My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

How To Catch A Dream

set a trap…

use the right bait…

an enormous net, maybe?

run and jump and grip and hold on for all your might!

… or do the work that needs to get done.

...There’s always a chance that the dream will notice.

You are quite a catch, after all.

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Tutorials
Overgrown Willow web inspired by a traditional Dream-catcher
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.
Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals
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.
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.
Weaving a twig wreath
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
Drinking straw "test tubes"
4 January 2011
Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.
Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening
19 February 2013
Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening

Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without breaking it.
Smooth dried hydrangea flowers in the palm of your hand
10 July 2012
Smooth dried hydrangea flowers in the palm of your hand

Hold a dried hydrangea flower in the palm of your hand to smooth out the folds
Rose shaped tuberous root spiral floral frog
28 May 2025
Rose shaped tuberous root spiral floral frog

While repotting your foxtail fern why not save a few of the roots... for an armature.
Four wreath harvest basket that looks like it grew that way… because now some of it still is!
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.
A green plaited willow way-over for small flower details
2 October 2024
A green plaited willow way-over for small flower details

Here it is: the first of my first autumn harvest of willow from my willow coppice I am growing in my balcony garden. It is working spectacularly well!
Coiled Spring and Wreath flower frog
3 April 2024
Coiled Spring and Wreath flower frog

Wind vines into an all natural armature to display your first of many... perfect... Spring flowers.
Suspend delicate stemmed orchids in a Willow Infinity Weave Flower Frog
24 January 2024
Suspend delicate stemmed orchids in a Willow Infinity Weave Flower Frog

Create a little grid that fits the stems exactly to position them above and below water in a large container.
Blossom craving solutions: Forcing and Coaxing and crafting flowering branches
8 March 2023
Blossom craving solutions: Forcing and Coaxing and crafting flowering branches

Early spring floral styling with some magic
Using European OASIS floral glue to secure floral details… yes! It makes a difference
22 June 2022
Using European OASIS floral glue to secure floral details… yes! It makes a difference

Securing the most delicate of design details successfully has a lot to do with what glue you use. But what glue is even more complicated than just brand.
Tilt container with a spilling twigs armature
9 February 2022
Tilt container with a spilling twigs armature

Perfect design for a warmer than usual winter design that hints at thawing.
Copper Pepper Berry Wreath
3 November 2021
Copper Pepper Berry Wreath

Wire pepper berries to a wreath
Craft a wreath chain to link a few bud vases together
28 July 2021
Craft a wreath chain to link a few bud vases together

All you need is a few twigs to craft this design- it's a perfect floral meditation activity.
Submerged vine wreath armature to beat the summer heat
23 June 2021
Submerged vine wreath armature to beat the summer heat

Water... lots of water- that is the answer to designing flower arrangements that survive the summer heat.
A radiating, gradient carnation design in a shallow container
12 May 2021
A radiating, gradient carnation design in a shallow container

A bit of Kenzan support for a floating shallow container design
Knot a Lavender chain link necklace or floral crown
13 May 2020
Knot a Lavender chain link necklace or floral crown

This is without a doubt the quickest and easiest floral project on my entire site. And rather fun to do. I make these.. all... the... time!
Impossibly delicate Dancing Lady orchid wreath
11 March 2020
Impossibly delicate Dancing Lady orchid wreath

Weave a wreath around a cardboard circle to create an almost lace effect... perfect to capture those first signs of Spring!
Rock Rest for a heavy Protea Flower Head
31 January 2018
Rock Rest for a heavy Protea Flower Head

Create a contrasting base to lift the heavy flower-head to design in
Chain link wreath weaving
24 May 2017
Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect
Designing an odd one out wreath
24 May 2017
Designing an odd one out wreath

Adding floral material to a wreath design
A little nest for Easter chocolates that naturally hooks over the edge of a container
11 April 2017
A little nest for Easter chocolates that naturally hooks over the edge of a container

Weave a tiny nest with a twig hook so that you can hang it in a design
Hanging Tillandsia
17 August 2016
Hanging Tillandsia

There are many ways to hang your air plants in a design. In this Tutorial I explore three
Willow Spring
24 February 2016
Willow Spring

Set willow tips into a spiral to create a spring design
Related Designs
Seriously, though where do they all go?
28 May 2025
Seriously, though where do they all go?

Using roots as an unusual floral armature.
Haerfest
23 October 2024
Haerfest

Rooting clematis cuttings in a harvest wreath basket
Brewing some inspiration
2 October 2024
Brewing some inspiration

Autumn harvest willow for a double the pretty plaited flower support
springy, Spring, spring
3 April 2024
springy, Spring, spring

Gorgeous Aquilegia vulgaris spring flower... with it's own springy thing!
I mean… really!?!
24 January 2024
I mean… really!?!

Using fresh twigs to bind a little twig platform to suspend the beautiful orchids from.
And now we wait
8 March 2023
And now we wait

A bit of flower magic to get a few early blossoms to enjoy inside.
You Say Tomato I Say Tomato
22 June 2022
You Say Tomato I Say Tomato

Tiny tomato vine design to celebrate Summer.
Pouring
9 February 2022
Pouring

Place a small fishbowl vase at an angle to look like it is pouring out flowers and twigs.
Coppepeppepepper wreath
3 November 2021
Coppepeppepepper wreath

Wire dried pepper berries to a wreath with super fancy flat wire (okay... it's the humble wire from a copper pot scrubber but it still looks fancy!)
Linked This Way
28 July 2021
Linked This Way

A fun way to elevate a few bud vases into a display.
Over Easy
23 June 2021
Over Easy

A cooling design to celebrate the summer solstice.
It’s up there
12 May 2021
It’s up there

Whether it’s a solid foot for floating flowers, the tips of new growth or the curve of a dried twig your design needs help to stay upright.
be MINDFUL of the invisible stuff you add
13 May 2020
be MINDFUL of the invisible stuff you add

Left over flowers and off-cuts are ideal to transform into a quick floral crown or necklace. This is the absolute easiest design, yet!
On-Spring-dium
11 March 2020
On-Spring-dium

A almost impossibly delicate oncidium (dancing lady) orchid wreath.
Rock, don't Roll
31 January 2018
Rock, don't Roll

Balance the heavy Protea flower head to lean against a rock.
Link
24 May 2017
Link

weave a few wreaths to link
Well… we did it again!
11 April 2017
Well… we did it again!

Blossoms and chocolates for Easter
There are Octobers
19 October 2016
There are Octobers

Autumn wreath
Strangeness
17 August 2016
Strangeness

Weave a wreath to display air plants on
Ring-a-round
4 May 2016
Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container
How to make an early Spring
24 February 2016
How to make an early Spring

Roll and set willow twigs into a spring
Favourite Flowers
Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"
Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"

I wove three willow spheres for my Floral Art design Three Drops of floral chocolate.
Ornithogalum
Ornithogalum

Detail of my Christmas design: Floral wings with Chincherinchees, passion fruit tendrils, jasmine foliage and string of pearls succulents
Hydrangea
Hydrangea

Dried and fresh hydrangeas with sticks and bark