My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

To two too!

You can choose two or all… celebrate with me...

With a couple of yay!!

a pair of whooooop!!

a jippppeeee! duet

ii of hip… hip…

a twin rah-rah!!

duo...hooray!!

And both halves that makes up the hap...

... and the py...

… in happy 2nd Book Birthday: The The Effortless Floral Craftsman

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Tutorials
A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog
24 March 2021
A Spring Sprout Wreath Flower Frog

Craft an everything is still growing spring design to celebrate... what we love!
Tapping away Tulip pollen
19 June 2012
Tapping away Tulip pollen

Tap away most of the pollen from a fully opened tulip
Slow down tulip growth, after the stems have been severed from the bulbs
11 May 2011
Slow down tulip growth, after the stems have been severed from the bulbs

Tulips continue to grow after being cut. Sometimes when you make a very small design or for competition or bridal work you want to minimize growth. The best way to do this is to divert their energy.
Where to cut Tulips to condition
21 March 2012
Where to cut Tulips to condition

Here is a trick to make sure your tulips will condition thoroughly
Using your seriously cool hot glue skills to glue a wire support for a tulip stem
1 April 2020
Using your seriously cool hot glue skills to glue a wire support for a tulip stem

A clever almost concealed wire support to keep a single tulip flower upright in a minimal bud design.
Weave a grass Platform for an opening Tulip bud
26 February 2020
Weave a grass Platform for an opening Tulip bud

Tulips continue to grow as they open. This means you not only have to be mindful of their proportions as they are now... but also as they will be once open.
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.
Winter White Twig Screen
6 February 2019
Winter White Twig Screen

Glue twigs to screen delicate flowers for a wintry design.
Delicate Twig Hammock Armature to keep tulips upright in a shallow container
16 January 2019
Delicate Twig Hammock Armature to keep tulips upright in a shallow container

Craft a suspended armature to create a clear winter design.
Tap in a Twig Support
4 April 2018
Tap in a Twig Support

Wedge snipped twigs into a glass vase to act as a support for your flowers
Sprouting willow armature
27 January 2016
Sprouting willow armature

Carefully manipulate and bend green willow stems to place in water to sprout as an armature for tulips to mature and open
Braiding three Tulip stems
21 January 2015
Braiding three Tulip stems

Plait Tulip stems
Scattered grass armature
30 April 2014
Scattered grass armature

An grass armature that looks scattered but is actually very secure
Reflexed petal Tulip… with a surprise Orchid flower buddy
23 April 2025
Reflexed petal Tulip… with a surprise Orchid flower buddy

Gently pop the petals of a mature tulip back to open up the flower... to add another flower, of course!
A Muscari cluster frog to display a precious Scilla Siberica on its own dogwood twig
2 April 2025
A Muscari cluster frog to display a precious Scilla Siberica on its own dogwood twig

Crafting a display cluster of plant material is the best way to turn the most delicate of stems into a focal point.
Straight up and down icicle, clematis vine and huckleberry twig double vase winter display
29 January 2025
Straight up and down icicle, clematis vine and huckleberry twig double vase winter display

Give an old mechanic a contemporary twist for creating light and airy flower displays.
Slip-slit tapped in stems to keep vines upright in a muted autumn display
25 September 2024
Slip-slit tapped in stems to keep vines upright in a muted autumn display

A tiny adjustment in a stem wedged into a vase mechanic to give you even more control over the placement of design details.
See through Jasmine Vine tangle support
10 April 2024
See through Jasmine Vine tangle support

This is a great way to explore using vines dried, soon to dry and fresh and hydrated to craft the thinnest possible transparent design.
Tap in support for horizontal placement of your top heavy flowers
9 August 2023
Tap in support for horizontal placement of your top heavy flowers

Placing gladiolus stems horizontally so that the stems... disappear.
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.
Spiked Tulip Fan
1 February 2023
Spiked Tulip Fan

Fanned out Tulips for a snowy winter display... that stays just so.
A wild "found it this way" thorn and overgrown tulip design with a ribbon tangle instead of a bow.
1 June 2022
A wild "found it this way" thorn and overgrown tulip design with a ribbon tangle instead of a bow.

Glue an overgrown thorn armature to a container to display fully opened tulips
A Double vase, Sticky tape, Reflexed AND Woven Nestled Grass and Tulip Whirl
23 March 2022
A Double vase, Sticky tape, Reflexed AND Woven Nestled Grass and Tulip Whirl

so many techniques rolled into one rather pretty tulip nest. Perfect to celebrate new beginnings: Spring and my book birthday... and my online workshop!
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
Related Designs
Hang in there!
1 April 2020
Hang in there!

Keeping this tulip upright requires less magic and more hot glue skills... but it looks magical never the less.
To top it all off
26 February 2020
To top it all off

This is a great "space-keeper" design. The tulip will continue to grow into the vase height as they open... but until then the grass platform part of the design diverts your attention to fix any issues you might experience with the proportions right now.
Tread softly on winter
6 February 2019
Tread softly on winter

A delicate winter twig armature to show off the delicate beauty of these early spring coloured tulips.
Every. Single. Week.
16 January 2019
Every. Single. Week.

Stand tulips upright in a shallow container with a suspended twig armature.
Grow on it
4 April 2018
Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.
Well, I'll be
27 January 2016
Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems
Tiptoe through the Tulips
21 January 2015
Tiptoe through the Tulips

Braid Tulip stems to set in water
Scattered
30 April 2014
Scattered

Scatter some dried grass to make a floral armature
One of one of everyone
19 March 2014
One of one of everyone

Float flowers using a bubble wrap raft
It's Tulip Time!
11 May 2011
It's Tulip Time!

Tulips continue to grow once the stem is severed from the bulb. More often than not you can use this growth to create an ever changing design. But sometimes you want that tulip to stay in the position it is placed.
FLOAT
1 March 2011
FLOAT

Reflex Tulip and Passion Fruit Tendrils in a wax disk
A Buzzin’
23 April 2025
A Buzzin’

Just like a buzzing bee... give a mature Tulip a Phalaenopsis orchid buddy to keep it company.
Love that a whole bunch!
2 April 2025
Love that a whole bunch!

Loved this delicate Scilla Siberica so much I got it its own bunch of Grape Hyacinths.
Alrighty then
29 January 2025
Alrighty then

A fragrant spring display... but make it still look like winter
Toning down the summer up into the earliest autumn
25 September 2024
Toning down the summer up into the earliest autumn

Using summery floral details in a way that it gives you all the autumn feelings... when autumn details are not yet out.
(if only) I can see you
10 April 2024
(if only) I can see you

Tangle jasmine vines outside a vase for a transparent screen to display floral details on and around a sea horse vase to display floral details in.
Look at me… doing math!
9 August 2023
Look at me… doing math!

Adding our own "bit" to our floral design work.
... 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
Why When
1 February 2023
Why When

An old tulip trick in a new way to keep the flowers fanned out
Found it!
1 June 2022
Found it!

A very secure thorn branch armature to hold overgrown Tulips in place
Chockablock!
23 March 2022
Chockablock!

Luxuriously filled design... filled with flowers... filled with grass. But most fun, for us as designers filled with hidden techniques
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.
Favourite Flowers
Tulipa
Tulipa

Plaited tulips in my I’ve got my head in the clouds design.