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Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing

  • 23 September 2020
  • and more

Of yellowing grasses…

and the very, very first pumpkins

and that eager bright coloured leaves in a forest of still mostly green getting a head start on falling down

and baskets

and so many tendrils

… and the relief of those cooler rainy days

and the first time reaching for that one cozy, cozy can-only-be-worn-when-in-between-weather-arrives sweater.

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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.
Tutorials
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.
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.
Blow away hot glue strands
24 July 2012
Blow away hot glue strands

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.
Twig snippet vase armature
11 May 2016
Twig snippet vase armature

Glue twig snippets to closely follow the shape of a glass vase
Twig collar
6 September 2011
Twig collar

Create a light and transparent collar-base for the large composite flower to nestle into.
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.
Stacked Twig Roundabout
24 July 2012
Stacked Twig Roundabout

This is a great way to use all those bits of twigs and sticks in your design room to make a floral armature
Twig Tumbler
8 January 2014
Twig Tumbler

Wire and glue a stack of sticks into a cylindrical or tube shape
Autumn Screen
29 November 2017
Autumn Screen

Craft a hanging twig and autumn leaf design
Twig Dome Armature
17 July 2019
Twig Dome Armature

Crafted from a hand full of twigs to give you a large design... even though you add only two stems of sweet peas.
Stack miniature roses on to stacked grass snippets
28 January 2026
Stack miniature roses on to stacked grass snippets

Tea cup roses have the tiniest of stems and can easily be supported by grass snippets stacked into a armature.
Adjustable nested grass Wood Wide Web shelter for tiny snow drops
14 January 2026
Adjustable nested grass Wood Wide Web shelter for tiny snow drops

Craft a grass shelter with hollow grass that can be retracted and extended to adjust the length in height where needed.
Turning a pumpkin to hover for a sway in the lightest autumn breeze display
1 October 2025
Turning a pumpkin to hover for a sway in the lightest autumn breeze display

A pretty pumpkin deserves some fancy mechanics to create an impossibly ethereal display.
Canna seed “pumpkins" nestled on a bed of cafe au lait dahlias
13 August 2025
Canna seed “pumpkins" nestled on a bed of cafe au lait dahlias

Lovely canna seedpods that blush just slightly darker than the dusty pink in the dahlias... a perfect match!
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.
Glue soaked stems cheeky angled grid for those first autumn leaves (with a dye soak up tip)
8 September 2021
Glue soaked stems cheeky angled grid for those first autumn leaves (with a dye soak up tip)

A barely there delicate grid to keep your flowers in place.
Dried twig collar in a double vase display for gravity sensitive flowers
11 August 2021
Dried twig collar in a double vase display for gravity sensitive flowers

Putting the focus on the flowers with an ever changing 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.
Related Designs
Pour
11 May 2016
Pour

Glue a twig vase and melt some plastic to create a tumbling design
When Autumn Fall
6 September 2011
When Autumn Fall

Autumn leaf composite flower
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.
A little bit of Art and Soul
24 July 2012
A little bit of Art and Soul

A twig structure with roses
It's stick season!
8 January 2014
It's stick season!

Snap and stack an glue a few twigs to create a lace like armature
Marcescent
29 November 2017
Marcescent

Glue a delicate autumn room devider
… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special
17 July 2019
… and... a bit more... effort… to make it special

Instead of just placing a handful of twigs and two stems of sweet peas in a vase... why not...?
On to something here
28 January 2026
On to something here

Stack snippets of grass to keep your miniature roses upright in a minimal display.
Subject: A Formal Complaint Regarding the Distinct Lack of Snowflakiness
14 January 2026
Subject: A Formal Complaint Regarding the Distinct Lack of Snowflakiness

Fold and combine two hollow grasses for an adjustable shelter to frame the daintiest of flowers.
And just like that, it is The Pumpkin’s Turn
1 October 2025
And just like that, it is The Pumpkin’s Turn

An impossibly minimal autumn display that sways in the slightest breeze... as if by magic!
Canna cafe au lait dahlia be any more hold-your-breath magnificent?
13 August 2025
Canna cafe au lait dahlia be any more hold-your-breath magnificent?

A low and soft late summer display... with just a creative hint of autumn.
How to stack a heap of little by little
18 June 2025
How to stack a heap of little by little

Stack the most delicate blades of grass to dance in the slightest summer breeze.
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.
A good September Soaking
8 September 2021
A good September Soaking

Exploring two soaking techniques for a subtle early autumn design
A bit Special... four dimensional designing
11 August 2021
A bit Special... four dimensional designing

Using that little something that is unusual about your flower to make the design stand out.
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.
Favourite Flowers
Hydrangea
Hydrangea

Dried and fresh hydrangeas with sticks and bark