Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Flying Lessons
- 20 October 2021
- click to send Christine a smile
- and more
![Flying lessons floral art design by Christine de Beer Flying lessons floral art design by Christine de Beer](/images/2021/10/flying-lessons-halloween-style-floral-art-design-by-christine-de-beer-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
“The thing about witchcraft, said Mistress Weatherwax
![Which witch left her broom here floral art design by Christine de Beer Which witch left her broom here floral art design by Christine de Beer](/images/2021/10/which-witch-left-her-broom-here-floral-art-design-by-christine-de-beer-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
… is that it’s not like school at all.
![Dried and permanent floral material to make a witches broom Dried and permanent floral material to make a witches broom](/images/2021/10/dried-and-permanent-floral-material-to-make-a-witches-broom-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
First you get the test,
![How to dry hydrangeas for floral designs How to dry hydrangeas for floral designs](/images/2021/10/how-to-dry-hydrangeas-for-floral-designs-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
And then afterwards
![Crafting a pretty besom for Halloween decorations Crafting a pretty besom for Halloween decorations](/images/2021/10/crafting-a-pretty-besom-for-halloween-decorations-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
You spend
![How to make a Harry Potter style besom broom DIY Tutorial. How to make a Harry Potter style besom broom DIY Tutorial.](/images/2021/10/how-to-make-a-harry-potter-style-besom-broom-diy-tutorial-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
Years
![Step by step broom tutorial for making a flying broom Step by step broom tutorial for making a flying broom](/images/2021/10/step-by-step-broom-tutorial-for-making-a-flying-broom-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
Findin’ out how you passed it.
![A magic broom Tutorial A magic broom Tutorial](/images/2021/10/a-magic-broom-tutorial-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
It’s a bit like life in that respect”
from "The Wee Free Men" Book by Terry Pratchett, 2003
![Minimal Halloween styling a broom in an entry way Minimal Halloween styling a broom in an entry way](/images/2021/10/minimal-halloween-styling-a-broom-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
From the entryway of our home...
![Witches broom for the entryway with minimal décor Witches broom for the entryway with minimal décor](/images/2021/10/witches-broom-for-the-entryway-with-minimal-decor-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
... to yours- Happy decorating for Halloween
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Tutorials
Craft a wire tripod to fit into the bristles of a handcrafted broom so that it can stand freely in your display.
The word ‘Besom’ derives from the old English ‘besma’ meaning ‘bundle of twigs’.
How to spin (and remove) hot glue spider web or floral cocoon
When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.
Use all three methods to dry hydrangeas to get three very different textures to use in design work.
Curl the wire at irregular intervals to create a natural wire tendril similar to that of a passion fruit plant
Snip open a Physalis pod to create a cavity for delicate floral details.
It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
Eerie! Because you use what is there already in the twigs this skeleton looks rather... realistic!
Add a bit of shadow and dimension to a flat armature by using the sketch technique of cross hatching.
Favourite Flowers
Hydrangea, when cultivated as a cut flower rather as a plant it is often revered to as Hortensia
Related Designs
A bit of a rethink as the season is getting ready to change. How can I give my design idea a fresh twist?
Time to cut down vines... and enjoy them a bit longer in a Halloween display.
This week we are looking at the contents pages of my book... but more specifically at the sweet little pod design on the content page of my book.
An all plant zero waste, levitating, twig (with just a splatter of autumn leaves, a breath of spiderweb and float of roots) Halloween decoration with an eerie bat skeleton made...
Celebrate the bright colours of autumn with lilies and Chinese lanterns
A twig and stick design with sweet dumpling pumpkins and rosary vine (Ceropegia woodii). I also made a cherry twig and skeleton leaf Stick Insect
A clever trick borrowed from art techniques to add dimension to a bright and colourful Autumn floral design.