My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

The tiniest drop

Ripples out,

ripples out,

ripples out,

ripples out,

Ripples out.

A smile, a “oh hello”, a “no, you go first…” it matters and it ripples out.

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Tutorials
Breezy lily grass ripple
20 July 2022
Breezy lily grass ripple

A radiating design that has the freedom of movement to add a bit of a cooling effect on the warmer days of summer.
Securing a kenzan
7 January 2015
Securing a kenzan

Temporarily adhere a traditional Ikebana Kenzan or pincushion to a shallow container.
Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl
15 April 2015
Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.
A Three level Kenzan skewer stack to Radiate Gladiolus spikes flat in a shallow container
7 August 2019
A Three level Kenzan skewer stack to Radiate Gladiolus spikes flat in a shallow container

Build up a design in a shallow container by stacking it by threading the plant material into the teeth of a pin cushion in three levels.
Use a drinking straw to push foliage horizontally deep into a Kenzan to leave space for stems to rest on top of them
7 August 2019
Use a drinking straw to push foliage horizontally deep into a Kenzan to leave space for stems to rest on top of them

The teeth of a Kenzan (or pin cushion) is rather sharp. Here is a pain free way of pushing down the plant material into the teeth to keep it securely in place.
Eucalyptus leaf and twig blossoms in a radiating puddle of stems
8 June 2022
Eucalyptus leaf and twig blossoms in a radiating puddle of stems

Just look at that puddle! This design is all about the fresh eucalyptus... but in a cooling down for summer kind of way.
Loop-over grass veil for a cool summer design
12 June 2019
Loop-over grass veil for a cool summer design

A cool and minimal floral design for summer.
Weave a long lasting (without using floral foam) in a vase floral design basket
29 January 2020
Weave a long lasting (without using floral foam) in a vase floral design basket

Give your woven grass a water source by designing the basket in a vase rather than placing the vase in a basket
Lemon Aid Container Stopper
24 July 2018
Lemon Aid Container Stopper

Keep flowers in place by placing a lemon on the narrow rim of the container.
Lily grass spiral in a vase
22 June 2016
Lily grass spiral in a vase

Twist lily grass slightly to create a spiral for the orchids to nestle in
Over the edge flower, floral support
29 September 2021
Over the edge flower, floral support

Hook the calla lilies over the edge of a vase to create a support for your taller floral details.
Kenzan leaf rack
15 November 2017
Kenzan leaf rack

Line and position pretty autumn leaves.
Whittle a stumpy stopper to peg precious tiny floral details in place
30 April 2025
Whittle a stumpy stopper to peg precious tiny floral details in place

An easy way to create a design using only a few bits of plant material that can be maintained... effortlessly.
Light as air puffy grass and elegantly curved gladiolus summer display that hints at all things pumpkin
21 August 2024
Light as air puffy grass and elegantly curved gladiolus summer display that hints at all things pumpkin

Create two separate containers to minimize clutter in a light and airy floral display.
Curve fountain grass... a bit... or a lot... and how to choose grass that is straight for more height
21 August 2024
Curve fountain grass... a bit... or a lot... and how to choose grass that is straight for more height

Curving long and elegantly sweeping purple fountain grass
Figure eight willow spacer for a water tube in a double vase display
20 August 2024
Figure eight willow spacer for a water tube in a double vase display

Create a bit of a buffer to keep a water tube upright in a light and airy suspended display.
Quick and Easy… Add just enough design to a tuft of bunny tail grass to hint at the autumn fun to come
20 September 2023
Quick and Easy… Add just enough design to a tuft of bunny tail grass to hint at the autumn fun to come

Stand a tuft of bunny tail grass in a small amount of water to dry... and then add a little something that turns it into a little something more.
Radiating bunny tails
30 August 2023
Radiating bunny tails

Spear bunny tail grasses into a Kenzan to create a cozy space to display apricot lemonade cosmos flowers.
Easy twist to a tulip spiral to nestle a “we are still building this” bird’s nest in
22 March 2023
Easy twist to a tulip spiral to nestle a “we are still building this” bird’s nest in

The easiest unfinished nest idea... simply shaped from roots discovered while Spring cleaning and preparing to plant.
A knot and a lean and hand full of snippets in a bud vase
22 February 2023
A knot and a lean and hand full of snippets in a bud vase

Using all parts of a small bunch of iris flowers to craft a unique display.
Related Designs
Lemon Aid
25 July 2018
Lemon Aid

Use a lemon as a stopper to keep floral material in place
Point Out: this is a single bunch of gladiolus!
7 August 2019
Point Out: this is a single bunch of gladiolus!

Cut stems of Gladiolus to place in a radiating summer design.
Make Believe
8 June 2022
Make Believe

Ever seen an eucalyptus flower? This is... and is not one.
Almost... all over!
12 June 2019
Almost... all over!

Loop a grass veil over a lily stem to create a minimalist summer design.
Any Which Way
7 January 2015
Any Which Way

Using a traditional Ikabana Kenzan to place flowers in a shallow container
Peekaboo
29 January 2020
Peekaboo

A light and airy (no floral foam but still long lasting) floral design for those days that you are really, really looking for signs of Spring.
What is in a basket of spectacular?
25 January 2017
What is in a basket of spectacular?

Weave a basket with dangling edges for a single orchid display
Perfection
22 June 2016
Perfection

Spiral grass to create a nest for the lady slipper orchids
Creative Direction
29 September 2021
Creative Direction

Hang the arum lilies from the edge of a container to support all the other floral details.
Hi-Lo
6 June 2018
Hi-Lo

Perfect stems, perfect flowers. Needs nothing more.
Alchemy
15 November 2017
Alchemy

Gently stand leaves upright in a Kenzan
Of should and must
30 April 2025
Of should and must

Display tiny design details in a budvase by crafting a stopper-frog.
And what are you supposed to be?
21 August 2024
And what are you supposed to be?

... a hint of a pumpkin late summer floral display to show off the elegant curve of a gladiolus flower stem.
Did you see that!?!
20 September 2023
Did you see that!?!

Take a handful of grass... but then add just enough design to make it interesting.
Courage, now
30 August 2023
Courage, now

A bit of a rethink as the season is getting ready to change. How can I give my design idea a fresh twist?
... and just like that we spiral back to... Spring!
22 March 2023
... and just like that we spiral back to... Spring!

A spring spiral design... with a hint of a root nest. Easy to do
Jump out at you
22 February 2023
Jump out at you

Early iris flowers in a bud vase.
Favourite Flowers
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis orchid detail from my Harnessing the Wind design