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Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Favourite Take-Away

  • 1 May 2024
  • and more

Here’s what you do:

You design.

And when you are “done”

you take away … and take away … and take away

… and take away

Until you can no longer find anything else to take away…

And then you put your absolute favourite take-away back

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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
Gap basket weave for a Spring flower container
1 May 2024
Gap basket weave for a Spring flower container

Fiasco inspired vase cover for a small Spring design
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.
Grass Spiral Snail
18 February 2015
Grass Spiral Snail

Fold a foliage snail
Weaving a gift box with a lid from palm leaves
20 December 2011
Weaving a gift box with a lid from palm leaves

A great all natural gift decorating alternative
Weaving a ball shaped Dew-drop Catcher from grass
1 October 2012
Weaving a ball shaped Dew-drop Catcher from grass

Weave a sphere from grass
Twin Leaf Weave
3 April 2013
Twin Leaf Weave

Weave two palm leaves together to create a floral grid
Weave a foliage grid for a shallow container
19 February 2014
Weave a foliage grid for a shallow container

Keep flowers neatly in a shallow container
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.
Folding a Frog
24 September 2014
Folding a Frog

Fold and weave a frog from grass
Weaving Slippers from Foliage
14 January 2015
Weaving Slippers from Foliage

Weave slip on shoes from palm leaves
Messy edged basket
12 August 2015
Messy edged basket

Weave a loose basket to display flowers
Weaving a diagonal green grass basket
1 February 2012
Weaving a diagonal green grass basket

Once you figure out how to do the corners weaving a diagonal shape is actually not that hard to do.
Weaving a Straight Edged Strip
1 May 2013
Weaving a Straight Edged Strip

A beautiful woven strip that is quite easy to make
Woven lily grass parachute armature
13 July 2016
Woven lily grass parachute armature

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature in a way that you can place the stems in two vases to keep it hydrated.
Twisted Lily Grass sun hat
20 July 2016
Twisted Lily Grass sun hat

Twist and weave a sun hat from blades of lily grass
Weaving a Pillbox hat from grass
5 April 2017
Weaving a Pillbox hat from grass

Use the "over and under" weaving pattern to weave a round, upright hat with a flat top and no brim.
Weaving and Interweaving for contrast
29 May 2019
Weaving and Interweaving for contrast

My block design is shaped around a Styrofoam block. It is bulky but lightweight and a great way to reuse packaging.
Stacking grass covered pebbles
25 June 2019
Stacking grass covered pebbles

Pebbles are a great way to weigh down or keep your floral material in place. Here's a way to dress them up a bit
Over and under weave floral panel armature for inside a vase
15 January 2020
Over and under weave floral panel armature for inside a vase

Weave a small panel that fits snugly in a container for a minimal, foam free design that is quick to make but looks spectacular.
Weave a long lasting (without using floral foam) in a vase floral design basket
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
Weave a trendy oversized clutch purse with a hidden magnetic closure
22 April 2020
Weave a trendy oversized clutch purse with a hidden magnetic closure

A three in one Tutorial to show you how to weave a clutch purse, how to add a magnetic closure AND how to incorporate a ribbon into a weaved design.
A Double vase, Sticky tape, Reflexed AND Woven Nestled Grass and Tulip Whirl
23 March 2022
A Double vase, Sticky tape, Reflexed AND Woven Nestled Grass and Tulip Whirl

so many techniques rolled into one rather pretty tulip nest. Perfect to celebrate new beginnings: Spring and my book birthday... and my online workshop!
Interweave a dangling Egg outline Easter Wreath Basket
5 April 2023
Interweave a dangling Egg outline Easter Wreath Basket

An open egg shaped wreath for Easter styling
Removing Oasis Floral Adhesive glue spills
30 August 2011
Removing Oasis Floral Adhesive glue spills

The finish of every design should be flawless. Make sure there are no bits of glue visible in your design by carefully removing all traces of spills.
Pin pegs for barely there suspended floral details
5 August 2026
Pin pegs for barely there suspended floral details

Glue clear notice board pins onto the side of a container to keep your floral details suspended in the water.
Roll a leaf blade shade shelter for a crystal puddle… frog
22 April 2026
Roll a leaf blade shade shelter for a crystal puddle… frog

