My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Refresh-ing

17 July 2024
and more

… 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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Gather what you'll need

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Dew-Drop Crystals

I created the Tutorial for how I add these crystals to my floral designs 11 years ago! Since then I have tried, tested and searched for the perfect crystals that would go from studio‑table picture perfect to show‑day‑dependable and I always come back to these. They remain the absolute best. They’re inexpensive yet have a refined, high‑quality crystal brilliance; they don’t tarnish and their adhesive backing stays reliably tacky even after they were exposed to water.

Tutorials

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

4 April 2018

Tap in a Twig Support

Wedge snipped twigs into a glass vase to act as a support for your flowers

9 August 2023

Tap in support for horizontal placement of your top heavy flowers

Placing gladiolus stems horizontally so that the stems... disappear.

28 January 2015

Well Rooted Sprouting Willow Weave

Weave a sprouting 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

4 July 2018

Bundle Support

Tie a bundle of lily grass in a bundle to offer support for your flowers.

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.

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.

12 August 2026

Café au Lait Summer Swirl-Twirl

Use that good old double vase trick to create a (dry) fairy light swirl for your design base.

8 July 2026

Cross and knot forked stems to support them in a minimal summer display

Abyssinian Gladiolus do not need much help to be pretty perfect for a summer display... water and a few twigs and a pretty bow.

15 April 2026

Hop over, skip one and a long jump to the other side twig suspension (with a craftsmanship magic trick in between, of course)

Use a few spongy stems and a bougainvillea branch with sharp thorns to create an impossibly delicate Spring display that is minimal and luxurious.

2 July 2025

Tap in a thorn support for a delicate flower stem and twirling tendrils

Peg a dainty flower stem into a water filled summer display to remove all visual clutter.

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.

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.

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

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.

17 April 2013

Hide-and-go-peek

Create a soft light by making a leaf cocoon for a flameless candle

28 January 2015

In a State of Flow

weave some willow to use as an armature

27 January 2016

Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems

31 January 2024

Surround and Sound

Half moon frosted glass chip edge for a winter themed design.

23 August 2023

Note to Self

An easy to weave natural grid for summer floral arrangements.

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.