My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Go on Autumn… glow!

25 October 2023
click to send Christine a smile
and more

When it comes to fun things to do for Autumn the trees and the leaves make different plans.

The leaves' big plan is to glow… and glow bright.

For a bit. And they do it so well that

the tree’s big plan is to keep growing.

It’s a plan to glow again…

about this time next year.

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

Tutorials

25 October 2023

Interweave a fairy light and grass glow vase

Wrap a fairy light grid around a fishbowl vase to interweave dried grass for an almost basket display.

8 June 2011

Foliage Weaving

For this tutorial I focus on a simple weave pattern that does not require you to soften or prepare the leaves to be more durable or flexible. This is the starting point in weaving techniques. You can build on this technique to make floral handbags, gift boxes, and baskets, sew it into a curve or wrap it around a vase or cover a test tube.

29 May 2019

Weaving and Interweaving for contrast

My block design is shaped around a Styrofoam block. It is bulky but lightweight and a great way to reuse packaging.

19 October 2022

A witch... or wizard... hat that you can shape any which way you like

Take your time to weave a pointy hat from what you find in nature.

23 March 2022

A Double vase, Sticky tape, Reflexed AND Woven Nestled Grass and Tulip Whirl

so many techniques rolled into one rather pretty tulip nest. Perfect to celebrate new beginnings: Spring and my book birthday... and my online workshop!

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.

14 August 2019

Long lasting Lily and lily grass ball

Keep all the fresh flower material hydrated in water by weaving the stems from one side of the vase to the other.

13 July 2016

Woven lily grass parachute armature

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature in a way that you can place the stems in two vases to keep it hydrated.

1 October 2012

Weaving a ball shaped Dew-drop Catcher from grass

Weave a sphere from grass

19 March 2025

Suspend flowers above water on two wires covered with ringlet "happy birthday streamers" made from grass

Create a wire platform to rest the fresh flowers on so that they are hydrated but not submerged in the water below the grass dome.

9 October 2024

Making light of a heavy, heavy pumpkin in double low containers for a zero waste kitchen pumpkin display… a few days before Thanksgiving

A great way to show off your Thanksgiving pumpkin before cooking it… keeping the pumpkin well above and out of the water so that it will not rot and you can easily remove it from the design when you are ready.

Related Designs

19 October 2022

Point Witch (or Wizard) Way

A wire framed witch or wizard hat that can be reshaped.

23 March 2022

Chockablock!

Luxuriously filled design... filled with flowers... filled with grass. But most fun, for us as designers filled with hidden techniques

14 August 2019

For a longer lasting Summer

A creative way to keep foliage hydrated for a cool, water filled summer design.

13 March 2013

Than you have to

Weave blades of grass to create a cover for a glass vase

29 May 2019

Creative Competition

This week I am so excited to share my article and design that was published in the recent issue of the Floral Art Society of New Zealand's Academy Magazine for NZ qualified teachers, judges and demonstrators. It's all about good competition.