Brewing some inspiration

A green plaited willow way-over for small flower details

Here it is: the first of my first autumn harvest of willow from my willow coppice I am growing in my balcony garden. It is working spectacularly well!

Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

A plait, a braid or a French knot grass collar

"Plaid" and "braid" are synonyms, and where you are from will most likely dictate whether you use plait (British) or braid (American or Celtic). Some people also refer to cornrows as braids or refer to pinned up plaits as braids. A French braid is a braiding technique.

Coil slip on sandals

Braid ripped flax and coil it into shaped slip on sandals.

Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.

Three Twig Bundle Braid

Braid bundles of twigs to create an armature for flowers to dance in

Hanging Willow Nest

Bend and weave a nest shape from fresh willow stems

Willow flower crown

Loosely weave willow tips to create an ethereal crown

Willow Parasol

Weave willow stems into a decorative parasol

Willow Heart Wand

Overgrown Willow web inspired by a traditional Dream-catcher

I wanted my willow armature to hint of a web-like dreamcatcher that grows in the wild rather than being a precise replica of the traditional craft technique. But I did weave it in a similar way.

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.

Weaving a Straight Edged Strip

A beautiful woven strip that is quite easy to make

Willow and Vine tiny stem Gathering Basket

Tiny stems are often also delicate stems... place your cut flowers directly in a small glass of water. A perfect fit for this basket.

Willow Paddle

Weave willow between the fork in a twig to create a paddle like armature

Swing Vine

Weave a delicate vine swing to nestle a small vase with spring flowers in

Oh just...

Braid a few twigs to dance around your flowers

Around again

Tape a grid at the edge of a container

Words Matter.

Braiding and plaiting and knotting hair is a huge trend in hairdressing at the moment. Intricate little plaits are draped over long flowing hair to add complexity and quirk. It’s a lovely design trend to add to floral art.

It’s not that it is inexpensive… it’s priceless!

Yes, this Coil slip on sandals design is in my book: the effortless floral craftsman, a floral crafter’s guide to crafting with nature ... it is also the first design from the book featured in a magazine: Thank you DIY Wedding Magazine , I am so happy to share finally the this with you:

Step It Up

Dress up a pair of hand coiled flip-flops with succulents.

Practice

Weave a willow bird nest

You are all invited!

My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Creative Expectations

My article and a floral parasol design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Love Spell

Weave willow to create a heart shaped wand design

How To Catch A Dream

Take inspiration from a traditional Dream-catcher design to create a floral armature

Short Cut

A tiny carry basket to gather the shortest stems from your cutting garden... with a place for water and your cutters.

Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"

I wove three willow spheres for my Floral Art design Three Drops of floral chocolate.