My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Refresh-ing

… pour a whole lot of water

add a freshly picked peach orchid into a in a stack of firethorn twigs

then add a few twists of vine to taste

and a dash of sparkling dew drop crystals

… just to give it that refreshing

summer fizz.

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Tutorials
Use Firethorn spears for a Vine and Orchid twist support
17 July 2024
Use Firethorn spears for a Vine and Orchid twist support

Sharp thorns can be used to keep your floral details in place
Tap in a Twig Support
4 April 2018
Tap in a Twig Support

Wedge snipped twigs into a glass vase to act as a support for your flowers
Tap in support for horizontal placement of your top heavy flowers
9 August 2023
Tap in support for horizontal placement of your top heavy flowers

Placing gladiolus stems horizontally so that the stems... disappear.
Well Rooted Sprouting Willow Weave
28 January 2015
Well Rooted Sprouting Willow Weave

Weave a sprouting armature
Sprouting willow armature
27 January 2016
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
Frosted Glass Chip Edge for a glass container
31 January 2024
Frosted Glass Chip Edge for a glass container

Glue glass chips into a half moon to help keep the floral details in place.
Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals
8 July 2015
Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals

It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
Basket weave bunny tail grid to catch your floral details
23 August 2023
Basket weave bunny tail grid to catch your floral details

A no waste... but still decorative way to keep your flower in place and hydrated in the warm days of summer.
Snowy Magnolia forest floor armature
25 January 2023
Snowy Magnolia forest floor armature

An armature to display a lovely surprise orchid that developed on the long spike just after the other flowers started to fade.
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.
Controlled breaking a thin reed to create a grass spiral armature
17 February 2021
Controlled breaking a thin reed to create a grass spiral armature

Carefully break... but don't snap a reed to create a curved base for a fanned out grass armature.
Wrap a vine around a tiny vase to suspend it from a balanced twig
2 September 2020
Wrap a vine around a tiny vase to suspend it from a balanced twig

Using the design elements as mechanics to secure the design elements.
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.
Bundle Support
4 July 2018
Bundle Support

Tie a bundle of lily grass in a bundle to offer support for your flowers.
Placing orchids in test tubes
25 August 2011
Placing orchids in test tubes

Cut the Phalaenopsis orchid with a bit of green stem attached. This will make them last longer.
Woven lily grass parachute armature
13 July 2016
Woven lily grass parachute armature

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature in a way that you can place the stems in two vases to keep it hydrated.
A growing Paperwhite paperweight to secure twirling passion fruit vines under water
8 January 2025
A growing Paperwhite paperweight to secure twirling passion fruit vines under water

This design takes a few weeks to make... but lasts a few weeks longer growing and evolving all on its own.
Slip-slit tapped in stems to keep vines upright in a muted autumn display
25 September 2024
Slip-slit tapped in stems to keep vines upright in a muted autumn display

A tiny adjustment in a stem wedged into a vase mechanic to give you even more control over the placement of design details.
Firethorns join two leaves for an edgy support for a tall flower stem
14 August 2024
Firethorns join two leaves for an edgy support for a tall flower stem

Thorns are a great way to spear (and keep) design details into position.
Related Designs
Grow on it
4 April 2018
Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.
Look at me… doing math!
9 August 2023
Look at me… doing math!

Adding our own "bit" to our floral design work.
Hide-and-go-peek
17 April 2013
Hide-and-go-peek

Create a soft light by making a leaf cocoon for a flameless candle
In a State of Flow
28 January 2015
In a State of Flow

weave some willow to use as an armature
Well, I'll be
27 January 2016
Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems
Surround and Sound
31 January 2024
Surround and Sound

Half moon frosted glass chip edge for a winter themed design.
Note to Self
23 August 2023
Note to Self

An easy to weave natural grid for summer floral arrangements.
Even More
25 January 2023
Even More

This orchid developed at the very end of a long stem... right as the rest of the flowers started to die back so I made a special armature to display the cut stem.
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.
Light as a Kite
14 July 2021
Light as a Kite

Spike a wire frame into a disk floret for a light summer design.
Light as a Kite
14 July 2021
Light as a Kite

Spike a wire frame into a disk floret for a light summer design.
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 here in out
17 February 2021
From here in out

An all natural, zero waste design using only plant material.
Last full Moon of summer
2 September 2020
Last full Moon of summer

All natural design using the design elements as mechanics.
This way we connect
15 January 2020
This way we connect

Weave a connected panel to frame a single orchid.
Pick Love
13 February 2019
Pick Love

Craft a willow heart to display 12 red roses to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Taking a Breather
3 July 2019
Taking a Breather

A relaxing summer design that spins gently in the wind
Putting your own spin on it
22 May 2019
Putting your own spin on it

I would definitely describe my own personal style as minimalist classic... but with an edgy twist.
Wonder
4 July 2018
Wonder

Tie a bundle of grass to support your floral details
Woven
13 July 2016
Woven

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature for orchids to perch on
this IS new
8 January 2025
this IS new

Growing a design... all new... and fresh and blooming well into New Year.
Toning down the summer up into the earliest autumn
25 September 2024
Toning down the summer up into the earliest autumn

Using summery floral details in a way that it gives you all the autumn feelings... when autumn details are not yet out.
everything in one
14 August 2024
everything in one

Connect a unit of leaves... and a pretty floppy stem with thorns.
Favourite Flowers
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis orchid detail from my Harnessing the Wind design