My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Club together

Last Wednesday I had such a flowery fun evening Teaching a collaborative floral carpet workshop focusing on braiding and weaving ideas from my book The effortless floral craftsman … this was my carpet block that I designed for the evening:

Let’s team up

Participate

Add our bit

Collaborate

create a creative get together

… to create something even prettier than you could alone!

... and our carpet turned out so pretty! Special thank you to the members of the Capilano Flower Arrangers Club.

For more pictures of our workshop and the finished carpet see the link below

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
No Foam pave design
19 June 2019
No Foam pave design

Here it is: my take on the one design that people argue is "tricky" to design without floral foam. A low pave design. Not tricky at all! It's actually easier to do without foam. And yes, you can pick it up and place it on a wall for a foam free floral wall.
Creating a secure grass snippet here and there grid
19 June 2019
Creating a secure grass snippet here and there grid

This grid helps secure flowers in place... and add visual interest by being over rather than under the flowers.
Foliage Weaving
8 June 2011
Foliage Weaving

For this tutorial I focus on a simple weave pattern that does not require you to soften or prepare the leaves to be more durable or flexible. This is the starting point in weaving techniques. You can build on this technique to make floral handbags, gift boxes, and baskets, sew it into a curve or wrap it around a vase or cover a test tube.
Ripping Flax
14 January 2011
Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips
Coil slip on sandals
29 August 2018
Coil slip on sandals

Braid ripped flax and coil it into shaped slip on sandals.
A plait, a braid or a French knot grass collar
25 April 2012
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.
Weaving Slippers from Foliage
14 January 2015
Weaving Slippers from Foliage

Weave slip on shoes from palm leaves
Weaving a Straight Edged Strip
1 May 2013
Weaving a Straight Edged Strip

A beautiful woven strip that is quite easy to make
Weaving Zori-inspired slip-on Sandals
17 June 2015
Weaving Zori-inspired slip-on Sandals

Sandals made from bamboo, grass and sisal and a bit of satin ribbon for luxury
Bark covered heart
10 July 2012
Bark covered heart

Cover cardboard with bark to create a heart shaped log
Stabilizing sticks for dried or fresh flowers
10 July 2012
Stabilizing sticks for dried or fresh flowers

Create a full design without the weight by stabilizing the flowers with glued sticks. This is a great alternative to floral foam.
Lilies
2 January 2011
Lilies

How to keep Lilies in bud for longer. Removing the pollen. Stringing a Lily Garland.
Basket weave bunny tail grid to catch your floral details
23 August 2023
Basket weave bunny tail grid to catch your floral details

A no waste... but still decorative way to keep your flower in place and hydrated in the warm days of summer.
Related Designs
It’s not that it is inexpensive… it’s priceless!
29 August 2018
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:
This Summer
17 June 2015
This Summer

Weave slip on summer sandals
A Shade of Summer
20 July 2016
A Shade of Summer

Twist and weave a lily grass summer hat
Cover Story
26 September 2018
Cover Story

The design for the cover of my book, the effortless floral craftsman, crafted from Fiddlehead Fern and Red Lipstick Hanging Heliconia.
A quirky kind of Love
10 January 2013
A quirky kind of Love

Retail florists and wholesalers are already designing, ordering and preparing their product range for Valentine's Day. This is my article that I wrote for the December 2012 Valentine's Day Design Issue of Canadian Florist Magazine
Note to Self
23 August 2023
Note to Self

An easy to weave natural grid for summer floral arrangements.
Shine Shade
27 April 2022
Shine Shade

Glue snippets of grass into a double layer sphere to create a sheltered floral globe.
Favourite Flowers
Lilium
Lilium

A Rock by any other name, lily design