Create a delicate but glamorous shelter Spring design to show off delicate shade loving flowers.
Growing forced bulbs to get extra long leggy nest weaving material for a Spring flower frog
4 March 2026
Growing forced bulbs to get extra long leggy nest weaving material for a Spring flower frog

Using the natural responses of plant material to their fullest creative potential.
Weave a delicate horn of plenty that looks like it was foraged in an enchanted forest
17 September 2025
Weave a delicate horn of plenty that looks like it was foraged in an enchanted forest

Overgrown grassy cornucopia that looks like it is unraveling and entangling again.
Suspend flowers above water on two wires covered with ringlet "happy birthday streamers" made from grass
19 March 2025
Suspend flowers above water on two wires covered with ringlet "happy birthday streamers" made from grass

Create a wire platform to rest the fresh flowers on so that they are hydrated but not submerged in the water below the grass dome.
Related Designs
Snail Away
18 February 2015
Snail Away

Spiral roll a snail to add to this sunny design
Our finest gifts we bring,
20 December 2011
Our finest gifts we bring,

A small, all natural gift box woven from palm
How to catch a dew drop:
1 October 2012
How to catch a dew drop:

Weave a sphere from grass to catch a precious and exquisite and perfect glistening early autumn dew drop
April showers bring May flowers
3 April 2013
April showers bring May flowers

After a long winter it is always fun to use the first spring bulb flowers!
Come on Over
19 February 2014
Come on Over

Weave an open foliage flower frog
Making Ends Meet
16 August 2017
Making Ends Meet

Criss-cross corset style connect the gaps in a Monstera deliciosa leaf
Leapfrog
24 September 2014
Leapfrog

Fold and weave a frog from grass
Take a load off
14 January 2015
Take a load off

Weave slippers from foliage
Catch of the Day
12 August 2015
Catch of the Day

Weave a loose basket to display a single flower... or three
Woven
13 July 2016
Woven

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature for orchids to perch on
A Shade of Summer
20 July 2016
A Shade of Summer

Twist and weave a lily grass summer hat
Nobody move!
17 May 2017
Nobody move!

Weave a small basket with a lid to keep fluffy treasures in
Easter Bonnet
5 April 2017
Easter Bonnet

Weave a delicate Pillbox hat
How to avoid your wedding treasures from becoming “after the event trash”
13 March 2019
How to avoid your wedding treasures from becoming “after the event trash”

My article and grass wedding basket design.
Creative Competition
29 May 2019
Creative Competition

This week I am so excited to share my article and design that was published in the recent issue of the Floral Art Society of New Zealand's Academy Magazine for NZ qualified teachers, judges and demonstrators. It's all about good competition.
“Ok wow”
26 June 2019
“Ok wow”

A design so fine you can easily miss it... if it were not for the interwoven pebbles catching your eye.
This way we connect
15 January 2020
This way we connect

Weave a connected panel to frame a single orchid.
Peekaboo
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.
Yes… but what would she put in it?
22 April 2020
Yes… but what would she put in it?

Some floral fashion inspiration: weave a pretty clutch purse
Chockablock!
23 March 2022
Chockablock!

Luxuriously filled design... filled with flowers... filled with grass. But most fun, for us as designers filled with hidden techniques
Where do you even start looking?
5 April 2023
Where do you even start looking?

Easter egg... egg for Easter eggs
Sparkle on tiny dew drop crystals!
5 August 2026
Sparkle on tiny dew drop crystals!

Clear sparkling water for a cooling summer display... without any visual distractions.
DIY a Could Be
20 May 2026
DIY a Could Be

It's once again critter season... and a tiny detail is all you need to add to a flower this pretty.
Shade-Seeking Style Choices Confirmed by “Sources” who know all about shade seeking style choices
22 April 2026
Shade-Seeking Style Choices Confirmed by “Sources” who know all about shade seeking style choices

Loop and weigh down a leaf to support delicate flower stems in a warmer weather design.
Stretching into Spring
4 March 2026
Stretching into Spring

Allow paperwhite flowers to grow a bit leggy so that you can weave the sprouted foliage into a Spring nest display.
Looking forward, a plenty
17 September 2025
Looking forward, a plenty

A delicate twist on a cornucopia design that looks like an invitation into another world.
Let’s
19 March 2025
Let’s

... take a moment of reflection as we celebrate 5 years! Happy 5th birthday to my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman