked eggshell containers that won't topple over.
28 March 2018
Stacked eggshell containers that won't topple over.

Balance a stack of eggshells with a magnet for a tiny Easter design
Snippet grid
30 May 2018
Snippet grid

Glue grass stem snippets to create a natural grid over a shallow container
Wrap around grass loop and knot armature
8 August 2018
Wrap around grass loop and knot armature

Connect strips of ripped grass to create a knotted armature for short stemmed flowers
Weaving Willow spheres
25 January 2012
Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball
Single blade wrap armature
10 October 2018
Single blade wrap armature

Fold a single blade of grass or slender leaf around a small container to stand your flower in position
Delicate Twig Hammock Armature to keep tulips upright in a shallow container
16 January 2019
Delicate Twig Hammock Armature to keep tulips upright in a shallow container

Craft a suspended armature to create a clear winter design.
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.
Weave a long lasting (without using floral foam) in a vase floral design basket
29 January 2020
Weave a long lasting (without using floral foam) in a vase floral design basket

Give your woven grass a water source by designing the basket in a vase rather than placing the vase in a basket
Mesh bag net armature to keep your flowers in place
30 September 2020
Mesh bag net armature to keep your flowers in place

Instead of vegetable net bags becoming trash wrap it around your container for an instant armature. It even looks a bit like a spider web- perfect for a long lasting design as we count down to Halloween.
Weave a Ceropegia Woodii Vine grid to catch your flowers
3 February 2021
Weave a Ceropegia Woodii Vine grid to catch your flowers

Suspend flowers over a water filled container by weaving a natural grid.
Hovering golden wheat Ghost Ship armature
27 October 2021
Hovering golden wheat Ghost Ship armature

Using dry and fresh floral material in one design without the dry becoming soggy and the fresh drying out.
Knot a vine wreath and ripped grass bug net
28 June 2023
Knot a vine wreath and ripped grass bug net

Simply easy design... with tiny design details to make your summer display unique.
Cover a headband with a whole lot of little floral details for a contemporary fascinator
29 May 2024
Cover a headband with a whole lot of little floral details for a contemporary fascinator

Add the tiniest of floral details below calla lilies to craft a dramatic but still easy to wear fascinator.
Related Designs
'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
Once Upon A Time
13 January 2016
Once Upon A Time

Stack and glue a Grass Pyramid Armature
Somewhere in the Middle
28 June 2017
Somewhere in the Middle

Skewer Dracaena leaves into a roll that supports a tiny water source for the Oncidium orchids
Hat tip
9 August 2017
Hat tip

Tip a mortarboard inspired top at an angle for a glass design
Walking on eggshells
28 March 2018
Walking on eggshells

Fill eggshells with moss to create an upright container... with a surprising balancing trick.
You see... here is the Thing:
30 May 2018
You see... here is the Thing:

Glue a grass snippet grid for shallow container design
On the net
8 August 2018
On the net

Knot a net to rest short stem orchids on.
See you around
30 July 2014
See you around

Weave a few spheres to create a simple design
From A... for Acer to Z… for Zantedeschia
10 October 2018
From A... for Acer to Z… for Zantedeschia

This week we look at the design featured in the Flower Guide Chapter at the very end of my book
Every. Single. Week.
16 January 2019
Every. Single. Week.

Stand tulips upright in a shallow container with a suspended twig armature.
Blossoming like a Caterpillar
3 April 2019
Blossoming like a Caterpillar

Crafting caterpillars from blossoms
… 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...?
Peekaboo
29 January 2020
Peekaboo

A light and airy (no floral foam but still long lasting) floral design for those days that you are really, really looking for signs of Spring.
This season all the stylish pumpkins will be wearing them!
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.
here’s the catch
3 February 2021
here’s the catch

Weave an all natural net to place over a vase to keep your flowers above water.
Ship Shape
27 October 2021
Ship Shape

The dry wheat stems are suspended from the outside of the container so that they remain dry and the flower stems can gently rest inside to remain hydrated.
Catch and Release
28 June 2023
Catch and Release

Ah... yes summer time designing. Anyone else seeing more insects hiding between the petals this year?
Fascinating!
29 May 2024
Fascinating!

Trendy fascinator design using long lasting (read can be designed ahead of time) floral details.
Favourite Flowers
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum Design: the Floral Hour glass was made as part of my wax series