My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

In the little gap

19 May 2021
and more

Give

yourself

a little gap

which

you

can

get

better

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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

19 May 2021

A flower, flower frog to keep your design details perfectly put

Use the firm petals of a flower to keep your design details upright

2 April 2014

Turning the sellotape over the vase trick up-side-down for a sticky side out frog

Tape a grid over a vase to keep the floral details in place

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.

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.

13 January 2021

Tri-petal (with vines to fill in the gaps) lily flower wand

Pick away petals from a lily to create space for delicate vines to really shine.

9 September 2020

Weave a daffodil corona inspired sweater for a lily

Knit a corona (as in that inside skirt like part of a daffodil) by weaving a Ceropegia woodii vine around the stamen filament of a lily.

11 September 2013

Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower

Split (but don't cut) a few gladiolus flowers to spiral in a vase

30 January 2019

A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase

Stack foliage to create a rose spiral in a container.

22 June 2016

Lily grass spiral in a vase

Twist lily grass slightly to create a spiral for the orchids to nestle in

7 May 2014

Rethinking the traditional Komiwara technique

Komiwara is a classic and traditional Ikebana technique used in a Rikka design. Designers would usually bundle straw to keep the flowers in place.

26 July 2011

Wire Tendrils

Curl the wire at irregular intervals to create a natural wire tendril similar to that of a passion fruit plant

13 September 2023

Traditional book folding craft technique turned into an armature… with a me twist

Fold a book into a floral armature... with tricks there to keep the floral material hydrated and suspended.

Related Designs

1 March 2011

FLOAT

Reflex Tulip and Passion Fruit Tendrils in a wax disk

2 April 2014

Apricity

Turning a stand-by floral technique sticky side out

24 February 2021

Picked up some proper Pruning

An early Spring design with a twist on using an old favourite: composite flowers.

7 August 2019

Point Out: this is a single bunch of gladiolus!

Cut stems of Gladiolus to place in a radiating summer design.

8 May 2019

It takes more than one person to invent a trumpet!

Filling a trumpet flower cup... with more flowers!

13 January 2021

It's in there

Complete the picture by drawing a lily flower with delicate vines.

9 September 2020

Daffodillily

Weave around the stamens of a lily to create a daffodil like inside.

5 November 2014

All In One

dry autumn leaves into an acorn shape

11 September 2013

Making it last

Split and spiral a few gladiolus flowers in a way that the stems remain intact, to spiral in a water filled filled vase for a long lasting composite flower