My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

It’s leaps of faith, grasshoppers

26 June 2024
and more

Grasshoppers

can only

jump forward.

There is no backwards

or sideways leaps

if you

are a grasshopper.

… so onwards we go, grasshoppers

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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

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

21 January 2026

Close an open pinecone to use as a flower frog

Use the natural way pinecones close their scales when wet or cold to protect the little seeds from moisture and damage to display your winter flowers in a small container.

9 July 2025

Add lemony summer balance to wild “just picked these” design elements to avoid overcrowding your container.

Balance a few lemons to craft a light as a summer's breeze mechanic for bobbing and breezy flowers.

25 June 2025

A rock solid support for long stemmed Lupine foliage, an absolutely not So-so Bletilla orchid and jasmine vine

Minimal but oh so remarkable! Easy way to support long thin stems exactly how you want them to create a tropical looking summer design.

30 April 2025

Whittle a stumpy stopper to peg precious tiny floral details in place

An easy way to create a design using only a few bits of plant material that can be maintained... effortlessly.

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 Great Hall of Government House in Victoria, Canada entitled British Columbia Blooms.