My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Hot air balloon

24 August 2022
and more

Now, after years of extensive research

And... I have conducted the surveys (mostly polite small talk with strangers in elevators- in my defense- it is perfectly ok here where I live, to have a quick chat about the weather, in fact considered rude not to)

I have done controlled experiments (involving ice cream, mainly)

And have done field observation (people watch, at the place where I get the ice cream or the above mentioned elevators when there's no need for small talk)

The data is in: summer is, in fact, mostly hot air. And I am happy to report I saw an autumn leaf fluttering by my design room yesterday.

hot air (noun informal) empty talk intended to impress

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Gather what you'll need

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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

24 August 2022

Balloon out grass to craft a framed armature

Carefully bubble out a tied bunch of grass to make a cavity to display gorgeous flowers.

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.

6 November 2012

Ripped Grass Frame

Create a sheltered or veiled design by framing the outer edge of your armature (in this case thick cardboard) with long strands of grass

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.

12 March 2014

Grass tunnel that stays just so

Snip, roll and glue a few blades of grass to create a design feature

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.

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.

24 July 2019

Grass Twirling Up to Dress a Stem of Lilies

A single stem of lilies turned into a celebration just by twirling a handful of lily grass around it.

12 June 2019

Loop-over grass veil for a cool summer design

A cool and minimal floral design for summer.

27 September 2017

Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

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

7 March 2018

Phormium bubble frame

Curl and secure a few blades of flax into a bubble to frame your flowers

29 September 2021

Over the edge flower, floral support

Hook the calla lilies over the edge of a vase to create a support for your taller floral details.

22 July 2026

A wand-erful Amaranthus stem drape swizzle-stick

Tall water filled vases that are cooling for warm weather designing.

6 May 2026

Save a snipped grass bundle to tie into a flower frog

Grass bundles are creative and unique sustainable floral arranging solutions that are also quick to do

22 April 2026

Roll a leaf blade shade shelter for a crystal puddle… frog

Create a delicate but glamorous shelter Spring design to show off delicate shade loving flowers.

8 April 2026

Cupped Calla lily foliage sprouting seed pod shelter

Curve calla lily inside a fishbowl vase to create a minimal foliage pod to display the most delicate flowers.

18 February 2026

Knotted parcels to position your plant material in a design

Tie a few Papyrus stems into bundle-parcels with lily grass.

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.

20 August 2025

Roll gladiolus leaves into tubes to craft a raft for a toad lily stem

Pin leaf rolls with sharp thorns to craft a natural raft to display tiny stems of unusual flowers cut from your garden.

15 January 2025

Palm and hazel fan together to support perfect to pick Helleborus stems

Winter treasures in a small vase for an uplifting fresh flower display.

12 June 2024

Narrow twin leaf spacer for keeping a tiny stem bouquet upright

A pretty way of taming wonderfully wild thin stemmed floral details... without loosing the light and airy feel.

16 August 2023

Use the pull tab of a can to keep your floral details in place

Love anchovies cans. And if you fold over the pull tab just so it is perfect for keeping even longer stem flowers upright.

Related Designs

6 November 2012

Mr. Stalk, the Seriously Terrifying Scarecrow, on his Day Off

An easy going design of ripped grass and calla lilies. But look a bit closer. See if you can find Mr. Stalk relaxing somewhere between the blades of grass.

14 August 2019

For a longer lasting Summer

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

12 March 2014

Petrichor

A minimalist design in a shallow tray

13 July 2016

Woven

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature for orchids to perch on

25 January 2017

What is in a basket of spectacular?

Weave a basket with dangling edges for a single orchid display

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.