My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Be excited

7 June 2023
and more

I highly recommend getting over-the-top excited

Oh yes, I absolutely do

I recommend being excited for everything

A new leaf unfurling

A surprise flower discovered

(maybe Wednesdays when I show you what I have made for you)

A vine finally reaching the very top

You wait and you notice… and suddenly there it is…

Be excited.

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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

7 June 2023

Peg the heavy details in place with a wedged stem support

Create a support for your floral details by wedging the cut flower stem across the opening of the vase.

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.

3 February 2016

Connect the dot grass Armature

Connect the ends of grass snippets to create a spherical grass armature

20 February 2019

Stacked bowl floral display

Create a foam free stacked design by slipping flowers between stacked bowls.

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

27 January 2021

Loop a Monstera leaf stem to craft an underwater hold for a knotted orchid stem

Use the unique qualities of each stem to create a submerged design in a water filled glass vase.

24 April 2019

Balance a cake stand lid on it’s side to create a leaning design

Suspend a flower for an unusual but minimalist design over a leaning container lid.

1 April 2015

Hana-kubari Bamboo

Hana-Kubari is an Ikebana flower mechanic. Only natural materials such as pebbles, sticks and branches can be seen to support the flowers. Traditionally no twine or wire, nails, or screws or any other man made materials are used

8 January 2020

Leaf-puddle for a short stem in a big vase

Add a leaf to a large-ish vase to create a small puddle of water for your short flower stem to rest in.

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

15 April 2026

Hop over, skip one and a long jump to the other side twig suspension (with a craftsmanship magic trick in between, of course)

Use a few spongy stems and a bougainvillea branch with sharp thorns to create an impossibly delicate Spring display that is minimal and luxurious.

25 September 2024

Slip-slit tapped in stems to keep vines upright in a muted autumn display

A tiny adjustment in a stem wedged into a vase mechanic to give you even more control over the placement of design details.

5 July 2023

Latch an imperfect stem support for thin stemmed and heavy design details

Bundle and tie a few stems to create a support for even heavy design details.

Related Designs

3 February 2016

Connect the dot

Connect snippets of grass to create a shelter for your flowers

20 February 2019

Inna...

Stack bowls to keep your flower stems in place.

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.

27 January 2021

Knot how it was supposed to go

When you figure out the "how to" tricks of manipulating plant material it is possible to respectfully set them into seemingly impossible new directions.

4 March 2020

All Aboard!

Ooooh! Am I excited to show you this design. It is an ordinary fishbowl vase... balanced on it's side.

24 April 2019

Put aside

Urgh… my glass cake stand broke leaving me with a still beautiful, but now mismatched and extremely inspirational lid...

1 April 2015

The Space Between

Traditional Hana-Kubari flower mechanic

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

8 January 2020

Rest a bit here

Gently curve a shallow area with a leaf to showcase a gorgeous flower with a short stem in a water filled vase

15 April 2026

A hop, skip, and a jump

Pierce a bougainvillea stem into a soft twig support for a minimal and clear Spring display.

25 September 2024

Toning down the summer up into the earliest autumn

Using summery floral details in a way that it gives you all the autumn feelings... when autumn details are not yet out.

5 July 2023

The Wiggle Is Part Of The Plan

A easy going summer design that makes full use of the imperfections you harvest from your cut garden.

Favourite Flowers

Iris

I made a Shishi Odoshi (tipping fountain) for my Desalination Floral Art Demonstration design. Blue Iris flowers hangs down (and up-side down) on my twig blind to represent the...