My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Look deep

“Look deep

into nature

and then you will

understand

everything better”

Quote by Albert Einstein

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Tutorials
Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds
27 June 2018
Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds

Curl and pin a few leaves into a tube to create an armature for those "left over" freesiabuds.
Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers
28 June 2017
Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers

Hide the water source in a rolled leaf
Rolling leaf tubes
23 March 2013
Rolling leaf tubes

Roll foliage to create tubes
Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon
4 February 2015
Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon

Fold and glue a Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster) leaf
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
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes
11 November 2015
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes

Long stemmed autumn leave tubes as a floral armature
A summer treat inspired tweak to a leaf-roll technique to display the last cut flowers (or left-overs) picked from your warm weather garden
28 August 2024
A summer treat inspired tweak to a leaf-roll technique to display the last cut flowers (or left-overs) picked from your warm weather garden

Give a summer look to a leaf roll by lifting the middle slightly out like an ice cream.
Creating a perfectly flat leafy surface... with a few gaps to fit some flowers
3 July 2024
Creating a perfectly flat leafy surface... with a few gaps to fit some flowers

Shady leaf fenestration raft for easy summer designing
Narrow twin leaf spacer for keeping a tiny stem bouquet upright
12 June 2024
Narrow twin leaf spacer for keeping a tiny stem bouquet upright

A pretty way of taming wonderfully wild thin stemmed floral details... without loosing the light and airy feel.
Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick
15 May 2024
Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick

Threaded Heuchera (Coral Bells) rosette with curved stems to kick against the sides of your container to keep it suspended above water.
Use a glue stick to position a Kenzan… just so… so that you can place the blackest of flowers to be framed by gaps of light
8 May 2024
Use a glue stick to position a Kenzan… just so… so that you can place the blackest of flowers to be framed by gaps of light

Play up contrasts to allow near black flowers to shine.
Slot together Monstera Twin Leaves to create a design gap
24 April 2024
Slot together Monstera Twin Leaves to create a design gap

A small bundle of Spring floral treasures framed with lush monstera foliage.
Knot a dragonfly
19 July 2023
Knot a dragonfly

The easiest critter ever. All you need to do is make a few knots...
Craft a padded wooden Dowel to position a leaf cone into the sharp teeth of a Kenzan
10 May 2023
Craft a padded wooden Dowel to position a leaf cone into the sharp teeth of a Kenzan

Prevent a leaf from ripping or bruising when positioning it in your design.
Unfurl winter’s potential in a snow filled monstera leaf shelter
11 January 2023
Unfurl winter’s potential in a snow filled monstera leaf shelter

Capture a bit of winter magic by placing delicate flower buds in the middle of two large leaves.
How to skewer foliage tubes for a lily bud swirl support
18 May 2022
How to skewer foliage tubes for a lily bud swirl support

Ombre designing with the smallest to the biggest lily buds in a shallow container.
How to position the tiniest Spring stems using the hole in the side of a beaker wall vase
20 April 2022
How to position the tiniest Spring stems using the hole in the side of a beaker wall vase

The tiny stems tend to flop about making it difficult to place your design... just so. This is such a great solution!
Double water source to keep Carnations hydrated in foliage cones
30 March 2022
Double water source to keep Carnations hydrated in foliage cones

Quick and easy design... perfect for something tiny to celebrate spring.... everywhere!
Two leaf lining your container to shelter your orchids
2 June 2021
Two leaf lining your container to shelter your orchids

Create a shallow puddle in a larger container to keep your flowers in place.
Stacking stems to show off flowers from all angles
26 May 2021
Stacking stems to show off flowers from all angles

Roses so pretty you want to admire them front, side and back.
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design
6 January 2021
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design

Create a tiny visual tunnel to focus attention.
A floral float… that floats
20 May 2020
A floral float… that floats

If you know my work you have probably seen me do this: I float flowers using a tiny bubble wrap skirt... this time I am floating an entire design on it's own bubble wrap raft.
Related Designs
An invisible line to cross
1 May 2013
An invisible line to cross

Weave a strip to slip around a candle
its a wrap!
4 April 2011
its a wrap!

Banana leaves used to wrap flowers instead of Tissue paper or Cellophane
Happy Easter!
21 April 2011
Happy Easter!

Spring "Ice cream" posy with a Banana Leaf "cone"
Somewhere in the Middle
28 June 2017
Somewhere in the Middle

Skewer Dracaena leaves into a roll that supports a tiny water source for the Oncidium orchids
collywobbles!
4 February 2015
collywobbles!

Fold foliage butterflies
What a find!
14 October 2015
What a find!

Roll autumn leaves to create a frog to keep flowers upright
Balancing Act
11 November 2015
Balancing Act

Bend dried fall leaves to balance on the edge of a glass container
Soft Serve Swirl
28 August 2024
Soft Serve Swirl

A nod to a summer filled with flowers... and the quite possibly the last of the season flowers still there to be picked.
Oh! my word
3 July 2024
Oh! my word

A perfectly flat leaf to support tiny floral details in the summer heat.
Just about enough space
12 June 2024
Just about enough space

Create a little bit of space to keep a few thin stemmed floral treasures upright in your design
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on
15 May 2024
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on

Beautiful Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid) deserves it's own elaborate frilly skirt display.
I mean… did you!?!
8 May 2024
I mean… did you!?!

Playing with shapes to frame the light in a dramatic floral design.
You Just Like You
24 April 2024
You Just Like You

Support a small bundle of spring florals to stand upright in water with two Monstera leaves.
… And his little flower
19 July 2023
… And his little flower

Easy support for a single flower... and knot a special secret admirer just to keep it company.
By the cone full
10 May 2023
By the cone full

A small design to display those last Spring snippets from your garden...
Maybe Still Maybe
11 January 2023
Maybe Still Maybe

... a something to look forward to design that makes you lean in closer to see what might still be.
Because Why
18 May 2022
Because Why

Adding the smallest details to absolutely make the design.
Oh this? Yes! it is new
20 April 2022
Oh this? Yes! it is new

New growth... too cute to resist!
Cone of Gratitude
30 March 2022
Cone of Gratitude

Sweet spring design to hold some buds
Like an open book
2 June 2021
Like an open book

Position foliage to create a smaller, shallow pond for your floral details to shelter in.
From all sides
26 May 2021
From all sides

An all on one side design to admire roses from all sides.
I tip my (flower) cap!
6 January 2021
I tip my (flower) cap!

An enclosed design that invites the onlooker to lean in closer to explore the pretty orchid.
Favourite Flowers
Freesia
Freesia

White freesia buds and florets on my "Been there, Seen that" design