I mean… really!?!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Filling a vase with water without disturbing the design details

Break the water flow when you fill a vase with details in that can move with the stream of water

Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

Willow Paddle

Weave willow between the fork in a twig to create a paddle like armature

Willow Parasol

Weave willow stems into a decorative parasol

Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

A perfect way to use a Lathyrus vine after all it flowered

Not quite a wreath, not quite a basket armature

Easy to weave design that can hold your prettiest autumn design treasures.

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!

Winter white Tulle bridal basket

Craft a delicate bridal basket from twigs and tulle.

Winter Woodland Chandelier

Wrap vines and twigs around a wire frame to create a decorative woodland chandelier

Wisteria Wreath Vine

Weave tiny vine wreaths on the leave stems of a stripped Wisteria vine

Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.

Willow birdcage

Weave a willow birdcage to use as a wedding ring box

Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect

Hanging Willow Nest

Bend and weave a nest shape from fresh willow stems

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.

Willow twig Corsage Platform

To create a layered look for a corsage tie a foundation of twigs with fresh willow stems

Willow disk frog

Dried willow shaped to create a disk to keep your floral details in place in a vase with water.

Tap in a thorn support for a delicate flower stem and twirling tendrils

Peg a dainty flower stem into a water filled summer display to remove all visual clutter.

Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick

Threaded Heuchera (Coral Bells) rosette with curved stems to kick against the sides of your container to keep it suspended above water.

Coiled Spring and Wreath flower frog

Wind vines into an all natural armature to display your first of many... perfect... Spring flowers.

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.

When the pretty eyeballs you back!

Barely there skeleton blossoms with Eucalyptus eyes for my Halloween design... Oh! and a Willow Paddle, which probably should have been the main Tutorial... but... well...

Creative Expectations

My article and a floral parasol design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils

Center Peace

A visual breather from all the bright and festive designs to come when designing for Autumn.

On-Spring-dium

A almost impossibly delicate oncidium (dancing lady) orchid wreath.

Magical Craftsmanship

My article and winter white Tulle bridal basket design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.

Availability of plant material shows in your design style

The last design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing... this week: often when we see a design element reappear in a designer's work it might simply be because they have it readily available.

Wreath Vine Season!

Weave tiny wreaths on the stems of Wisteria vines

Swing Vine

Weave a delicate vine swing to nestle a small vase with spring flowers in

Old, new trends

My article and willow birdcage design for wedding rings featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.

Link

weave a few wreaths to link

Practice

Weave a willow bird nest

How To Catch A Dream

Take inspiration from a traditional Dream-catcher design to create a floral armature

Tape and Wrap

Design Two from my Inspiration Video: Use the same floral ingredients, willow twigs, Lichen, Spanish Moss, Kalanchoe and Gypsophila to make three distinctly different contemporary corsages

Layer

Design One from my Inspiration Video: Use the same floral ingredients, willow twigs, Lichen, Spanish Moss, Kalanchoe and Gypsophila to make three distinctly different contemporary corsages

Harnessing the Wind

Of the shades to come

This design requires a bit of prep-time so it is perfect to make while waiting for the first autumn leaf to appear…

Trained

Display the most delicate flower stem in a large water filled container with an overgrown vine twirl... perfect for a cooling summer display

Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on

Beautiful Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid) deserves it's own elaborate frilly skirt display.

springy, Spring, spring

Gorgeous Aquilegia vulgaris spring flower... with it's own springy thing!

Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"

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

Oncidium

Cherry twig cocoon with Oncidium orchids and dandelion seeds