My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Don’t get me started on the things you can craft with just one pretty stick!?!

25 February 2026
and more

Oh you really should not...

... be asking me for life advice!

‘Cause...

... that’s how you end up

with a

life long obsession with the kind of floral designs that are a little bit challenging to stretch our talent and a little bit of that “I’ve got this” that keeps us from feeling frustrated and a whole lot of crafting the kind of beauty the way only you can...

… and end up telling random strangers about the creative potential of…well… let’s be honest…a… stick.

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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

25 February 2026

The prettiest stick to stick up, out and over to support clematis vines up, under and in to its fullest and drapy-est potential.

A sturdy stick armature to help you drape the first few opening clematis Armandii vines into a winter display.

19 February 2013

Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening

Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without breaking it.

28 December 2016

Adding snow to twigs

Glue artificial snow to twigs

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.

16 September 2020

Peg a wreath to the edge of a container

Another version of a design idea I showed you last month... A vine wreath armature to balance a dramatic single stem anthurium. Only this time I take it a bit further.

8 November 2023

First Frost Sparkle Wire and Twinkle Vine Wreath

An impossibly delicate wreath shape that will last... and last... all Festive Season long.

10 June 2020

Overgrown vine tangle to suspend flowers in a clear vase

A zero waste and sustainable floral design solution to keep your flowers exactly where you want them without using floral foam.

5 February 2025

Delicate snow willow twirl around a growing Slipper orchid plant display

Arrange sprouting willow twigs to twirl and frame a beautiful Paphiopedilum (slipper) orchid

28 February 2018

Marching winter frosted twig and freesia stack

Frost a few twigs to craft a delicate armature for fragrant freesias

7 February 2024

Knot willow twigs around a shallow container to keep tiny orchid stems upright

An all natural flower frog that adds to the design feel.

19 August 2020

Tangle a perfect vine around two wreaths for a split armature

Passion fruit flowers never lasts long. Not even growing outside on a vine. But the buds continue to open once cut making a wreath display ideal for an even changing passion fruit flower display.

6 February 2019

Winter White Twig Screen

Glue twigs to screen delicate flowers for a wintry design.

11 May 2016

Twig snippet vase armature

Glue twig snippets to closely follow the shape of a glass vase

4 May 2016

Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container

18 January 2023

Snowy twig band armature for a ever changing winter display

A well made snow covered twig band armature will last all winter so that you can display even the most delicate winter treasures.

28 April 2021

A contained design for watching those pretty twigs get their leaves

Careful manipulation of twigs in a shallow container. With a special note on how to use new growth.

9 December 2020

A Twig and personal inner Gyp flurry melted snowman

Remember how Olaf from Frozen remained cool? With a personal flurry, of course! Two fishbowls, stacked and you are very nearly done.

8 January 2014

Twig Tumbler

Wire and glue a stack of sticks into a cylindrical or tube shape

13 November 2024

Double down on the Fall magic with the earliest hint of bare (but sparkly) Twig Season

A double vase to keep the bit of sparkle you add to transition a Fall design into Christmas nice and dry... while the fresh plant material remain hydrated.

16 March 2022

Sturdy, blossoming armature in a shallow puddle

If you know just a bit more about the "why" we do the things we do it is easy to discover new "how's". This week I show you why it is possible to design with blossoming twigs in a shallow puddle.

9 February 2022

Tilt container with a spilling twigs armature

Perfect design for a warmer than usual winter design that hints at thawing.

12 February 2025

Have your heart set on it armature for Valentines Day

A prepare ahead armature design that relies on the strength of a heart shape.

16 January 2019

Delicate Twig Hammock Armature to keep tulips upright in a shallow container

Craft a suspended armature to create a clear winter design.

7 January 2026

Just sparkly enough (for January) frosted twig frog to balance your anthurium stems just so

A winter twig that looks like it is barely hanging on in the blizzard to recreate the sparkle of winter.

21 December 2022

Winter Solstice Kalanchoe and Berry twig Lantern

Soft and minimal glow lantern that you can make ahead of time to last all Festive Season.

23 February 2022

Place delicate stems at an angle in a shallow fiber lined container

Line a shallow container with fiber to create a mat for the flowers to hydrate and stand in the exact way you want to place them.

29 January 2025

Straight up and down icicle, clematis vine and huckleberry twig double vase winter display

Give an old mechanic a contemporary twist for creating light and airy flower displays.

24 February 2016

Willow Spring

Set willow tips into a spiral to create a spring design

1 June 2022

A wild "found it this way" thorn and overgrown tulip design with a ribbon tangle instead of a bow.

Glue an overgrown thorn armature to a container to display fully opened tulips

23 June 2021

Submerged vine wreath armature to beat the summer heat

Water... lots of water- that is the answer to designing flower arrangements that survive the summer heat.

Related Designs

16 September 2020

The circle of making new things:

A wreath armature design for early Autumn... this takes the split armature Tutorial I showed you last month a little bit further.

8 November 2023

A warm up

An almost Christmas... Christmas wreath featured in the winter edition of Flora Magazine.

10 June 2020

All Out

An all out effective way of keeping a flower stem in the exact spot you want it to be in a clear water vase design.

5 February 2025

Snow to report!

A snowy lady slipper plant displayed to enjoy for as long as possible.

28 February 2018

March Days

Line up a few frosted twigs to march across a shallow container

20 January 2011

The last Vine Wreath

Every designer knows how to stretch their supplies. We use and re-use our dried plant material until our fellow designers feel like hiding it from us. I formed such an attachment to my vine wreaths. This post features four designs using the same wreaths.

3 September 2014

What's done is done

My article and lace fine wreath design featured in the Autumn issue of DIY Weddings Magazine

19 August 2020

All round pretty sweet and short

Frame a passion flower in a vine wreath for a short lived but so pretty arrangement.

7 February 2024

Knot... that easy

An all natural shallow container design solution...

6 February 2019

Tread softly on winter

A delicate winter twig armature to show off the delicate beauty of these early spring coloured tulips.

24 August 2016

Details

Glue twigs to create a vase shaped armature

4 May 2016

Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container

3 May 2017

Oh just...

Braid a few twigs to dance around your flowers

25 February 2015

Just So

Twirl a few willow twigs to create a balanced armature to display orchids

28 April 2021

Here comes the sun...

A minimal design celebrating the new growth on twigs

18 January 2023

Getting the Band Back Together Again

Glue a band of snow dusted twigs to create a delicate armature for winter treasures.

9 December 2020

Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Gyp flurry Snowman

...ok not really that fancy- it’s paper pulp. Cardboard boxes, really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered. My list of inspiration would not be complete without showing a but-we-have-been-doing-this-forever “just wrap an empty box and place it in a design”, design.