My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Strangeness

"There is

no

exquisite beauty

without

some strangeness

in the proportion."

Ligeia (Bacon, Lord Verulam), by Edgar Allan Poe (published 1838)

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Tutorials
Hanging Tillandsia
17 August 2016
Hanging Tillandsia

There are many ways to hang your air plants in a design. In this Tutorial I explore three
Taking care of Tillandsia
9 July 2014
Taking care of Tillandsia

Conditioning and growing air plants
Designing with Tillandsia
9 July 2014
Designing with Tillandsia

Air plants need special design consederations
Weaving a twig wreath
1 November 2011
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
Hang a wreath on a door without knocking nails into the door face
7 December 2011
Hang a wreath on a door without knocking nails into the door face

I use two methods (or a combination of both) to attach a wreath to a door.
Glued Twig Snippet Wreath
3 September 2014
Glued Twig Snippet Wreath

Small little twigs are glued to create a lace-like wreath
Overgrown Willow web inspired by a traditional Dream-catcher
8 July 2015
Overgrown Willow web inspired by a traditional Dream-catcher

I wanted my willow armature to hint of a web-like dreamcatcher that grows in the wild rather than being a precise replica of the traditional craft technique. But I did weave it in a similar way.
Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath
26 August 2015
Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

A perfect way to use a Lathyrus vine after all it flowered
Four wreath harvest basket that looks like it grew that way… because now some of it still is!
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.
Glue an early Spring basket from leftover cherry blossom twigs
1 March 2023
Glue an early Spring basket from leftover cherry blossom twigs

After the last petal drops cut the blossom twigs into snippets to craft a basket with.
Spring breeze tangled ribbon wreath
7 April 2021
Spring breeze tangled ribbon wreath

Using branches pruned from a fruit tree... with a few dried flowers and just a few orchids to make a fresh Spring design.
Building up a wreath panel
24 June 2020
Building up a wreath panel

Connect six wreaths to build up a hanging panel to display your flowers on.
Weave a burst of overgrown wildness wreath
18 September 2019
Weave a burst of overgrown wildness wreath

This wreath is perfectly imperfect. Perfect for using those first few autumn (or preserved from last autumn) leaves.
Weave a small wreath in the side twig of a willow branch to keep a flower in place in your design
11 September 2019
Weave a small wreath in the side twig of a willow branch to keep a flower in place in your design

This is both a decorative and functional design solution. But most importantly, I think, there is absolutely zero waste.
Glue a grapevine armature shaped like the petals of an open rose
15 May 2019
Glue a grapevine armature shaped like the petals of an open rose

Cut a wreath into sections to glue back together into a beautiful rose petal shape
Willow birdcage
14 March 2018
Willow birdcage

Weave a willow birdcage to use as a wedding ring box
Chain link wreath weaving
24 May 2017
Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect
Designing an odd one out wreath
24 May 2017
Designing an odd one out wreath

Adding floral material to a wreath design
Three Tier Wire Ring Chandelier
29 March 2017
Three Tier Wire Ring Chandelier

Bend and weave three wire wreaths to string up as an air plant chandelier
Related Designs
Everlasting
23 October 2012
Everlasting

Design Inspiration Video: Take a few twigs, snippets of air plants and succulents and combine both traditional wire and tape techniques with more contemporary methods to embed a Boutstix Magnet Stix right into the foundation of the design for a strong and secure way to attach corsages and boutonnieres.
Once Upon A Time
13 January 2016
Once Upon A Time

Stack and glue a Grass Pyramid Armature
The power of reinvention
20 March 2013
The power of reinvention

Retail florists and wholesalers are already designing, ordering and preparing their product range for prom. This is my article that I wrote for the Prom Design Issue of Canadian Florist Magazine
Us two
9 July 2014
Us two

Wedge a twig into a container to grow your air plants on
Excogitate
20 November 2013
Excogitate

