My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

It's stick season!

Pick 'em

Snap ‘em

Snip 'em

Stack ‘em

Pack ‘em

Glue ‘em

Stick ‘em

Enjoy ‘em

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Tutorials
Twig Tumbler
8 January 2014
Twig Tumbler

Wire and glue a stack of sticks into a cylindrical or tube shape
Choosing, harvesting and Conditioning Hellebore
8 January 2014
Choosing, harvesting and Conditioning Hellebore

Hellebore is just gorgeous but so difficult to keep from wilting. But there are things you can do to enhance your chances of having the flowers stay fresh for longer
Bite and snap a sturdy twig
22 May 2012
Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.
Blow away hot glue strands
24 July 2012
Blow away hot glue strands

When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.
Drinking straw "test tubes"
4 January 2011
Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.
Prevent teeth marks on soft wire when you bend it with pliers
13 October 2011
Prevent teeth marks on soft wire when you bend it with pliers

Even long nose pliers without grooves still damage soft aluminum wire. Pad the pliers with a plaster.
Wire Tendrils
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
Dried twig collar in a double vase display for gravity sensitive flowers
11 August 2021
Dried twig collar in a double vase display for gravity sensitive flowers

Putting the focus on the flowers with an ever changing design.
On the edge grid for a decorative twig and reed armature
14 October 2020
On the edge grid for a decorative twig and reed armature

Place the floral details strategically on the edge of sturdier parts of the armature to keep the reed grid from collapsing under the weight of the floral details.
All dried Autumn hemisphere design that will outlast even the falling leaves outside
23 September 2020
All dried Autumn hemisphere design that will outlast even the falling leaves outside

Preserve some floral material to design with when it is but not quite Autumn outside.
Twig snippet pillar armature
19 February 2020
Twig snippet pillar armature

A great do-in-advance and reusable design solution for a winter, early spring floral display.
Manipulate Blossoming Twigs To Hang Fluttering Woven Grass Hearts
12 February 2020
Manipulate Blossoming Twigs To Hang Fluttering Woven Grass Hearts

These peach blossom branches needed only the tiniest bit of help to frame the woven hearts to perfection.
Use wired faux elements to secure your design
20 November 2019
Use wired faux elements to secure your design

When you use wired branches they double as... well... wires to secure your other design details. This is such a quick and easy design solution!
Cracked ice, freshly fallen snow and fire... in a bud vase
20 November 2019
Cracked ice, freshly fallen snow and fire... in a bud vase

It looks like these candles are thoroughly snowed and iced in place but they actually rest just below the edge of a bud vase so that they can be taken out to switch the battery on and off when needed.
Cross hatch Twig Armature
2 October 2019
Cross hatch Twig Armature

Add a bit of shadow and dimension to a flat armature by using the sketch technique of cross hatching.
Zig-Zag fold plastic for a flower stem support
23 January 2019
Zig-Zag fold plastic for a flower stem support

Zig Zag fold clear plastic for a flower stem support that looks like ice
Peg and glue a floating Halloween design
31 October 2018
Peg and glue a floating Halloween design

A hovering Halloween design that seems to float.
Radiating rainbow vine armature
2 May 2018
Radiating rainbow vine armature

Design an armature that is light enough to be carried by two flower stems to create a radiating frame.
Marching winter frosted twig and freesia stack
28 February 2018
Marching winter frosted twig and freesia stack

Frost a few twigs to craft a delicate armature for fragrant freesias
Related Designs
A bit Special... four dimensional designing
11 August 2021
A bit Special... four dimensional designing

Using that little something that is unusual about your flower to make the design stand out.
Stick it out… the creative spirit version
14 October 2020
Stick it out… the creative spirit version

Soft minimal Fall armature making it easy to replace the flowers as the season progress.
Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing
23 September 2020
Getting a head start on all that Fall-ing

Floral styling using mostly dried material that will last the entire Autumn.
The Upside of being Inside
19 February 2020
The Upside of being Inside

A creative design that has some height to it without blocking the view. This can easily be scaled up or down to match the environment you want to display it in.
Parallel Hang Ups
12 February 2020
Parallel Hang Ups

While waiting for the blossoms to open... why not weave in a touch of Valentine's Day love?
Not just a pretty face!
20 November 2019
Not just a pretty face!

Design 2 of my three week pre-Christmas designing series looking at How to style with artificial plants and branches using quality faux plants and stems. This week: wired branches
Cross-hatch a Shadow Bright Autumn
2 October 2019
Cross-hatch a Shadow Bright Autumn

A clever trick borrowed from art techniques to add dimension to a bright and colourful Autumn floral design.
Do they have cold feet?
23 January 2019
Do they have cold feet?

Keep flower stems upright with a folded cellophane plastic support that looks like cracked ice.
Scary stuff!
31 October 2018
Scary stuff!

My Halloween design... with some scary stuff hidden if you can read between the leaves!
Over the rainbow
2 May 2018
Over the rainbow

Craft a radiating design that suspends from the orchid stems
March Days
28 February 2018
March Days

Line up a few frosted twigs to march across a shallow container
Things are looking up!
14 June 2017
Things are looking up!

My article and Bamboo Lantern design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine