My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Making Ends Meet

It’s not

about

what

it is,

it’s about

what it

can become

Quote by Dr Seuss, The Lorax

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Tutorials
Criss-cross Monstera lace-up
16 August 2017
Criss-cross Monstera lace-up

Glue short sections of rosary vine into the natural gaps in the Monstera deliciosa leaf
Water tube bridge
16 August 2017
Water tube bridge

Glue two thin sticks across a gap to support a water tube
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.
Syringe with tube
3 January 2011
Syringe with tube

Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase
Removing Oasis Floral Adhesive glue spills
30 August 2011
Removing Oasis Floral Adhesive glue spills

The finish of every design should be flawless. Make sure there are no bits of glue visible in your design by carefully removing all traces of spills.
Twig support to rest test tubes on a surface
23 November 2016
Twig support to rest test tubes on a surface

Sink the tube in the design to rest on a few twigs
Wrap a line grid to support plant material in a shallow, stemmed container
10 July 2013
Wrap a line grid to support plant material in a shallow, stemmed container

Fishing line creates an invisible grid over a shallow glass cake stand to support the plant material
Ladder-frog
31 July 2013
Ladder-frog

Lash the orchid stems together to create a ladder for the flower to rest on.
Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon
4 February 2015
Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon

Fold and glue a Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster) leaf
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
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.
Gap basket weave for a Spring flower container
1 May 2024
Gap basket weave for a Spring flower container

Fiasco inspired vase cover for a small Spring design
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.
Tangle a Ceropegia Woodii bud vase nest topper
28 February 2024
Tangle a Ceropegia Woodii bud vase nest topper

Hatching an Oncidium orchid from a succulent vine nest... as one does in early Spring.
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.
Create a design gap with two leaves to create shivering whiskers for your Spring design
6 April 2022
Create a design gap with two leaves to create shivering whiskers for your Spring design

Adding design details to create tiny gaps for more design details.
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.
Cone shaped leafy puddle for a short stemmed flower
17 March 2021
Cone shaped leafy puddle for a short stemmed flower

Take all the usual ingredients for a budvase design- a flower, a leafy green something and roll it into something unusual to display.
Weave a Ceropegia Woodii Vine grid to catch your flowers
3 February 2021
Weave a Ceropegia Woodii Vine grid to catch your flowers

Suspend flowers over a water filled container by weaving a natural grid.
Over and under weave floral panel armature for inside a vase
15 January 2020
Over and under weave floral panel armature for inside a vase

Weave a small panel that fits snugly in a container for a minimal, foam free design that is quick to make but looks spectacular.
Vein Veil For Freesias
22 August 2018
Vein Veil For Freesias

Cut a slight veil to frame your flowers with
Related Designs
Floating Boat Orchid
7 June 2011
Floating Boat Orchid

The name Cymbidium or boat Orchid is derived from the Greek word Kumbos meaning "hole or cavity", referring to the hollowness in the base of the lip of the flowers.
This Moment
19 June 2013
This Moment

Create an armature design outside the vase
All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Another perspective
23 November 2016
All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Another perspective

This was the third design I did in my "All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate)" floral art demonstration
Pink
10 July 2013
Pink

Weave an invisible grid to float the plant material on
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
31 July 2013
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

A tiny orchid stem ladder keeps the orchid suspended just above the water line
Come on Over
19 February 2014
Come on Over

Weave an open foliage flower frog
collywobbles!
4 February 2015
collywobbles!

Fold foliage butterflies
Oh! my word
3 July 2024
Oh! my word

A perfectly flat leaf to support tiny floral details in the summer heat.
I mean… did you!?!
8 May 2024
I mean… did you!?!

Playing with shapes to frame the light in a dramatic floral design.
Favourite Take-Away
1 May 2024
Favourite Take-Away

Basket weave container for some Spring floral treasures.
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.
When the Super-duper is taking it Easy-peasy
28 February 2024
When the Super-duper is taking it Easy-peasy

Easy does it design that hints at but is not yet as intensive as the fun basket weaving and crafting that comes with Spring designing.
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.
Gaps between those in-between Spring days
6 April 2022
Gaps between those in-between Spring days

Give a minimal design a few grass "whiskers" to feel that Spring breeze.
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.
A scoop of pretty
17 March 2021
A scoop of pretty

A tiny budvase design that rearranges basic ingredients, such as a single leaf and an orchid to create a new design concept.
here’s the catch
3 February 2021
here’s the catch

Weave an all natural net to place over a vase to keep your flowers above water.
This way we connect
15 January 2020
This way we connect

Weave a connected panel to frame a single orchid.
Cover Story
26 September 2018
Cover Story

The design for the cover of my book, the effortless floral craftsman, crafted from Fiddlehead Fern and Red Lipstick Hanging Heliconia.
FreestyleFreesia
22 August 2018
FreestyleFreesia

Dutch floral designer Pim van den Akker, from Flower Factor invited me to participate in a FloraHolland initiative promoting the versatility of Freesias entitled #FreestyleFreesia Here is the extended version of my video.
Favourite Flowers
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis orchid detail from my Harnessing the Wind design
Ceropegia woodii
Ceropegia woodii

Pompon Chrysanthemum pom-poms and strands of Rosary vine for my floral lariat necklace in the Canadian Florist Magazine