My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Stacking the odds in your favour

2 December 2015
and more

Kissing bough strategy:

It is really quite simple…

couldn’t be easier...

... hang...

... your Christmas kissing bough...

... wherever you are most likely to be.

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Tutorials

2 December 2015

Silver bell Christmas Greenery kissing ball

Use delicate sprigs of cypress or juniper, fir, pine, eucalyptus, ivy or a combination of them all to create a winter themed kissing bough

25 January 2012

Weaving Willow spheres

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

5 May 2011

Wire baubles

Make baubles from wire

30 August 2011

Removing Oasis Floral Adhesive glue spills

The finish of every design should be flawless. Make sure there are no bits of glue visible in your design by carefully removing all traces of spills.

15 October 2025

Hydrangea pomander with just a hint of pumpkin in its ribbon layered to hide a secret (refillable) water source

A floral sphere, or kissing ball, a pomander is designed to be hung or carried as decorations for weddings and holidays... especially festive if you can skip the floral foam, right?

25 December 2024

Candle in a window pane Christmas glow

Stack glass containers as your mechanic and frame for a Christmas glow design.

10 December 2024

A not yet all done… bark floral frog to catch that feeling of setting out together to collect the Christmas Tree to decorate

Create a design with a hint of incompleteness… something to still look forward to.

27 November 2024

Edge of a platter Christmas quarter wreath garland

How to make a floral display design that will leave space for even more decorations.

20 November 2024

Long lasting floral finial decoration for Christmas

Make ahead (oversized) bark and kalanchoe Christmas decoration... and best of all it last for weeks!

23 October 2024

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.

13 December 2023

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer... the seed cone and twig version

Seed cone and Twig Reindeer

13 December 2023

Snowy Bead Garland Planter Bowl

Glue a beaded garland into a coiled bowl

13 December 2023

Stack and Glue Needle Trees

I am showing you a few versions of the tree. One with lights, with and without a stand, a pyramid stacked one and one on a wire.

13 December 2023

Quick and Easy way to dress up poinsettia plants for Christmas

Colour coordinate your tiny plant pots and add a bauble... or three

21 December 2022

Winter Solstice Kalanchoe and Berry twig Lantern

Soft and minimal glow lantern that you can make ahead of time to last all Festive Season.

14 December 2022

Sparkle Spool and Velvet Magnolia Table Top Christmas Tree

A pretty way to warm up your living space with the luxurious velvet texture you find on the underside of Magnolia leaves.

30 November 2022

The coziest Wool, Holly and Kalanchoe Table Top Candy Cane Snowflake

A fuzzy wool and twig snowflake that starts out as a handful of candy canes.

23 November 2022

Snowy Pinecone with green tomato berries and Kalanchoe flowers

A snowflake covered design that will hang on to well past Christmas.

12 January 2022

Budding winter twigs with a fluffy fairy light garland

Snowfall twigs with a light glow garland for a minimal winter display

22 December 2021

Patina Copper Spiral Bauble and Pinecone Cascade

A beautiful pinecone dressed up for Christmas.

1 December 2021

Happy twig glow-man proudly showing off it's copper star garland

Craft a twig and foam snowman with an inner glow.

1 December 2021

Hellebores, Foxtail and copper star garland for a happy glow-man

This is the second part of my twig glow-man Tutorial... and probably the easiest garland you can possibly make.

17 November 2021

Wreath-Rim a Vase with sparkling foxtail and twigs

Add a collar around a vase to hint at a wreath for an early Christmas floral design.

16 December 2020

Cardboard base for a roasting-by-an-open-fire fishbowl vase snow globe

… ideal for fresh floral displays because it has a hidden water source that can be refilled and the candle can be switched on and off without disturbing the design.

4 December 2019

Eucalyptus collar for a snow-covered Christmas candle

Not only will your home smell wonderful while crafting this design you will also have a ethereal and long lasting design to enjoy.

27 November 2019

How to make a just-picked-it-a-moment-ago snow covered icicle and mistletoe hanging branch bunch

Gather a few branches to hang as a magical winter wonderland Christmas decoration.

27 November 2019

Fake real stems-ends for real fake branches

Add a real stem to shorter artificial branches to incorporate them into a design.

27 November 2019

Perk up faux plant material and flowers that are not wired

A sprig of wired faux plant material is easy to bend back into a more natural position. Plastic plant material without a wire in their stems need a bit of help to get back into shape.

13 November 2019

How to dress a shop bought artificial wreath to go from meh to: it looks so real!

Just a few adjustments can transform a boring artificial wreath into a high end looking designer decoration.

13 November 2019

How to fake a blizzard in floral designs

Part of the charm of contemporary designing is adding elements to your work that create a story.

13 November 2019

Turn shop bought baubles into designer frosted snowballs

Brushing a shiny bauble with an almost dry brush with just a bit of paint on turns it into a beautiful almost antique snowball.

