My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

First we learn HOW to design… and then we learn how only WE design.

First we learn HOW to design… and then we learn how only WE design by Christine de Beer

I know how to tie a bow, let’s find out how I add a bow:

How to use dried flowers in a design

My bows always

Adding dried flowers to a fresh Spring wreath

look as if

How to make dried flowers look less lifeless

I got a whole lot of help

Add movement to a Spring wreath with ribbon

from a breeze

No floral foam wreath design for Spring and Easter

that whipped it all together

No waste lasting design for floral styling in Spring

to look…

Flower lesson for DIY arrangers

just…

How to make a wreath from the stems you cut when pruning a tree

so…

Floral design ideas for gardeners

You know how to tie a bow… Do you know how you add a bow?

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

7 April 2021 Spring breeze tangled ribbon wreath

Using branches pruned from a fruit tree... with a few dried flowers and just a few orchids to make a fresh Spring design.

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...

11 February 2015 Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

22 May 2012 Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.

1 November 2011 Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling...

16 March 2016 Willow Parasol

Weave willow stems into a decorative parasol

7 September 2016 Willow flower crown

Loosely weave willow tips to create an ethereal crown

24 May 2017 Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

18 April 2018 Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.

5 September 2018 Wisteria Wreath Vine

Weave tiny vine wreaths on the leave stems of a stripped Wisteria vine

9 January 2019 Winter white Tulle bridal basket

Craft a delicate bridal basket from twigs and tulle.

26 August 2015 Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

A perfect way to use a Lathyrus vine after all it flowered

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...

4 May 2016 Loosened Wreath Armature

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

27 September 2017 Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

Reshape a vine wreath into smaller wreaths to combine as a pumpkin

24 February 2016 Willow Spring

Set willow tips into a spiral to create a spring design

25 August 2011 Placing orchids in test tubes

Cut the Phalaenopsis orchid with a bit of green stem attached. This will make them last longer.

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.

30 May 2012 Drying Hydrangeas: Fast, Flat or Natural

Use all three methods to dry hydrangeas to get three very different textures to use in design work.

Favourite Flowers

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid

Related Designs

28 April 2021 Here comes the sun...

A minimal design celebrating the new growth on twigs

6 October 2021 A good measure of Autumn

A wire and twig permanent display basket with tiny water sources for a few fresh flowers that can be replaced as needed.

26 January 2022 Carry On

As sturdy as it is delicate basket made from off-cut stems and grass.

16 March 2016 Creative Expectations

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

7 September 2016 You are all invited!

My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

24 May 2017 Link

weave a few wreaths to link

18 April 2018 Swing Vine

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

5 September 2018 Wreath Vine Season!

Weave tiny wreaths on the stems of Wisteria vines

9 January 2019 Magical Craftsmanship

My article and winter white Tulle bridal basket design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.

26 August 2015 Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils

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.

4 May 2016 Ring-a-round

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

19 October 2016 There are Octobers

Autumn wreath

27 September 2017 As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin

24 February 2016 How to make an early Spring

Roll and set willow twigs into a spring

18 September 2019 It’s a sugar rush!

A perfectly imperfect wild willow wreath to display the first Autumn treasures of the year.

17 August 2016 Strangeness

Weave a wreath to display air plants on