My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Pick your poison

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Tutorials
Driftwood base for a floral foam pebble design
2 November 2016
Driftwood base for a floral foam pebble design

The flat surface of a piece of driftwood creates a base to design on
Soaking Floral Foam
20 February 2011
Soaking Floral Foam

Each block of foam holds forty times its own weight in water. One brick holds two litres of water
Pebbles
19 February 2011
Pebbles

Cut and smooth pebbles out of Rainbow Oasis
Sealing floral foam shapes with candle wax to make them water tight
14 February 2013
Sealing floral foam shapes with candle wax to make them water tight

A thin layer of melted wax creates a watertight layer for floral foam
Cut Rainbow Oasis shapes to make multi-coloured designs
8 February 2011
Cut Rainbow Oasis shapes to make multi-coloured designs

Mix and match Rainbow Oasis colours to create patterns
Drying Mushrooms for Floral Art
13 April 2012
Drying Mushrooms for Floral Art

I use edible mushrooms in my designs. To preserve them I press a tiny stake into the base and let them air-dry.
Keeping pollen tidy
1 April 2015
Keeping pollen tidy

Most of the time I would gently tug the pollen covered stamens away the moment it becomes yellow and messy. But the Gloriosa looks rather pretty with the stamens on, so I fix it in place
Lilies
2 January 2011
Lilies

How to keep Lilies in bud for longer. Removing the pollen. Stringing a Lily Garland.
Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening
19 February 2013
Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening

Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without breaking it.
Bite and snap a sturdy twig
22 May 2012
Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.
Lining containers to make them waterproof
1 June 2011
Lining containers to make them waterproof

If you use Papier Mache, terracotta or clay or any precious container that might scratch, rust, or discolour or disintegrate when it's in prolonged contact with water it is best to line the container with plastic before you add wet foam.
Keep pod shaped flowers in bud for longer
30 March 2012
Keep pod shaped flowers in bud for longer

Sometimes you want to keep flowers in tight bud for as long as possible to suit your design
Mossy “Moss” Pebble… in the snow
10 January 2024
Mossy “Moss” Pebble… in the snow

Hollow out a faux moss pebble to add... a pebble of moss covered in snowflakes.
Wood chip and sparkle mushroom cornucopia
11 October 2023
Wood chip and sparkle mushroom cornucopia

A horn of plenty... seasonal sparkle.
Loop and Twist a Wire and Twig Tangle Grid
25 August 2021
Loop and Twist a Wire and Twig Tangle Grid

Wire twigs and wire around a shallow container to keep your floral details suspended in water in a shallow container.
Vase topped with a Hollow Wreath for Halloween
28 October 2020
Vase topped with a Hollow Wreath for Halloween

Create a dimensional wreath by assembling wreath vine to hug around an oblong container.
Arachnis Gerbera-petal-legicus
28 October 2020
Arachnis Gerbera-petal-legicus

The easiest Gerbara disk floret spider... ever!
Foxtail in a bud vase forest floor
29 July 2020
Foxtail in a bud vase forest floor

Create a sturdy platform from bark to design an entire forest floor on a single foxtail fern frond
Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water
17 January 2018
Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water

Such a peaceful design with just enough float and "stay put" elements
Related Designs
Still
17 September 2014
Still

My bark bowl design and tutorial featured in the Centrepiece Wedding Magazine
A Rock by any other Name...
25 February 2011
A Rock by any other Name...

It's not really what we call things that matter but what they are made of- in this design, it's made of all three types of Oasis and wool.
Crossing Boundaries
19 February 2011
Crossing Boundaries

Twig waterfall creates the boundary between the "under" and the "over" of the design. Tutorial: How to cover test tubes with Rainbow Oasis
Than you have to
13 March 2013
Than you have to

Weave blades of grass to create a cover for a glass vase
Never saw such a lovely day...
16 April 2014
Never saw such a lovely day...

Weave a palm thorn garland to decorate for Easter
One Singular Sensation
3 April 2011
One Singular Sensation

Three Lilies plaited to create a sensational, singular flower "growing" out of a Equisetum dome filled with Rainbow Oasis pebbles.
Bright, brighter… brightest!
16 October 2012
Bright, brighter… brightest!

Celebrate the bright colours of autumn with lilies and Chinese lanterns
Snow Glitters and Mossy Glimmers
10 January 2024
Snow Glitters and Mossy Glimmers

A glimmer is the opposite of a trigger... a little uplift. For this design I am lifting up my happiness by starting a tiny mossarium... but enjoying it as a design while it is in quarantine.
Plenty Glow to Harvest
11 October 2023
Plenty Glow to Harvest

Glow and sparkle bark armature to celebrate the first signs of Autumn
Doing a loop tangle twist
25 August 2021
Doing a loop tangle twist

oh yes, a light an airy design showing off those very first autumn leaves.
Magic Spell Number 614: How to make absolutely any task you need to do fun
28 October 2020
Magic Spell Number 614: How to make absolutely any task you need to do fun

A hint of a wreath table top design for pre-Halloween decorating.
Tail end of the story
29 July 2020
Tail end of the story

Craft a bark platform to design on in a foxtail fern frond.
Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place
17 January 2018
Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place

Create a subtle contrast by floating or anchoring some of your design elements.
Favourite Flowers
Lilium
Lilium

A Rock by any other name, lily design