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Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

It even sounds like the heat is winding down all the way up to a chill!

  • 10 September 2025
  • and more

Like that last tiny last upwards fwheeeeep of steam…

… the plink-plink of tension exhaling from metal

….that crackle crunch of contracting surfaces as they shrink leaving small fractures when the heat lets go

….the trickle-plop of condensation as summer melts into autumn

…the hummm-hummm-hummm-tic… hummm-hummm-hummm-tic of an overworked fan finally winding down, not yet stopping, just tapering slightly

and the rustle of a whisper as a cool draft brushes past and shifts the air…

… as it changes our mood.

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Tutorials
Hug winding wreaths over a glass container for a jaunty gerbera, caladium and chilly almost autumn display
10 September 2025
Hug winding wreaths over a glass container for a jaunty gerbera, caladium and chilly almost autumn display

Using handmade wreaths as mechanics that gives that cozy early autumn vibrance.
Stripping foliage from weaving stems
11 February 2015
Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with
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
Vase topped with a Hollow Wreath for Halloween
28 October 2020
Vase topped with a Hollow Wreath for Halloween

Create a dimensional wreath by assembling wreath vine to hug around an oblong container.
Glue a grapevine armature shaped like the petals of an open rose
15 May 2019
Glue a grapevine armature shaped like the petals of an open rose

Cut a wreath into sections to glue back together into a beautiful rose petal shape
A wreath bridge to hint at the transition between the wildness of late summer and the autumn haze to come
3 September 2025
A wreath bridge to hint at the transition between the wildness of late summer and the autumn haze to come

Arrange a selection of freshly cut cosmos flowers to hint at the autumn to come.
Wisteria Wreath Vine
5 September 2018
Wisteria Wreath Vine

Weave tiny vine wreaths on the leave stems of a stripped Wisteria vine
Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin
27 September 2017
Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

Reshape a vine wreath into smaller wreaths to combine as a pumpkin
Loosened Wreath Armature
4 May 2016
Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container
Building up a wreath panel
24 June 2020
Building up a wreath panel

Connect six wreaths to build up a hanging panel to display your flowers on.
Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath
26 August 2015
Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

A perfect way to use a Lathyrus vine after all it flowered
Coiled Grass Armature
22 February 2012
Coiled Grass Armature

Connect grass covered wire rings with short reed sections to create a natural looking Floral Art armature
Clematis Vine Swing
18 April 2018
Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.
Willow and Vine tiny stem Gathering Basket
19 April 2023
Willow and Vine tiny stem Gathering Basket

Tiny stems are often also delicate stems... place your cut flowers directly in a small glass of water. A perfect fit for this basket.
Delicate snow willow twirl around a growing Slipper orchid plant display
5 February 2025
Delicate snow willow twirl around a growing Slipper orchid plant display

Arrange sprouting willow twigs to twirl and frame a beautiful Paphiopedilum (slipper) orchid
A contained design for watching those pretty twigs get their leaves
28 April 2021
A contained design for watching those pretty twigs get their leaves

Careful manipulation of twigs in a shallow container. With a special note on how to use new growth.
Snippet grid
30 May 2018
Snippet grid

Glue grass stem snippets to create a natural grid over a shallow container
Canary vine tangle in a double vase
1 November 2023
Canary vine tangle in a double vase

Great craft for when you are tidying up the garden before the first frost but would still like to enjoy the vines for a bit longer.
Knot a Cordyline Catcher
31 December 2012
Knot a Cordyline Catcher

Create a rigid grid to place over a glass vase to keep flower material in place
Summer harvest Vine Swirl
14 September 2022
Summer harvest Vine Swirl

A great way have your vines root and enjoy them too...
Related Designs
Magic Spell Number 614: How to make absolutely any task you need to do fun
28 October 2020
Magic Spell Number 614: How to make absolutely any task you need to do fun

A hint of a wreath table top design for pre-Halloween decorating.
Ring-a-round
4 May 2016
Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container
Heard it through the grapevine?
15 May 2019
Heard it through the grapevine?

Have you heard? I have wonderful news this week. Oh! and I also have this pretty grapevine armature shaped like the petals of an open rose to show you. But... Have you heard my wonderful news???
Bent
26 August 2015
Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils
Like a hazy serotinal sunset
3 September 2025
Like a hazy serotinal sunset

Capture a hazy late-late summer moment in an abundant floral display.
Wreath Vine Season!
5 September 2018
Wreath Vine Season!

Weave tiny wreaths on the stems of Wisteria vines
“Ha ha ha weeeeee!"
26 February 2025
“Ha ha ha weeeeee!"

Beautiful iris wreath kebab to chase away the winter blues
As tendrils tend to do
27 September 2017
As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin
End Up
24 June 2020
End Up

Connect small wreaths to create a pretty summer armature to arrange your flowers on.
Nuts and Bolts of Floral Art Mechanics
22 February 2012
Nuts and Bolts of Floral Art Mechanics

My design entered for evaluation at the Floral Trends Design Group meeting in South Africa
Intimate Dinner For Two- Table Setting Competition Class
12 April 2011
Intimate Dinner For Two- Table Setting Competition Class

Floral Sushi Dinner, for two
Feeling Funky
10 April 2011
Feeling Funky

I wove vine wreaths to form a pyramid, one just slightly larger than the next. In the natural cavities between the wreaths I placed the roses and lisianthus in plastic covered Oasis
Swing Vine
18 April 2018
Swing Vine

Weave a delicate vine swing to nestle a small vase with spring flowers in
Short Cut
19 April 2023
Short Cut

A tiny carry basket to gather the shortest stems from your cutting garden... with a place for water and your cutters.
Snow to report!
5 February 2025
Snow to report!

A snowy lady slipper plant displayed to enjoy for as long as possible.
Here comes the sun...
28 April 2021
Here comes the sun...

A minimal design celebrating the new growth on twigs
You see... here is the Thing:
30 May 2018
You see... here is the Thing:

Glue a grass snippet grid for shallow container design
That day after Halloween feeling
1 November 2023
That day after Halloween feeling

Time to cut down vines... and enjoy them a bit longer in a Halloween display.
A Floral Fable: Approach Design
27 March 2012
A Floral Fable: Approach Design

This is a detailed look at my third Floral Fable design. When you design, every detail you add matters and the smallest element can change the design completely.
Pretty Spicy!
23 September 2015
Pretty Spicy!

Hang fruity wire garlands to display Gerbera daisies
These are my favourite summer things:
10 July 2019
These are my favourite summer things:

A submerged design... perfect for summertime designing... and enjoying!
A Pocket full of Starlight
31 December 2012
A Pocket full of Starlight

Knot a grid to place over a glass bubble vase to keep plant material in place
Overgrown S-Autum-mer Swirl
14 September 2022
Overgrown S-Autum-mer Swirl

Designing for somewhere not still summer not yet autumn weather...