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Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Cone of Gratitude

  • 30 March 2022
  • and more

I would hereby like to propose that we measure gratitude...

in cones:

I am not even all that particular about the cone. It could be an ice cream cone, sugar cone, party hat cone or even a traffic cone.

As long as it's a cone filled with knowing what is important to you and taking the time to appreciate it.

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Dew-Drop Crystals
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
Double water source to keep Carnations hydrated in foliage cones
30 March 2022
Double water source to keep Carnations hydrated in foliage cones

Quick and easy design... perfect for something tiny to celebrate spring.... everywhere!
Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals
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.
Where to cut Carnations or Pinks to condition
10 July 2013
Where to cut Carnations or Pinks to condition

Cutting carnations to condition
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.
Rolling leaf tubes
23 March 2013
Rolling leaf tubes

Roll foliage to create tubes
Cone shaped leafy puddle for a short stemmed flower
17 March 2021
Cone shaped leafy puddle for a short stemmed flower

Take all the usual ingredients for a budvase design- a flower, a leafy green something and roll it into something unusual to display.
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design
6 January 2021
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design

Create a tiny visual tunnel to focus attention.
Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds
27 June 2018
Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds

Curl and pin a few leaves into a tube to create an armature for those "left over" freesiabuds.
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes
11 November 2015
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes

Long stemmed autumn leave tubes as a floral 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
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog
14 October 2015
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog

Rolled leaves offer support for floral stems
Foliage that sits under water (gasp, right!?!) to create a frilly design gap in bud vases
15 July 2026
Foliage that sits under water (gasp, right!?!) to create a frilly design gap in bud vases

A ruffled blossom rosette from delicate chocolate mint coleus becomes a flower frog for long stem chocolate cosmos buds.
Roll gladiolus leaves into tubes to craft a raft for a toad lily stem
20 August 2025
Roll gladiolus leaves into tubes to craft a raft for a toad lily stem

Pin leaf rolls with sharp thorns to craft a natural raft to display tiny stems of unusual flowers cut from your garden.
Narrow twin leaf spacer for keeping a tiny stem bouquet upright
12 June 2024
Narrow twin leaf spacer for keeping a tiny stem bouquet upright

A pretty way of taming wonderfully wild thin stemmed floral details... without loosing the light and airy feel.
Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick
15 May 2024
Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick

Threaded Heuchera (Coral Bells) rosette with curved stems to kick against the sides of your container to keep it suspended above water.
Slot together Monstera Twin Leaves to create a design gap
24 April 2024
Slot together Monstera Twin Leaves to create a design gap

A small bundle of Spring floral treasures framed with lush monstera foliage.
Craft a padded wooden Dowel to position a leaf cone into the sharp teeth of a Kenzan
10 May 2023
Craft a padded wooden Dowel to position a leaf cone into the sharp teeth of a Kenzan

Prevent a leaf from ripping or bruising when positioning it in your design.
Unfurl winter’s potential in a snow filled monstera leaf shelter
11 January 2023
Unfurl winter’s potential in a snow filled monstera leaf shelter

Capture a bit of winter magic by placing delicate flower buds in the middle of two large leaves.
A new twist on the cellophane in a submerged design trick to make space for a stem
11 May 2022
A new twist on the cellophane in a submerged design trick to make space for a stem

Create an invisible "stay under water" for blooms that still leaves space for longer stems in a vase.
Related Designs
It’s up there
12 May 2021
It’s up there

Whether it’s a solid foot for floating flowers, the tips of new growth or the curve of a dried twig your design needs help to stay upright.
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.
Pink
10 July 2013
Pink

Weave an invisible grid to float the plant material on
Putting your own spin on it
22 May 2019
Putting your own spin on it

I would definitely describe my own personal style as minimalist classic... but with an edgy twist.
A scoop of pretty
17 March 2021
A scoop of pretty

A tiny budvase design that rearranges basic ingredients, such as a single leaf and an orchid to create a new design concept.
I tip my (flower) cap!
6 January 2021
I tip my (flower) cap!

An enclosed design that invites the onlooker to lean in closer to explore the pretty orchid.
Look deep
27 June 2018
Look deep

Curl foliage to use as a natural armature for delicate buds.
Balancing Act
11 November 2015
Balancing Act

Bend dried fall leaves to balance on the edge of a glass container
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
What a find!
14 October 2015
What a find!

Roll autumn leaves to create a frog to keep flowers upright
Hey look… it totally worked!
15 July 2026
Hey look… it totally worked!

Create tiny gaps to keep tall floral details upright.
And that’s when inspiration toad us to hop to it
20 August 2025
And that’s when inspiration toad us to hop to it

Banana shaped rolled foliage Toad lily lookout
Just about enough space
12 June 2024
Just about enough space

Create a little bit of space to keep a few thin stemmed floral treasures upright in your design
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on
15 May 2024
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on

Beautiful Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid) deserves it's own elaborate frilly skirt display.
You Just Like You
24 April 2024
You Just Like You

Support a small bundle of spring florals to stand upright in water with two Monstera leaves.
By the cone full
10 May 2023
By the cone full

A small design to display those last Spring snippets from your garden...
Maybe Still Maybe
11 January 2023
Maybe Still Maybe

... a something to look forward to design that makes you lean in closer to see what might still be.
Is this new…?
11 May 2022
Is this new…?

Giving old ideas a new twist to refresh it for Spring
Favourite Flowers
Dianthus
Dianthus

Detail of my Pink floral art design