My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Found it!

Find

all

the pretty

and

pass it on

… and pass it on

… and pass it on.

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Tutorials
A wild "found it this way" thorn and overgrown tulip design with a ribbon tangle instead of a bow.
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
Reflex Tulip Petals
3 March 2011
Reflex Tulip Petals

Tulip petals can be opened or reflexed to create a fuller bloom
A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog
24 March 2021
A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog

Craft an everything is still growing spring design to celebrate... what we love!
Tapping away Tulip pollen
19 June 2012
Tapping away Tulip pollen

Tap away most of the pollen from a fully opened tulip
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design
20 January 2021
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design

Trap air between two vases to create a third circle... and frame for a small feather hint to a hopeful Spring
Where to cut Tulips to condition
21 March 2012
Where to cut Tulips to condition

Here is a trick to make sure your tulips will condition thoroughly
Weave a grass Platform for an opening Tulip bud
26 February 2020
Weave a grass Platform for an opening Tulip bud

Tulips continue to grow as they open. This means you not only have to be mindful of their proportions as they are now... but also as they will be once open.
Winter White Twig Screen
6 February 2019
Winter White Twig Screen

Glue twigs to screen delicate flowers for a wintry design.
Scattered dried grass with raindrop crystals
4 August 2021
Scattered dried grass with raindrop crystals

Craft a light and airy grass halo to suspend tiny drop crystals around gorgeous roses.
Hovering golden wheat Ghost Ship armature
27 October 2021
Hovering golden wheat Ghost Ship armature

Using dry and fresh floral material in one design without the dry becoming soggy and the fresh drying out.
Twig snippet pillar armature
19 February 2020
Twig snippet pillar armature

A great do-in-advance and reusable design solution for a winter, early spring floral display.
Delicate Twig Hammock Armature to keep tulips upright in a shallow container
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.
Tap in a Twig Support
4 April 2018
Tap in a Twig Support

Wedge snipped twigs into a glass vase to act as a support for your flowers
Sprouting willow armature
27 January 2016
Sprouting willow armature

Carefully manipulate and bend green willow stems to place in water to sprout as an armature for tulips to mature and open
Braiding three Tulip stems
21 January 2015
Braiding three Tulip stems

Plait Tulip stems
Scattered grass armature
30 April 2014
Scattered grass armature

An grass armature that looks scattered but is actually very secure
Pick up any bits of plant material floating in the water
11 April 2018
Pick up any bits of plant material floating in the water

Use a wet brush to lift any tiny bits of plant material floating on and in the water to keep your container clear.
Spin a tiny glue bead around a thin stem to secure it at an angle in a design
25 September 2019
Spin a tiny glue bead around a thin stem to secure it at an angle in a design

This is a trick for attaching fine details at exactly the right angle.
Spring breeze tangled ribbon wreath
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.
Controlled chaos straw and dried foliage armature
18 September 2024
Controlled chaos straw and dried foliage armature

Craft a straw covered wire grid to slip over display containers for a foam free floral display that is light and airy... just like it grown in the field.
Spiked Tulip Fan
1 February 2023
Spiked Tulip Fan

Fanned out Tulips for a snowy winter display... that stays just so.
Related Designs
To two too!
24 March 2021
To two too!

A Spring Tulip celebration design... with a special message
Hope Bubble
20 January 2021
Hope Bubble

That good old double vase trick... but this time I deliberately added a bubble between the two layers to create a third circle in the design.
To top it all off
26 February 2020
To top it all off

This is a great "space-keeper" design. The tulip will continue to grow into the vase height as they open... but until then the grass platform part of the design diverts your attention to fix any issues you might experience with the proportions right now.
Tread softly on winter
6 February 2019
Tread softly on winter

A delicate winter twig armature to show off the delicate beauty of these early spring coloured tulips.
Counting Raindrops
4 August 2021
Counting Raindrops

Grass crisscross that makes you want to lean in closer to count the late summer raindrops around these gorgeous roses.
Ship Shape
27 October 2021
Ship Shape

The dry wheat stems are suspended from the outside of the container so that they remain dry and the flower stems can gently rest inside to remain hydrated.
The Upside of being Inside
19 February 2020
The Upside of being Inside

A creative design that has some height to it without blocking the view. This can easily be scaled up or down to match the environment you want to display it in.
Every. Single. Week.
16 January 2019
Every. Single. Week.

Stand tulips upright in a shallow container with a suspended twig armature.
Grow on it
4 April 2018
Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.
Well, I'll be
27 January 2016
Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems
Tiptoe through the Tulips
21 January 2015
Tiptoe through the Tulips

Braid Tulip stems to set in water
Scattered
30 April 2014
Scattered

Scatter some dried grass to make a floral armature
Finding balance
18 September 2024
Finding balance

Balancing dried ribbons of foliage to craft a wind twisted floral display.
Why When
1 February 2023
Why When

An old tulip trick in a new way to keep the flowers fanned out
Favourite Flowers
Tulipa
Tulipa

Plaited tulips in my I’ve got my head in the clouds design.