My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Take a swing at it

15 June 2022
and more

just try

give it a go

make an attempt

take a swing at it

If it turns out pretty… yay!

If not so much? Have fun trying… right?

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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

15 June 2022

Swing ripped foliage over a mop-head of hydrangeas to follow the natural curve

Gently curve ripped foliage over flowers to add a cooling movement to a minimal summer design.

14 January 2011

Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips

15 April 2015

Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

3 January 2011

Syringe with tube

Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase

25 May 2016

Sliced Grassy Cabbage

Slicing a cabbage to create an armature for a vegetable design.

16 June 2021

Shelter grass veil for a round container

A single lily flower design dressed up with a grass veil.

12 June 2019

Loop-over grass veil for a cool summer design

A cool and minimal floral design for summer.

13 September 2017

Tape a grid around the edges of a container for a table top wreath

Suspend flowers with an almost invisible taped grid

23 August 2017

Twirl a ripped Phormium pumpkin pod

Rip the New Zealand flax to create a delicate fiber armature

21 July 2021

Knot a delicate hammock from ripped foliage

Light and airy addition to a floral design to celebrate summer

7 November 2018

Ripped Flax Mittens

Knot delicate floral mittens from flax.

8 August 2018

Wrap around grass loop and knot armature

Connect strips of ripped grass to create a knotted armature for short stemmed flowers

4 June 2014

Weaving a ring basket

Create a wire frame and weave ripped foliage around it

11 February 2026

A grass frog that falls into a heart

A small wineglass overflowing with love... and tiny Arctic Bell daffodils.

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?

13 August 2025

Canna seed “pumpkins" nestled on a bed of cafe au lait dahlias

Lovely canna seedpods that blush just slightly darker than the dusty pink in the dahlias... a perfect match!

6 August 2025

A grand kale to spark that almost end of summer colour

A slight tweak turn a ornamental kale into a ornamental mechanic.

7 August 2024

Dangling Quaking Grass drops threaded through a hydrangea flower head for support

A quick craft with quaking grass to turn it into dangling droplets.

27 September 2023

Turn some gladiolus leaves into a pumpkin vase collar

A collar for a vase that you can use throughout the season... simply replace the water and the flowers inside the vase.

13 July 2022

Suspend a tiny flower over a large water filled container in a sandwich knot support

You don't have to design with a bud vase when you have a bud vase sized flower.

Related Designs

16 June 2021

Dream Rescue

Weave the most delicate grass shelter veil for a gorgeous lily.

12 June 2019

Almost... all over!

Loop a grass veil over a lily stem to create a minimalist summer design.

13 September 2017

Around again

Tape a grid at the edge of a container

25 May 2016

Half the Fun

Cut a cabbage to create a design platform

26 June 2012

Diamond Jubilee Waterfall

To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the 20th Anniversary of Friends of Government House Gardens Society a Horticultural event was hosted in the gardens and Great Hall of Government House in Victoria, Canada entitled British Columbia Blooms.

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

23 August 2017

Almost is still not quite

Weave just a hint of the Autumn to come

6 November 2012

Mr. Stalk, the Seriously Terrifying Scarecrow, on his Day Off

An easy going design of ripped grass and calla lilies. But look a bit closer. See if you can find Mr. Stalk relaxing somewhere between the blades of grass.