My Creative Workbook

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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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

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.

11 February 2015

Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

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

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.

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

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.

5 September 2018

Wisteria Wreath Vine

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

27 September 2017

Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

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

4 May 2016

Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container

24 June 2020

Building up a wreath panel

Connect six wreaths to build up a hanging panel to display your flowers on.

26 August 2015

Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

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

22 February 2012

Coiled Grass Armature

Connect grass covered wire rings with short reed sections to create a natural looking Floral Art armature

18 April 2018

Clematis Vine Swing

Weave a delicate nest for a small spring design.

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.

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

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.

30 May 2018

Snippet grid

Glue grass stem snippets to create a natural grid over a shallow container

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.

31 December 2012

Knot a Cordyline Catcher

Create a rigid grid to place over a glass vase to keep flower material in place

14 September 2022

Summer harvest Vine Swirl

A great way have your vines root and enjoy them too...

12 August 2026

Café au Lait Summer Swirl-Twirl

Use that good old double vase trick to create a (dry) fairy light swirl for your design base.

13 May 2026

Curve a leaf shelter to slowly reveal your flowers

Just like tiny hummingbirds and insect seek shelter from the heat your creative spark also enjoys a bit of a shelter to rest when things get a bit much.

Related Designs

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.

4 May 2016

Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container

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???

26 August 2015

Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils

3 September 2025

Like a hazy serotinal sunset

Capture a hazy late-late summer moment in an abundant floral display.

5 September 2018

Wreath Vine Season!

Weave tiny wreaths on the stems of Wisteria vines

26 February 2025

“Ha ha ha weeeeee!"

Beautiful iris wreath kebab to chase away the winter blues

27 September 2017

As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin

24 June 2020

End Up

Connect small wreaths to create a pretty summer armature to arrange your flowers on.

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

12 April 2011

Intimate Dinner For Two- Table Setting Competition Class

Floral Sushi Dinner, for two

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

18 April 2018

Swing Vine

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

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.

5 February 2025

Snow to report!

A snowy lady slipper plant displayed to enjoy for as long as possible.

28 April 2021

Here comes the sun...

A minimal design celebrating the new growth on twigs

30 May 2018

You see... here is the Thing:

Glue a grass snippet grid for shallow container design

1 November 2023

That day after Halloween feeling

Time to cut down vines... and enjoy them a bit longer in a Halloween display.

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.