My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

It’s leaps of faith, grasshoppers

Grasshoppers

Weave a grasshopper for a fun summer flower arrangement

can only

How to weave a grasshopper from a palm leaf

jump forward.

Use a rock as a floral design mechanic

There is no backwards

Foam free alternative for flower arrangements using a rock

or sideways leaps

How to make sure your poppies last in a flower arrangement

if you

Growing poppies for flower arranging

are a grasshopper.

Keep flowers in position with a rock in a floral arrangement

… so onwards we go, grasshoppers

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

26 June 2024 Rock steady for tiny floral details

Lean a large pebble in a display container to keep your summer floral details exactly where you want them.

26 June 2024 How to condition poppies... if you are designing with them in a glass container

Conditioning poppies for floral arrangements.

5 January 2011 Palm leaf Hopper-flies (grasshoppers and butterflies)

Weave grasshoppers or butterflies (or fireflies) from palm leaves

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.

24 July 2018 Lemon Aid Container Stopper

Keep flowers in place by placing a lemon on the narrow rim of the container.

15 April 2015 Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

2 September 2020 Wrap a vine around a tiny vase to suspend it from a balanced twig

Using the design elements as mechanics to secure the design elements.

26 June 2012 Driftwood precariously perched on the edge of a pebble

Wire and glue the driftwood at an angle to balance on a pebble

8 May 2012 Nestled grass pebble

Weave a grass pebble for flowers to nestle in

31 January 2018 Rock Rest for a heavy Protea Flower Head

Create a contrasting base to lift the heavy flower-head to design in

26 August 2020 Create a tighter fit with pebbles so that you can wedge a twig securely into a vase

It all started with my twig being just too small to wedge into the glass vase tight enough to keep my orchid stem in place...

17 January 2018 Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water

Such a peaceful design with just enough float and "stay put" elements

25 June 2019 Stacking grass covered pebbles

Pebbles are a great way to weigh down or keep your floral material in place. Here's a way to dress them up a bit

27 January 2016 Sprouting willow armature

Carefully manipulate and bend green willow stems to place in water to sprout as an armature for tulips to mature and open

Related Designs

17 January 2018 Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place

Create a subtle contrast by floating or anchoring some of your design elements.

14 February 2013 Making it work somewhere between a rock and a hard place

Sometimes creative blunders becomes creative inspiration

26 June 2012 Diamond Jubilee Waterfall

To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the 20th Anniversary of Friends of Government House Gardens Society a Horticultural event was hosted in the gardens and...

25 July 2018 Lemon Aid

Use a lemon as a stopper to keep floral material in place

6 July 2022 Let’s play ball

Weave a spherical support to place long stemmed flowers into a bud vase.

2 September 2020 Last full Moon of summer

All natural design using the design elements as mechanics.

8 May 2012 Skipping stone

Weave a grass pebble for the orchid to nestle in.

31 January 2018 Rock, don't Roll

Balance the heavy Protea flower head to lean against a rock.

26 June 2019 “Ok wow”

A design so fine you can easily miss it... if it were not for the interwoven pebbles catching your eye.

26 August 2020 It starts with WHY

Add design elements that serves a purpose for a minimal summer inspired floral design.

27 January 2016 Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems