My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Hi-Lo

6 June 2018
click to send Christine a smile
and more

“Think left and think right

and

think low and think high.

Oh, the thinks you can think up

if only you try!”

Quote by Dr Seuss

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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

7 January 2015

Securing a kenzan

Temporarily adhere a traditional Ikebana Kenzan or pincushion to a shallow container.

7 January 2015

So many ways to use a Kenzan to hold floral materials

How to place various sizes of plant material in a Kenzan

14 January 2011

Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips

2 January 2011

Lilies

How to keep Lilies in bud for longer. Removing the pollen. Stringing a Lily Garland.

14 February 2018

Wire two Equisetum shoots into a heart

A wire in the hollow cavity inside a shoot of equisetum makes it easy to manipulate into a heart

1 January 2011

Equisetum

Create a natural flower "test tube" or a light with Equisetum

31 July 2024

A cluster bunch of just enough floral ingredients to spike into a Kenzan for a larger display

A larger summer display in a Kenzan

19 June 2024

Stand bark on pointe to display the sweetest sweet peas

Create a natural armature for a summer display

6 September 2023

Peg Sunflowers and Quaking Grass in a Kenzan

An old trick... but still a great one to support thin stems in the needles of a Kenzan.

20 July 2022

Breezy lily grass ripple

A radiating design that has the freedom of movement to add a bit of a cooling effect on the warmer days of summer.

25 May 2022

Give a single upright bleeding heart flower a view through a leafy hole

Flair open a leathery leaf to craft a frame a single bleeding heart flower on its long stem.

11 November 2020

Kenzan peg bark curls into a hollow and bottomless log vase

Craft a bottomless vase out of bark so that the floral stem is supported but can still stand in water to remain hydrated.

1 July 2020

Crafting a Hornet of Tranquility (you know… the one with the sparkle butt)

Let me explain myself: it’s got a blue sparkle stinger… or you wouldn’t have noticed the little wasp.

10 June 2020

Overgrown vine tangle to suspend flowers in a clear vase

A zero waste and sustainable floral design solution to keep your flowers exactly where you want them without using floral foam.

7 August 2019

Where to cut Gladiolus spikes shorter

Gladiolus stems can be cut into sections so that it appears natural and well groomed.

7 August 2019

Use a drinking straw to push foliage horizontally deep into a Kenzan to leave space for stems to rest on top of them

The teeth of a Kenzan (or pin cushion) is rather sharp. Here is a pain free way of pushing down the plant material into the teeth to keep it securely in place.

7 August 2019

A Three level Kenzan skewer stack to Radiate Gladiolus spikes flat in a shallow container

Build up a design in a shallow container by stacking it by threading the plant material into the teeth of a pin cushion in three levels.

12 June 2019

Loop-over grass veil for a cool summer design

A cool and minimal floral design for summer.

5 June 2019

Stack a Stack of Stems to create a sturdy grid Armature... with some height

Stack green lily stems to create an upright mechanic to keep shorter stems in place.

17 April 2019

Cross cut Spring Twig Armature

Give a sturdy twig a cut to stay put in your Spring design.

Related Designs

15 November 2017

Alchemy

Gently stand leaves upright in a Kenzan

7 January 2015

Any Which Way

Using a traditional Ikabana Kenzan to place flowers in a shallow container

1 June 2016

The ties that Bind

Bind a lily to create a trumpet shape as it opens

21 June 2017

Playing Favourites

A quick and easy Kenzan design

25 February 2011

A Rock by any other Name...

It's not really what we call things that matter but what they are made of- in this design, it's made of all three types of Oasis and wool.

8 August 2012

Stringing in the rain

A veil of green wool, Spanish moss and dried hydrangeas hang over white lilies

3 April 2011

One Singular Sensation

Three Lilies plaited to create a sensational, singular flower "growing" out of a Equisetum dome filled with Rainbow Oasis pebbles.

10 June 2015

Gotcha!

Hana Kubari lily stems

14 February 2018

Two Are

Equisetum Valentine's hearts

31 July 2024

Have a floral adventure, really

Creating a larger sustainable floral design by clustering the floral details into bunches.

19 June 2024

Do you know what the point is?

A bark armature standing on pointe for some gorgeous blue King Tut sweet peas

6 September 2023

Mother Nature’s little magic to let us know Autumn is near

It's the little sun-washed coloured hints that makes you look again to see if you really saw what you thought you saw... yes! There really are signs of autumn everywhere!