My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Haerfest

23 October 2024
and more

The word “Harvest” comes from the Old English word for autumn

meaning…

to reap,

to gather

and store

what

has

been

grown.

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Tutorials

23 October 2024

Four wreath harvest basket that looks like it grew that way… because now some of it still is!

Harvest some cuttings to root in a wild and overgrown floral design.

1 November 2011

Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling copper wire into the weave

11 February 2015

Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

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.

21 March 2018

Craft a Spring basket from a wreath

A wide gap nearly basket for nearly spring

6 November 2013

Leaf Swirls

Cut fall leaves to create continuous swirls

8 July 2015

Overgrown Willow web inspired by a traditional Dream-catcher

I wanted my willow armature to hint of a web-like dreamcatcher that grows in the wild rather than being a precise replica of the traditional craft technique. But I did weave it in a similar way.

25 January 2012

Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball

16 March 2016

Willow Parasol

Weave willow stems into a decorative parasol

4 May 2016

Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container

3 August 2016

Hanging Willow Nest

Bend and weave a nest shape from fresh willow stems

24 May 2017

Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect

27 September 2017

Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

Reshape a vine wreath into smaller wreaths to combine as a pumpkin

4 October 2017

Display wreath that hover around a big shiny pumpkin

For this design I wanted my wreath to be light and airy so that it just whips around the solid pumpkin like a breeze.

18 April 2018

Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.

5 September 2018

Wisteria Vine Wreath Armature

Create a barely there armature with sturdy end of season vines.

9 January 2019

Winter white Tulle bridal basket

Craft a delicate bridal basket from twigs and tulle.

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.

24 June 2020

Building up a wreath panel

Connect six wreaths to build up a hanging panel to display your flowers on.

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!

3 September 2025

A wreath bridge to hint at the transition between the wildness of late summer and the autumn haze to come

Arrange a selection of freshly cut cosmos flowers to hint at the autumn to come.

27 August 2025

Late summer’s crispy twig curls as a mechanic and accessory

Humble and even unwanted heat shriveled stems become precious design elements because they add a unique quality to your design.

14 May 2025

Use dried roots from a re-potted Monstera to create a root lace-wreath

Every repotting season I struggle with what to do with my overgrown Monstera plant. It absolutely loves hanging out in my design room... so... let's design, Monstera!

16 April 2025

Just hatched willow twig egg armature

Craft a cracked egg shape armature for an Easter display.

26 February 2025

Thread your wreaths in a row to show off your "it could (almost) be mistaken for Spring sprouts"

Late winter flowering irises in a wreath armature

Related Designs

21 March 2018

Bring some Spring

Just like the weather is only hinting at spring, so is this design only hinting at being a basket

1 November 2011

On The Street Where You Live

A floral design snapshot of what it looks like when walking down the streets of Vancouver this week.

27 September 2017

As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin

10 April 2011

Feeling Funky

I wove vine wreaths to form a pyramid, one just slightly larger than the next. In the natural cavities between the wreaths I placed the roses and lisianthus in plastic covered Oasis

20 January 2011

The last Vine Wreath

Every designer knows how to stretch their supplies. We use and re-use our dried plant material until our fellow designers feel like hiding it from us. I formed such an attachment to my vine wreaths. This post features four designs using the same wreaths.