Ornamental cucumbers and air plants, with just a touch of green.
The last Vine Wreath
20 January 2011
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.
Bark Wreath
3 April 2011
Bark Wreath

I needed the wreath to be as light as possible to make sure it would "dance in the rain" on the flexible metal stand.
Large Open Weave Twig Basket
8 April 2011
Large Open Weave Twig Basket

Easter Basket used in the Durbanville Flower Club Easter Parade Demonstration
Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.
11 April 2011
Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Bright and sunny cymbidium orchids and roses, lilies, lisianthus and pincushions
Intimate Dinner For Two- Table Setting Competition Class
12 April 2011
Intimate Dinner For Two- Table Setting Competition Class

Floral Sushi Dinner, for two
On The Street Where You Live
1 November 2011
On The Street Where You Live

A floral design snapshot of what it looks like when walking down the streets of Vancouver this week.
Designing Your Way to Profits
5 January 2012
Designing Your Way to Profits

Floral Craftsmanship Article in the Canadian Florist Magazine
Three Drops of Floral Chocolate
25 January 2012
Three Drops of Floral Chocolate

The design drips down in three tiers each celebrating life, love and connection.
A Twist on Tradition
12 August 2012
A Twist on Tradition

August is the month for retail florists and wholesalers to start designing, ordering and preparing their product range for the Christmas and Festive Season. This is my article that I wrote for the August 2012 Christmas design Issue of Canadian Florist Magazine
Turning of the leaves
22 September 2012
Turning of the leaves

An Autumn Equinox design that captures the moment before the spectacular colour burst of autumn floats around again
This is the Fragrance of November
6 November 2013
This is the Fragrance of November

Weave a wreath to thread a dome for an Autumn leaf design
Glued to stay just so
29 January 2014
Glued to stay just so

Wire and glue a twig armature
You are not done
26 March 2014
You are not done

Retail florists and wholesalers are already designing, ordering and preparing their product range for prom. This is my article that I wrote for the Prom Design Issue of Canadian Florist Magazine
What's done is done
3 September 2014
What's done is done

My article and lace fine wreath design featured in the Autumn issue of DIY Weddings Magazine
How To Catch A Dream
8 July 2015
How To Catch A Dream

Take inspiration from a traditional Dream-catcher design to create a floral armature
Bent
26 August 2015
Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils
Haerfest
23 October 2024
Haerfest

Rooting clematis cuttings in a harvest wreath basket
… ish
1 March 2023
… ish

An early... ish Spring basket glued from blossom twigs
First we learn HOW to design… and then we learn how only WE design.
7 April 2021
First we learn HOW to design… and then we learn how only WE design.

Whipped up to be light in the Spring breeze wreath design.
End Up
24 June 2020
End Up

Connect small wreaths to create a pretty summer armature to arrange your flowers on.
It’s a sugar rush!
18 September 2019
It’s a sugar rush!

A perfectly imperfect wild willow wreath to display the first Autumn treasures of the year.
Transition into Fall
11 September 2019
Transition into Fall

A sustainable, absolutely no waste floral design using willow to suspend your flower head in your arrangement.
Heard it through the grapevine?
15 May 2019
Heard it through the grapevine?

Have you heard? I have wonderful news this week. Oh! and I also have this pretty grapevine armature shaped like the petals of an open rose to show you. But... Have you heard my wonderful news???
Old, new trends
14 March 2018
Old, new trends

My article and willow birdcage design for wedding rings featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.
Link
24 May 2017
Link

weave a few wreaths to link
A Twirl
29 March 2017
A Twirl

Suspend a wire chandelier design to twirl
There are Octobers
19 October 2016
There are Octobers

Autumn wreath
Favourite Flowers
Tillandsia
Tillandsia

Succulent and Air Plant Boutonniere design for my video:Getting Creative with Boutstix Magnet Stix: Succulent and Air Plant Boutonniere
Ceropegia woodii
Ceropegia woodii

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

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