My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society

I wove vine wreaths and stacked them from the smallest to the biggest to create a basket.

Inside the basket I arranged a pave of roses, pincushions, lisianthus and lilies

The stars of my design are the two large yellow orchid stems placed to flow around the design, one facing forward and one back. One stem is also over the Mikado reeds and one under.

Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society

I gently bend and wove reeds over the design to form a ball shape and create a veil.

These were the biggest, brightest orchids- just compare the size to that of the pincushions!

For more Cymbidium Orchid designs look at my Boat Orchid series I loved weaving the wreaths so much that I couldn’t stop until I had loads- then I loved using them so much that I had to force myself to let them go. See my Last Vine Wreath post below

Publicity poster for the Cape Orchid Society's 50th anniversary show.

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Tutorials
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
Weaving Willow spheres
25 January 2012
Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball
Turn some gladiolus leaves into a pumpkin vase collar
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.
Balloon out grass to craft a framed armature
24 August 2022
Balloon out grass to craft a framed armature

Carefully bubble out a tied bunch of grass to make a cavity to display gorgeous flowers.
Swing ripped foliage over a mop-head of hydrangeas to follow the natural curve
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.
Craft a wreath chain to link a few bud vases together
28 July 2021
Craft a wreath chain to link a few bud vases together

All you need is a few twigs to craft this design- it's a perfect floral meditation activity.
Submerged vine wreath armature to beat the summer heat
23 June 2021
Submerged vine wreath armature to beat the summer heat

Water... lots of water- that is the answer to designing flower arrangements that survive the summer heat.
Shelter grass veil for a round container
16 June 2021
Shelter grass veil for a round container

A single lily flower design dressed up with a grass veil.
Grass Twirling Up to Dress a Stem of Lilies
24 July 2019
Grass Twirling Up to Dress a Stem of Lilies

A single stem of lilies turned into a celebration just by twirling a handful of lily grass around it.
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.
Lily grass and cane bubble for a Pitcher plant
13 June 2018
Lily grass and cane bubble for a Pitcher plant

Craft a dried cane globe for the armature of the design and then add lily grass to dry in place.
Craft a Spring basket from a wreath
21 March 2018
Craft a Spring basket from a wreath

A wide gap nearly basket for nearly spring
Phormium bubble frame
7 March 2018
Phormium bubble frame

Curl and secure a few blades of flax into a bubble to frame your flowers
Display wreath that hover around a big shiny pumpkin
4 October 2017
Display wreath that hover around a big shiny pumpkin

For this design I wanted my wreath to be light and airy so that it just whips around the solid pumpkin like a breeze.
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
Wrap lily grass around bits of vine
8 March 2017
Wrap lily grass around bits of vine

Create visual interest by loosely wrapping lily grass around an armature
Cut a vine wreath into sections to create a cup shaped armature
16 November 2016
Cut a vine wreath into sections to create a cup shaped armature

Cut a coiled vine wreath into sections to create an delicate armature to frame a few perfect chocolate cosmos flowers
Weaving grass to create a delicate mesh cup armature
16 November 2016
Weaving grass to create a delicate mesh cup armature

I wanted a really delicate, see-through armature to frame my tiny flowers so I wove grass in panels around the vine shape
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
Reed Cradle Armature
29 June 2016
Reed Cradle Armature

Glue reeds on a wire frame to create a dimensional armature to suspend orchids in
Sliced Grassy Cabbage
25 May 2016
Sliced Grassy Cabbage

Slicing a cabbage to create an armature for a vegetable design.
Loosened Wreath Armature
4 May 2016
Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container
Related Designs
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.
this NEEDS to be at the top of my (our?) to-do list
27 September 2023
this NEEDS to be at the top of my (our?) to-do list

Autumn bud vase collar made from gladiolus foliage.
Hot air balloon
24 August 2022
Hot air balloon

A grass bubble to frame two of the most beautiful calla lilies.
Take a swing at it
15 June 2022
Take a swing at it

A cooling design for early summer days with swinging ripped grass and more than enough water for thirsty hydrangeas.
Linked This Way
28 July 2021
Linked This Way

A fun way to elevate a few bud vases into a display.
Over Easy
23 June 2021
Over Easy

A cooling design to celebrate the summer solstice.
Dream Rescue
16 June 2021
Dream Rescue

Weave the most delicate grass shelter veil for a gorgeous lily.
Up to much?
24 July 2019
Up to much?

Dress up a single lily stem with a few blades of grass.
Almost... all over!
12 June 2019
Almost... all over!

Loop a grass veil over a lily stem to create a minimalist summer design.
Eat up!
13 June 2018
Eat up!

A woven bubble for a carnivorous plant.
Bring some Spring
21 March 2018
Bring some Spring

Just like the weather is only hinting at spring, so is this design only hinting at being a basket
Old, new trends
14 March 2018
Old, new trends

My article and willow birdcage design for wedding rings featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.
Twist of its own
7 March 2018
Twist of its own

... a quick an easy design. Curl a few flax leaves to frame orchids
Whipped up in the autumn breeze
4 October 2017
Whipped up in the autumn breeze

Give a loosely woven wreath legs to stand on to hover lightly around a pumpkin
As tendrils tend to do
27 September 2017
As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin
Link
24 May 2017
Link

weave a few wreaths to link
Well… we did it again!
11 April 2017
Well… we did it again!

Blossoms and chocolates for Easter
Piece of the forest
8 March 2017
Piece of the forest

Standing roses upright in a shallow container
All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Snipped into Sections
16 November 2016
All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Snipped into Sections

This was the second design I did in my "All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate)" floral art demonstration
I found it this way: Bird nest design
12 October 2016
I found it this way: Bird nest design

This was the fourth design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration
Hang on!
14 September 2016
Hang on!

Macrame inspired handing seahorse vases
Strangeness
17 August 2016
Strangeness

Weave a wreath to display air plants on
Make the design
29 June 2016
Make the design

Weave a reed cradle to suspend orchids from
One tug
15 June 2016
One tug

Weave willow bark strips into a nest and weave a bird from flax
Half the Fun
25 May 2016
Half the Fun

Cut a cabbage to create a design platform
Ring-a-round
4 May 2016
Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container
It keeps me going and I love it.
13 April 2016
It keeps me going and I love it.

Hang a veil of Tillandsia Usneoides to create an armature
Where would you put it!?!
17 February 2016
Where would you put it!?!

Tie a twig armature enclosure for fresh flowers
So
30 September 2015
So

A willow sphere to display your first Autumn treasures.
A little bit of Art and Soul
24 July 2012
A little bit of Art and Soul

A twig structure with roses
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.
Favourite Flowers
Protea
Protea

This Protea Composite flower with Palm Butterflies is a Bridal Orb Bouquet, to be carried in the hand like a ball. This design was part of my Fusion Flowers Magazine Designer of...
Cymbidium
Cymbidium

Cymbidium orchids for my Designing your way to profits article that was featured in the Canadian Florist Magazine
Eustoma
Eustoma

Lisianthus and Rose
Rosa
Rosa

My all in the same boat floral art arrangement with roses in an Agave sisalana (sisal) leaf.
Leukospermum
Leukospermum

Dark red Pincushions add texture to my Veiled Sunshine competition design