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Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Float on by

  • 23 September 2026
  • and more

oh hello, early Autumn

and your illusion-magic

that happens

somewhere between the

tip top of the trees

and landing on the lush forest floor...

... when we watch leaves float on by.

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Gather what you'll need

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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.
The Effortless Floral Craftsman, a floral crafter's guide to crafting with nature
The Effortless Floral Craftsman, a floral crafter's guide to crafting with nature

For more information about my book (and to read the first 38 pages for free...) here is the shop link.
Wood glue that is invisible in your design
Wood glue that is invisible in your design

This glue is amazing! I use it for dried plant material when I need an invisible bond that also dries rock hard. It is also the glue that I use to add snow to my winter designs.
Tutorials
Float on a floating maple leaf grid-illusion
23 September 2026
Float on a floating maple leaf grid-illusion

We expect to see a grid... so we lean in closer to understand how things are floating... on... that!?!
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.
Clearly invisible taped Grid
2 July 2014
Clearly invisible taped Grid

This is the easiest way to keep flower in place
Turning the sellotape over the vase trick up-side-down for a sticky side out frog
2 April 2014
Turning the sellotape over the vase trick up-side-down for a sticky side out frog

Tape a grid over a vase to keep the floral details in place
Stiffen and set skeletonized leaves into a whirl
22 September 2012
Stiffen and set skeletonized leaves into a whirl

Skeletonized leaves can be shaped while wet to create shapes
Autumn Leaf Rosette
11 November 2012
Autumn Leaf Rosette

Great way to use all the autumn leaves you collect on walks during the season. Slowly build up the leaf rosette and let the leaves dry before adding a few more.
Winter Twig Panel with Space for a glowing Wish Upon a New Year’s Eve Star
31 December 2025
Winter Twig Panel with Space for a glowing Wish Upon a New Year’s Eve Star

Glue delicate twigs into a barely there armature for a glowing candle display to light up winter.
Barely there Wreath armature
30 November 2016
Barely there Wreath armature

Glue snippets of Baby's breath and grass into a lace fine wreath shape to showcase the tiny chocolate cosmos buds
Paper Foundation for Kyogi paper wood curls
11 July 2011
Paper Foundation for Kyogi paper wood curls

Gently curl and tuck strips of Kyogi paper to form a tangle of curls and scatter a few orchids to create the impression that a gust of wind just blew it that way
All dried Autumn hemisphere design that will outlast even the falling leaves outside
23 September 2020
All dried Autumn hemisphere design that will outlast even the falling leaves outside

Preserve some floral material to design with when it is but not quite Autumn outside.
Autumn Screen
29 November 2017
Autumn Screen

Craft a hanging twig and autumn leaf design
Weave a burst of overgrown wildness wreath
18 September 2019
Weave a burst of overgrown wildness wreath

This wreath is perfectly imperfect. Perfect for using those first few autumn (or preserved from last autumn) leaves.
Drying Hydrangeas: Fast, Flat or Natural
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.
Roll a folded leaf coil
22 October 2014
Roll a folded leaf coil

Fold and then stitch a long fall leaf garland to roll into a coil
Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath
4 November 2015
Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath

Glue a radiating wreath from bleached Gyp
Counterbalance elegantly leaning Calla lilies with dressed up Dried Autumn Details
21 September 2022
Counterbalance elegantly leaning Calla lilies with dressed up Dried Autumn Details

Using those much treasured dried autumn details to bridge the gap between the bright green of summer and the brightness that is yet to come.
A quick and easy way to Craft a Twig Basket Using Wire Tendrils
6 October 2021
A quick and easy way to Craft a Twig Basket Using Wire Tendrils

The hardest part of this is actually making the tendrils. From there it's a few twists... and we are done!
Sunflower heart autumn display
21 October 2020
Sunflower heart autumn display

Pick away the ray floret so that the disk floret of a sunflower can be used as a flat surface to display your design on.
Barely there twig layer support to allow all the autumn colours to shine and glow
5 November 2025
Barely there twig layer support to allow all the autumn colours to shine and glow

Snip Autumn bits from your garden to arrange in and around a glass container for a modern loose, layered display.
Twig collar
6 September 2011
Twig collar

