My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Around Here

Around and around and around…

And around and around and around...

And around and around and around...

And around and around and around...

And around and around and around...

And…. around and around aaand… done!

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Tutorials
A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase
30 January 2019
A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase

Stack foliage to create a rose spiral in a container.
Two vase, two level Phormium snippets
2 August 2017
Two vase, two level Phormium snippets

Design in two levels by using two vases, the smaller slipped into a bigger one.
Filling a vase with water without disturbing the design details
22 May 2012
Filling a vase with water without disturbing the design details

Break the water flow when you fill a vase with details in that can move with the stream of water
Lily grass spiral in a vase
22 June 2016
Lily grass spiral in a vase

Twist lily grass slightly to create a spiral for the orchids to nestle in
Hiding a secret water source in a twig frog
27 April 2016
Hiding a secret water source in a twig frog

New growth is really difficult to design with and definitely needs to be conditioned and placed in a water source
Meadow in a bowl
18 March 2015
Meadow in a bowl

Inspired by a classic and traditional Ikebana technique used in a Rikka design called Komiwara. Designers would usually bundle straw to keep the flowers in place.
Roll a folded leaf coil
22 October 2014
Roll a folded leaf coil

Fold and then stitch a long fall leaf garland to roll into a coil
Rethinking the traditional Komiwara technique
7 May 2014
Rethinking the traditional Komiwara technique

Komiwara is a classic and traditional Ikebana technique used in a Rikka design. Designers would usually bundle straw to keep the flowers in place.
Spiral twig frog
22 May 2012
Spiral twig frog

Multiple tiny twigs create a flower frog to keep the delicate buds and leaves in the exact spot you want.
Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower
11 September 2013
Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower

Split (but don't cut) a few gladiolus flowers to spiral in a vase
Flatten a Spring for a disk grid
5 March 2025
Flatten a Spring for a disk grid

Aluminum wire grid to support the stems and flowers above the water.
A summer treat inspired tweak to a leaf-roll technique to display the last cut flowers (or left-overs) picked from your warm weather garden
28 August 2024
A summer treat inspired tweak to a leaf-roll technique to display the last cut flowers (or left-overs) picked from your warm weather garden

Give a summer look to a leaf roll by lifting the middle slightly out like an ice cream.
Creating a perfectly flat leafy surface... with a few gaps to fit some flowers
3 July 2024
Creating a perfectly flat leafy surface... with a few gaps to fit some flowers

Shady leaf fenestration raft for easy summer designing
Use a glue stick to position a Kenzan… just so… so that you can place the blackest of flowers to be framed by gaps of light
8 May 2024
Use a glue stick to position a Kenzan… just so… so that you can place the blackest of flowers to be framed by gaps of light

Play up contrasts to allow near black flowers to shine.
Get a head start with a long lasting shallow vine basket and succulent table top Spring display
21 February 2024
Get a head start with a long lasting shallow vine basket and succulent table top Spring display

Long, long, long lasting display that will even root in place with a few adjustments.
Two leaf lining your container to shelter your orchids
2 June 2021
Two leaf lining your container to shelter your orchids

Create a shallow puddle in a larger container to keep your flowers in place.
A flower, flower frog to keep your design details perfectly put
19 May 2021
A flower, flower frog to keep your design details perfectly put

Use the firm petals of a flower to keep your design details upright
Related Designs
Grace
2 August 2017
Grace

Use snips and snippets and leftovers to create a design of it's own
Perfection
22 June 2016
Perfection

Spiral grass to create a nest for the lady slipper orchids
Sprout
27 April 2016
Sprout

A sneaky way to condition new growth to add into your Spring design
Spring Dreaming
18 March 2015
Spring Dreaming

A bowl full of miniature Chrysanthemums
Impossible things
21 February 2018
Impossible things

A cut stem flower frog for the heavy Hanging Heliconia flowers
Stand Around
22 October 2014
Stand Around

Fold and roll leaves to create an Autumn swirl
Serendipity
7 May 2014
Serendipity

Be inspired by traditional Ikebana techniques
Lean
22 May 2012
Lean

Place short twigs, leaning to one side to create a flower frog
Making it last
11 September 2013
Making it last

Split and spiral a few gladiolus flowers in a way that the stems remain intact, to spiral in a water filled filled vase for a long lasting composite flower
Around about Springtime
5 March 2025
Around about Springtime

Spiral cyclamen foliage around to create a composite flower to showcase the petal-like anthurium flowers.
Soft Serve Swirl
28 August 2024
Soft Serve Swirl

A nod to a summer filled with flowers... and the quite possibly the last of the season flowers still there to be picked.
Oh! my word
3 July 2024
Oh! my word

A perfectly flat leaf to support tiny floral details in the summer heat.
I mean… did you!?!
8 May 2024
I mean… did you!?!

Playing with shapes to frame the light in a dramatic floral design.
I'll Go First
21 February 2024
I'll Go First

My Spring/Easter design and the introduction article about my floral journey written by the editor, Nina Tucknott in the latest issue of Flora Magazine.
Like an open book
2 June 2021
Like an open book

Position foliage to create a smaller, shallow pond for your floral details to shelter in.
In the little gap
19 May 2021
In the little gap

Use the petals of your flower to cleverly keep all the other floral details of your design firmly in place.
Favourite Flowers
Lilium
Lilium

A Rock by any other name, lily design