Practice

Hanging Willow Nest

Bend and weave a nest shape from fresh willow stems

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.

Foliage Weaving

For this tutorial I focus on a simple weave pattern that does not require you to soften or prepare the leaves to be more durable or flexible. This is the starting point in weaving techniques. You can build on this technique to make floral handbags, gift boxes, and baskets, sew it into a curve or wrap it around a vase or cover a test tube.

Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling copper wire into the weave

Sprouting willow armature

Carefully manipulate and bend green willow stems to place in water to sprout as an armature for tulips to mature and open

Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

Willow Heart Wand

The difference between detailing a sprouting stem for a floral design and pruning a stem

Give the stem a closer cut to detail for floral art

Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball

Willow Parasol

Weave willow stems into a decorative parasol

Weaving a fan

It looks impressive... but... and don't tell anyone... this fan is rather easy to craft. It will just take a while to craft.

A wreath bridge to hint at the transition between the wildness of late summer and the autumn haze to come

Arrange a selection of freshly cut cosmos flowers to hint at the autumn to come.

Late summer’s crispy twig curls as a mechanic and accessory

Humble and even unwanted heat shriveled stems become precious design elements because they add a unique quality to your design.

Willow nest roll that continues to grow for a Spring display

This design is meant to be long lasting and ever changing... make now and enjoy all the way to Easter and beyond

Thread your wreaths in a row to show off your "it could (almost) be mistaken for Spring sprouts"

Late winter flowering irises in a wreath armature

Delicate snow willow twirl around a growing Slipper orchid plant display

Arrange sprouting willow twigs to twirl and frame a beautiful Paphiopedilum (slipper) orchid

Four wreath harvest basket that looks like it grew that way… because now some of it still is!

Harvest some cuttings to root in a wild and overgrown floral design.

A green plaited willow way-over for small flower details

Here it is: the first of my first autumn harvest of willow from my willow coppice I am growing in my balcony garden. It is working spectacularly well!

Coiled Spring and Wreath flower frog

Wind vines into an all natural armature to display your first of many... perfect... Spring flowers.

High Rise Twiner Jasmine and Twirling willow Easter mobile

A vertical take on an Easter nest design to craft a spinning mobile decoration.

A secret and so pretty stay open support for a growing willow birdcage

Grow your own willow birdcage in a small pot to display Spring flowers in.

Suspend delicate stemmed orchids in a Willow Infinity Weave Flower Frog

Create a little grid that fits the stems exactly to position them above and below water in a large container.

Knot a vine wreath and ripped grass bug net

Simply easy design... with tiny design details to make your summer display unique.

Willow and Vine tiny stem Gathering Basket

Tiny stems are often also delicate stems... place your cut flowers directly in a small glass of water. A perfect fit for this basket.

Catch Blossom Petals in a Pussy Willow tray basket

An easy to assemble yourself harvest basket to carry home and display Spring blossoms.

Leaf-puddle for a short stem in a big vase

Add a leaf to a large-ish vase to create a small puddle of water for your short flower stem to rest in.

Crafting a stripped bark and sisal armature

Make a free standing armature with three water tubes for fresh flowers.

Willow Paddle

Weave willow between the fork in a twig to create a paddle like armature

A little nest for Easter chocolates that naturally hooks over the edge of a container

Weave a tiny nest with a twig hook so that you can hang it in a design

The last Vine Wreath

Every designer knows how to stretch their supplies. We use and re-use our dried plant material until our fellow designers feel like hiding it from us. I formed such an attachment to my vine wreaths. This post features four designs using the same wreaths.

Large Open Weave Twig Basket

Easter Basket used in the Durbanville Flower Club Easter Parade Demonstration

Creative Expectations

My article and a floral parasol design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

Just So

Twirl a few willow twigs to create a balanced armature to display orchids

Growth Medium

Design a bark and moss pod for a mushroom mini farm

Love Spell

Weave willow to create a heart shaped wand design

Just think!

Weave a nest for chocolate Easter eggs

On the first warm day in May

A ripped flax, Ranunculus and Mikado Reed drop shaped nest

Are you a fan?

Weave a fan... and add calligraphy inspired floral details using another fan favourite Tutorial... drying hydrangeas.

Like a hazy serotinal sunset

Capture a hazy late-late summer moment in an abundant floral display.

Finding the first few Wishful Thinkings under a tree

Arranging flowers that allow you to reflect in the summer's heat.

Spring Roll

oh yes... Spring is definitely rolling in with some fresh growth on the willow just to prove it!

“Ha ha ha weeeeee!"

Beautiful iris wreath kebab to chase away the winter blues

Snow to report!

A snowy lady slipper plant displayed to enjoy for as long as possible.

Haerfest

Rooting clematis cuttings in a harvest wreath basket

Brewing some inspiration

Autumn harvest willow for a double the pretty plaited flower support

springy, Spring, spring

Gorgeous Aquilegia vulgaris spring flower... with it's own springy thing!

Twiners Gonna Twine

Twining jasmine vine twirl for Easter

A Stay Open

Grow a willow birdcage... with a bit of a Spring flower support to get it started.

I mean… really!?!

Using fresh twigs to bind a little twig platform to suspend the beautiful orchids from.

Catch and Release

Ah... yes summer time designing. Anyone else seeing more insects hiding between the petals this year?

Short Cut

A tiny carry basket to gather the shortest stems from your cutting garden... with a place for water and your cutters.

Spring Tray-ning

A Spring basket design for catching falling blossom petals.

Rest a bit here

Gently curve a shallow area with a leaf to showcase a gorgeous flower with a short stem in a water filled vase

Crafting

The second design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing.

When the pretty eyeballs you back!

Barely there skeleton blossoms with Eucalyptus eyes for my Halloween design... Oh! and a Willow Paddle, which probably should have been the main Tutorial... but... well...

Well… we did it again!

Blossoms and chocolates for Easter

Cattleya

Cattleya orchid detail from my Practice floral art design.

Ceropegia woodii

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

Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"

I wove three willow spheres for my Floral Art design Three Drops of floral chocolate.