Create a light and transparent collar-base for the large composite flower to nestle into.
U shape stems to anchor Fuchsia drops and Maple leaf Falls in a bud vase
18 October 2023
U shape stems to anchor Fuchsia drops and Maple leaf Falls in a bud vase

Bend pliable stems to kick against the side to anchor design details exactly in place in a small vase.
Hanging leaves from a Hazel twig top bar
23 October 2013
Hanging leaves from a Hazel twig top bar

Create a free moving autumn leaf screen
Weaving with tufts of grass
21 September 2011
Weaving with tufts of grass

The fine sections of grass are securely woven and interwoven and resting on the wooden slats. It looks very fragile but is secure enough to use.
Bark covered heart
10 July 2012
Bark covered heart

Cover cardboard with bark to create a heart shaped log
Layered sisal and twig armature
9 September 2015
Layered sisal and twig armature

small sisal fibers create a mat like armature
Up-cycle Styrofoam packaging to create a low pave design
19 June 2012
Up-cycle Styrofoam packaging to create a low pave design

Polystyrene or Styrofoam makers ideal shapes to pin or glue plant material to.
A Reflex Rose Rose Hip… Rose
2 November 2022
A Reflex Rose Rose Hip… Rose

Making a rose even more roselike by enhancing its rosy-ness.
Snippet grid
30 May 2018
Snippet grid

Glue grass stem snippets to create a natural grid over a shallow container
Knot a Cordyline Catcher
31 December 2012
Knot a Cordyline Catcher

Create a rigid grid to place over a glass vase to keep flower material in place
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.
The Three legged trick for Upright Constructions
7 September 2012
The Three legged trick for Upright Constructions

When in doubt, always give your armature three legs. Two legs are simply not enough and four legs will wobble if it is even slightly off balance.
Related Designs
Turning of the leaves
22 September 2012
Turning of the leaves

An Autumn Equinox design that captures the moment before the spectacular colour burst of autumn floats around again
Dream, Job
7 June 2017
Dream, Job

Create a grid to rest some plant material so that it floats and some with their stems to rest in the water below
Delicate
4 November 2015
Delicate

Bleached Gypsophila wreath with delicate autumn touches
Marcescent
29 November 2017
Marcescent

Glue a delicate autumn room devider
Leaves by Hundreds came
11 November 2012
Leaves by Hundreds came

A rosette of fall leaves to celebrate the beauty of autumn
It’s a sugar rush!
18 September 2019
It’s a sugar rush!

A perfectly imperfect wild willow wreath to display the first Autumn treasures of the year.
Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing
23 September 2020
Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing

Floral styling using mostly dried material that will last the entire Autumn.
When it gets chilly
21 October 2020
When it gets chilly

Use the heart of a sunflower as a platform to place your autumn floral details on.
Stand Around
22 October 2014
Stand Around

Fold and roll leaves to create an Autumn swirl
A good measure of Autumn
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.
bonfire
2 November 2022
bonfire

A final rosy burst of fiery autumn colour.
Autumn's Brightest Wanted:
5 November 2025
Autumn's Brightest Wanted:

Last call for those Autumn colours that are about to fall...
When Autumn Fall
6 September 2011
When Autumn Fall

Autumn leaf composite flower
Drops do that!
18 October 2023
Drops do that!

Collecting drops of autumn that makes me smile back.
Their work well done
23 October 2013
Their work well done

String Autumn leaves to fall down in a design
All things being Equal
21 September 2011
All things being Equal

The fan is made from 18 coffee stir sticks and dressed with a veil of grass, fall leaves and Viburnum berries
Fall Treasures
9 September 2015
Fall Treasures

A sisal mat armature for fall twigs flowers and leaves
A Pocket full of Starlight
31 December 2012
A Pocket full of Starlight

Knot a grid to place over a glass bubble vase to keep plant material in place
You see... here is the Thing:
30 May 2018
You see... here is the Thing:

Glue a grass snippet grid for shallow container design
Note to Self
23 August 2023
Note to Self

An easy to weave natural grid for summer floral arrangements.