My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Soft Serve Swirl

That such a seemingly

humble thing

as two little flowers

can be swirled up to create a…

Now that made today sooooo much prettier

… in a vase

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Tutorials
A summer treat inspired tweak to a leaf-roll technique to display the last cut flowers (or left-overs) picked from your warm weather garden
28 August 2024
A summer treat inspired tweak to a leaf-roll technique to display the last cut flowers (or left-overs) picked from your warm weather garden

Give a summer look to a leaf roll by lifting the middle slightly out like an ice cream.
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.
Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds
27 June 2018
Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds

Curl and pin a few leaves into a tube to create an armature for those "left over" freesiabuds.
Spiral Washi Rose armature
9 March 2016
Spiral Washi Rose armature

Fold and paste a paper flower as an armature
Autumn Leaf Rosette
11 November 2012
Autumn Leaf Rosette

Great way to use all the autumn leaves you collect on walks during the season. Slowly build up the leaf rosette and let the leaves dry before adding a few more.
Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers
28 June 2017
Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers

Hide the water source in a rolled leaf
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog
14 October 2015
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog

Rolled leaves offer support for floral stems
A birch bark spiral wrap to cradle floral details in a wine glass
17 January 2024
A birch bark spiral wrap to cradle floral details in a wine glass

Spiral birch bark strips into two mirror images to create a wintery wrap for a bud vase.
Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon
4 February 2015
Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon

Fold and glue a Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster) leaf
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes
11 November 2015
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes

Long stemmed autumn leave tubes as a floral armature
Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower
11 September 2013
Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower

Split (but don't cut) a few gladiolus flowers to spiral in a vase
A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase
30 January 2019
A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase

Stack foliage to create a rose spiral in a container.
Roll a folded leaf coil
22 October 2014
Roll a folded leaf coil

Fold and then stitch a long fall leaf garland to roll into a coil
Magnolia Rose Bowl with the brightest Holly berries and Kalanchoe flowers
16 November 2022
Magnolia Rose Bowl with the brightest Holly berries and Kalanchoe flowers

Long lasting berries, magnolia leaves and succulent (kalanchoe) flowers that can remain without any water or maintenance for... well... all the way to Christmas!
Rose shaped tuberous root spiral floral frog
28 May 2025
Rose shaped tuberous root spiral floral frog

While repotting your foxtail fern why not save a few of the roots... for an armature.
Related Designs
Look deep
27 June 2018
Look deep

Curl foliage to use as a natural armature for delicate buds.
Take your time
9 March 2016
Take your time

My article and Japanese paper flower armature design featured in the March issue of The Academy Leader- Academy of Floral Design, published by the The Floral Art Society of New Zealand
Leaves by Hundreds came
11 November 2012
Leaves by Hundreds came

A rosette of fall leaves to celebrate the beauty of autumn
Somewhere in the Middle
28 June 2017
Somewhere in the Middle

Skewer Dracaena leaves into a roll that supports a tiny water source for the Oncidium orchids
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.
What a find!
14 October 2015
What a find!

Roll autumn leaves to create a frog to keep flowers upright
Wave Wrap
17 January 2024
Wave Wrap

Roll birch bark into a double spiral to cradle some perfect flowers to admire all winter.
collywobbles!
4 February 2015
collywobbles!

Fold foliage butterflies
Balancing Act
11 November 2015
Balancing Act

Bend dried fall leaves to balance on the edge of a glass container
Making it last
11 September 2013
Making it last

Split and spiral a few gladiolus flowers in a way that the stems remain intact, to spiral in a water filled filled vase for a long lasting composite flower
Around Here
30 January 2019
Around Here

Wind lily leaves to spiral around in a water filled container.
Stand Around
22 October 2014
Stand Around

Fold and roll leaves to create an Autumn swirl
All your Christmases…
16 November 2022
All your Christmases…

A little bit of effort... that will last for weeks design to roll us in to the Festive Season.
Seriously, though where do they all go?
28 May 2025
Seriously, though where do they all go?

Using roots as an unusual floral armature.