13 November 2019

A tangle of ribbon instead of a bow for an unusual winter design

I wanted my design to look more "found this way" than "designed this way" so I strategically tangled the ribbon to dangle down the design rather than tie it in a neat bow.

13 November 2019

How to use artificial plants or faux plants to create beautiful and long lasting decorations without it looking tacky or... sad.

What if you absolutely HAVE to decorate with faux plants? Here are my guiding rules when it comes to styling with permanent botanicals

10 January 2018

Long lasting flower wand

Create a long lasting wand with Kalachoe.

6 December 2017

Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree

Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree

6 December 2017

Fluffy pillow filler tree skirt

The fluffy stuffing found in pillows create beautiful, water repellent tree skirts.

Related Designs

27 November 2012

The glories of Christmases long, long ago…

Weave a wire and twig Christmas chandelier

20 November 2013

Excogitate

Ornamental cucumbers and air plants, with just a touch of green.

7 October 2015

Down-bubble

Add grass "bubbles" that can be repositioned to your design

18 January 2012

Winter’s Green

This contorted hazel twig reminded me of an ancient and wise bonsai tree. It definitely has a story of its own to tell. I wanted to capture that in my design. All it needed was to be aged with a beard of lichen and moss. And I couldn’t resist adding a lighter touch of fragrant paper white snowflakes to swing gently on its bare winter branches in the chilly breeze.

25 January 2012

Three Drops of Floral Chocolate

The design drips down in three tiers each celebrating life, love and connection.

30 September 2015

So

A willow sphere to display your first Autumn treasures.

4 December 2012

'Tis the Season

My article looking at contrasts and 6 winter lantern designs featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine

14 October 2013

All To Myself

Cut and stain old books to create a paperback nook pumpkin armature

11 December 2013

Glistening and glowing out in the snow

Glue twigs to create a snow scattered dome

30 July 2014

See you around

Weave a few spheres to create a simple design

15 October 2025

Design.

An... almost a pumpkin (don't you think...?) pomander to celebrate Thanksgiving.

25 December 2024

A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop… ‘tis Christmas Day!

A sweet through-the-window candle glowing kind of design to celebrate Christmas.

11 December 2024

A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s Workshop for a dash of Having Something To Look Forward To

An on-purpose-not-yet-quite-done design to remind us to enjoy the Christmas moments as they unfold.

27 November 2024

A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop, special department of tinkering together those Soooo Good, for Goodness Sake moments

Long lasting and easy to pick up and place garland to decorate a Festive Platter of… anything, really!

20 November 2024

A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop!

A light... and slight start to designing for Christmas... an oversized Finial

23 October 2024

Haerfest

Rooting clematis cuttings in a harvest wreath basket

13 December 2023

A Very Merry Naked Tree and Woodland Woodsy and Oversized Flowers Trendy Christmas Cheer

From now to a bit after New Year's Eve I will show you my take on the trends for Christmas 2023. This week I am continuing with a garland bowl and a cone and twig reindeer.

21 December 2022

Let it

A happy December Solstice or the Winter Solstice lantern.

14 December 2022

Joyf'ly

Table top Christmas tree with a fairy light twig trunk.

30 November 2022

Take a bough… it’s Christmas time!

A wool and twig snowflake design (made from candy canes!) that will last the entire Festive Season.

23 November 2022

Ways to Merry a Christmas

A little bit of effort... that will last for weeks design to hang about the whole Festive Season.

12 January 2022

All That Potential

Softly glowing winter twigs for a minimal display

22 December 2021

It’s the most… it’s the most… wonderful Patina Copper Spiral Bauble Christmas of all!

This is the fifth of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. This week I will show you how to add a mostly blue patina to pinecone shaped spiral baubles.

1 December 2021

It’s the most… it’s the most... Hap-Hapiest Patina Christmas of all!

This is the second of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Craft a three twig sphere snow man to proudly display a festive green garland.

17 November 2021

Ringing in A Very Merry Traditional Christmas… Tradition

A more than just a hint of Christmas tradition design... in a pre-Christmas design.

16 December 2020

Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Snow Globe

...ok not really that fancy- it’s paper pulp. Cardboard boxes, really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered. This week it's a snow globe platform that is quick to make and hold a hidden water source and an easy to get to the on off switch battery candle button.

4 December 2019

A Very Merry eucalyptus-collar-candle Christmas!

An easy and naturally fragrant winter white candle decoration to bring nature into your house this Christmas.

27 November 2019

The struggle is real!

Design 3 looking at How to style with artificial plants and branches using quality faux plants and stems. This week: mistletoe! And also .. give your faux a reason for being there.

13 November 2019

It’s unreal!

Design 1 of my three week pre-Christmas designing series looking at How to style with artificial plants and branches using quality faux plants and stems. This week: a wreath