My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Playing Favourites

21 June 2017
click to send Christine a smile
and more

It’s the one the pot calls the kettle…

Has it’s own … Friday, a … sheep and some ... tea or the way some people drink their coffee.

Jet ...

onyx?

The colour of coal

and a clever crow

… ok… it’s black. I do like black.

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Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

26 August 2015

Skeleton Hydrangeas

Make skeleton petals from hydrangeas to create blossoms

5 January 2011

Palm leaf Hopper-flies (grasshoppers and butterflies)

Weave grasshoppers or butterflies (or fireflies) from palm leaves

15 April 2015

Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

7 January 2015

So many ways to use a Kenzan to hold floral materials

How to place various sizes of plant material in a Kenzan

7 January 2015

Securing a kenzan

Temporarily adhere a traditional Ikebana Kenzan or pincushion to a shallow container.

18 February 2015

Grass Spiral Snail

Fold a foliage snail

17 June 2015

Zig zag Palm Dragonfly

Fold a dragonfly from a long strand of grass or palm leaf

24 September 2014

Folding a Frog

Fold and weave a frog from grass

6 February 2013

Fold a Foliage Fish

Fold and weave a fish from two blades of grass

17 July 2012

Guacamole Green Coiled Grass Chameleon

My Chameleon is mono-botanical. Made from coiled grass

1 February 2012

Love Bug

Heart shaped rosery vine and pine love bug

14 January 2011

Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips

14 May 2014

Perking up roses (Please... don't ever do this, anywhere but at home, and only for yourself!)

This trick works really well, but it is a temporary fix to extend the life of drooping roses and is not a substitute for good quality fresh flowers. It is great to know this trick so that you can inspect the roses you want to buy, for the tell tale sign that they have already been "perked up" and might look fresh but would really not last well.

15 March 2023

Grasshopper Blossom branches

Just for fun add a few pollinators to your Spring blossom design

1 July 2020

Crafting a Hornet of Tranquility (you know… the one with the sparkle butt)

Let me explain myself: it’s got a blue sparkle stinger… or you wouldn’t have noticed the little wasp.

17 April 2019

Cross cut Spring Twig Armature

Give a sturdy twig a cut to stay put in your Spring design.

3 April 2019

Dried Blossom Caterpillar

Craft a pretty little critter by threading dried blossoms onto a wire.

15 November 2017

Kenzan leaf rack

Line and position pretty autumn leaves.

Related Designs

20 January 2016

A lots of stuff and things

Sticks and twigs create a resting spot for palm and rose butterflies

7 January 2015

Any Which Way

Using a traditional Ikabana Kenzan to place flowers in a shallow container

1 June 2016

The ties that Bind

Bind a lily to create a trumpet shape as it opens

8 March 2017

Piece of the forest

Standing roses upright in a shallow container

15 March 2023

Hop… Lots!

Beautiful blossoms don’t NEED much to make it into a lovely design. But the start of Spring might just inspire you to add a bit much… just because it makes you happy.