My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Lean

According to the dictionary lean means:

Verb: Be in or move into a sloping position:

“the twigs leaned to the left”.

Synonyms: incline – rest – tilt – recline

Noun: A deviation from the perpendicular; an inclination:

“I am leaning towards using more twigs to emphasize the beauty of the cyclamen buds and foliage”

Synonyms: tilt – gradient – incline – bias – tip

Adjective: Thin, specifically healthily so; having no superfluous fat. Without unnecessary embellishment:

“lean designs need to be well thought through because every tiny detail is significant”

Synonyms: spare – minimal – slim - slight

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Tutorials
Harvesting cyclamen flowers and foliage
22 May 2012
Harvesting cyclamen flowers and foliage

Cyclamen stems are so close together that it is easy to damage the plant when cutting stems.
Bite and snap a sturdy twig
22 May 2012
Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.
Filling a vase with water without disturbing the design details
22 May 2012
Filling a vase with water without disturbing the design details

Break the water flow when you fill a vase with details in that can move with the stream of water
Spiral twig frog
22 May 2012
Spiral twig frog

Multiple tiny twigs create a flower frog to keep the delicate buds and leaves in the exact spot you want.
Bring out the pretty spots on the lip of this tiny orchid with a dotted twig stump armature
22 January 2025
Bring out the pretty spots on the lip of this tiny orchid with a dotted twig stump armature

Create a delicate floating and natural display without using floral foam with a twig frog armature.
New growth Spring frog
26 April 2023
New growth Spring frog

Willow cutting left in water will root and sprout... perfect for a all natural flower frog to admire as is or to keep long stem flowers upright.
Easy twist to a tulip spiral to nestle a “we are still building this” bird’s nest in
22 March 2023
Easy twist to a tulip spiral to nestle a “we are still building this” bird’s nest in

The easiest unfinished nest idea... simply shaped from roots discovered while Spring cleaning and preparing to plant.
Magnolia Rose Bowl with the brightest Holly berries and Kalanchoe flowers
16 November 2022
Magnolia Rose Bowl with the brightest Holly berries and Kalanchoe flowers

Long lasting berries, magnolia leaves and succulent (kalanchoe) flowers that can remain without any water or maintenance for... well... all the way to Christmas!
Racked up dried Twig Snippets to display a few flower buds
18 August 2021
Racked up dried Twig Snippets to display a few flower buds

Combining dried and fresh floral details for a easy breezy summer design.
Pour glue over a stick Bundle to craft a Poke Out Spring stick Armature
5 February 2020
Pour glue over a stick Bundle to craft a Poke Out Spring stick Armature

Fake an early Spring by crafting a long lasting stick bundle that has a blossoming branch of succulent flowers.
Gently peel leaves from the stalk to create a twisted stem end
22 May 2019
Gently peel leaves from the stalk to create a twisted stem end

Roll leaves to create a stopper to keep flowers in place in a bud vase
A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase
30 January 2019
A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase

Stack foliage to create a rose spiral in a container.
Bundle Support
4 July 2018
Bundle Support

Tie a bundle of lily grass in a bundle to offer support for your flowers.
Bundled Phormium with a secret water source
20 June 2018
Bundled Phormium with a secret water source

Rip Phormium to create a freestanding bundle armature design.
Stem line-up
21 February 2018
Stem line-up

Line up stems to create a base for the heavy Hanging Heliconia stems
Two vase, two level Phormium snippets
2 August 2017
Two vase, two level Phormium snippets

Design in two levels by using two vases, the smaller slipped into a bigger one.
Bamboo frog for a shallow container design
10 August 2016
Bamboo frog for a shallow container design

Cut short bamboo lengths to keep your flower material upright in a shallow and narrow container
Stripping bark from willow sticks
8 June 2016
Stripping bark from willow sticks

Strip the green bark from the stems to expose the smooth wood
Hiding a secret water source in a twig frog
27 April 2016
Hiding a secret water source in a twig frog

New growth is really difficult to design with and definitely needs to be conditioned and placed in a water source
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog
14 October 2015
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog

Rolled leaves offer support for floral stems
Rethinking the traditional Komiwara technique
7 May 2014
Rethinking the traditional Komiwara technique

Komiwara is a classic and traditional Ikebana technique used in a Rikka design. Designers would usually bundle straw to keep the flowers in place.
Prevent scratches, rust and water stains on display surfaces
17 July 2012
Prevent scratches, rust and water stains on display surfaces

This is a great, non permanent way to protect surfaces from damage
Related Designs
Spot on!
22 January 2025
Spot on!

Connect the dots with round willow cuts and the spotted lip of the tiniest mini miniature Phalaenopsis orchids
Oh So Me
26 April 2023
Oh So Me

Snip and grow willow to create a Spring new growth support for your tall flower stems.
... and just like that we spiral back to... Spring!
22 March 2023
... and just like that we spiral back to... Spring!

A spring spiral design... with a hint of a root nest. Easy to do
All your Christmases…
16 November 2022
All your Christmases…

A little bit of effort... that will last for weeks design to roll us in to the Festive Season.
What it’s all about
5 February 2020
What it’s all about

A bundle of twigs armature to create a pretend Spring design for a snowy morning.
Putting your own spin on it
22 May 2019
Putting your own spin on it

I would definitely describe my own personal style as minimalist classic... but with an edgy twist.
Around Here
30 January 2019
Around Here

Wind lily leaves to spiral around in a water filled container.
Wonder
4 July 2018
Wonder

Tie a bundle of grass to support your floral details
A Bundle of Pretty
20 June 2018
A Bundle of Pretty

A dried bundle of ripped flax hides a secret water source for the orchids
Impossible things
21 February 2018
Impossible things

A cut stem flower frog for the heavy Hanging Heliconia flowers
Grace
2 August 2017
Grace

Use snips and snippets and leftovers to create a design of it's own
Saved up
10 August 2016
Saved up

Cut lengths of bamboo to place in a shallow container as a flower frog
Perfection
22 June 2016
Perfection

Spiral grass to create a nest for the lady slipper orchids
Sprout
27 April 2016
Sprout

A sneaky way to condition new growth to add into your Spring design
What a find!
14 October 2015
What a find!

Roll autumn leaves to create a frog to keep flowers upright
Favourite Flowers
Cyclamen
Cyclamen

Cyclamen flower bud and leaf in my Lean design