My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

To design to our point

Did this take me a long time to make?

Yes, yes it did.

And that is my point, really.

I get to hang out with gorgeous nature

for as long as this takes

and together we get to

work on all this

to design it

… just so…

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Tutorials
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.
Flatten a Spring for a disk grid
5 March 2025
Flatten a Spring for a disk grid

Aluminum wire grid to support the stems and flowers above the water.
Wrap a line grid to support plant material in a shallow, stemmed container
10 July 2013
Wrap a line grid to support plant material in a shallow, stemmed container

Fishing line creates an invisible grid over a shallow glass cake stand to support the plant material
Knot a wool grid for a cozy Tulip and twig armature design
19 January 2022
Knot a wool grid for a cozy Tulip and twig armature design

Bring in some warmth with a tulip design that still hints at winter
Craft a sturdy “that should be impossible” grid to support even heavier flowers
3 June 2020
Craft a sturdy “that should be impossible” grid to support even heavier flowers

Using the same flower stems, only dry, to craft a grid for the same flowers stems, only fresh
Loop and Twist a Wire and Twig Tangle Grid
25 August 2021
Loop and Twist a Wire and Twig Tangle Grid

Wire twigs and wire around a shallow container to keep your floral details suspended in water in a shallow container.
Frond Support for short stemmed flowers
12 July 2023
Frond Support for short stemmed flowers

Create an all natural fern grid to arrange your flowers for a summer display.
Standing flower stems upright In Perlite
3 May 2023
Standing flower stems upright In Perlite

I use perlite to root my cuttings... and to support flower stems in an upright position in designs without using floral foam.
No Mow May Scattered Grass and Erigeron Meadow design
31 May 2023
No Mow May Scattered Grass and Erigeron Meadow design

Tape a grid to create a barely there scattered grass display for a cooling summer display.
An almost not even there grass grid
1 May 2019
An almost not even there grass grid

... with the help of an old staple technique.
Mesh bag net armature to keep your flowers in place
30 September 2020
Mesh bag net armature to keep your flowers in place

Instead of vegetable net bags becoming trash wrap it around your container for an instant armature. It even looks a bit like a spider web- perfect for a long lasting design as we count down to Halloween.
Weave a Ceropegia Woodii Vine grid to catch your flowers
3 February 2021
Weave a Ceropegia Woodii Vine grid to catch your flowers

Suspend flowers over a water filled container by weaving a natural grid.
Above and below water jasmine in a grass square
3 August 2022
Above and below water jasmine in a grass square

Not only is water designs wonderfully refreshing to make... it is also wonderfully refreshing for your flowers.
Related Designs
hang out with.. you know… floristically speaking
5 June 2024
hang out with.. you know… floristically speaking

Making what makes your floral details unique the focal point of a design
Around about Springtime
5 March 2025
Around about Springtime

Spiral cyclamen foliage around to create a composite flower to showcase the petal-like anthurium flowers.
Pink
10 July 2013
Pink

Weave an invisible grid to float the plant material on
Thaw
19 January 2022
Thaw

It's Tulip Season! Perfect for that "it's still winter ... but is that something green I see...?" mood designs.
Grow on it
4 April 2018
Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.
Grow on it
4 April 2018
Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.
As if by magic
3 June 2020
As if by magic

An impossibly delicate looking way to securely keep flowers in place over a clear container.
Doing a loop tangle twist
25 August 2021
Doing a loop tangle twist

oh yes, a light an airy design showing off those very first autumn leaves.
Standing in frond
12 July 2023
Standing in frond

Standing your delicate flower stems in a fern frond.
Spring Row
3 May 2023
Spring Row

Viola and chives cleverly dancing upright in a row.
Notice That?/!
31 May 2023
Notice That?/!

Light and airy... like a wonderful breeze on a hot summer day grass and erigeron display.
Can you see the tiny hint of Sunshine on the tips of the grass?
1 May 2019
Can you see the tiny hint of Sunshine on the tips of the grass?

I left the grass to mature so that the tips mirror the sun bleached yellow of the orchids.
This season all the stylish pumpkins will be wearing them!
30 September 2020
This season all the stylish pumpkins will be wearing them!

A simple way to keep the plastic mesh the pumpkins are sold in from becoming trash: wrap it around the container as an armature for a quick Fall design. Replace the flowers as they fade and top up the water as needed.
here’s the catch
3 February 2021
here’s the catch

Weave an all natural net to place over a vase to keep your flowers above water.
This Moment
19 June 2013
This Moment

Create an armature design outside the vase
It's a Heatwave!
3 August 2022
It's a Heatwave!

Deep water design for extremely warm weather.
Going Cold Twinkle Turkey
3 January 2012
Going Cold Twinkle Turkey

Is it better to go Cold Twinkle Turkey and embrace the minimalist living room or rather ease into it?