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My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Why make an effort?

  • 24 June 2026
  • and more

Because

beauty

belongs

in

our

everyday

life…

That’s

why.

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Tutorials
A roll-and-tuck to stay hydrated leaf armature that gives those tendrils time to grow into the design
24 June 2026
A roll-and-tuck to stay hydrated leaf armature that gives those tendrils time to grow into the design

Roll foliage into tubes to tuck in as a floral mechanic.
Use the stem of an Autumn leaf to wrap, pin and secure it in a roll
21 October 2015
Use the stem of an Autumn leaf to wrap, pin and secure it in a roll

A glue-less way of manipulating leaves
Rolled up Autumn leaf wreath
21 October 2015
Rolled up Autumn leaf wreath

Create a textured wreath with Chrysanthemums and rolled up Autumn leaves
Securing a kenzan
7 January 2015
Securing a kenzan

Temporarily adhere a traditional Ikebana Kenzan or pincushion to a shallow container.
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.
Kenzan foliage cover-up
24 August 2018
Kenzan foliage cover-up

Cover your kenzan by wrapping it in a leaf.
Autumn Leaf Rosette
11 November 2012
Autumn Leaf Rosette

Great way to use all the autumn leaves you collect on walks during the season. Slowly build up the leaf rosette and let the leaves dry before adding a few more.
Roll small leaf circles
31 July 2013
Roll small leaf circles

Add a bit of interest in a minimal design with tiny Jasmine foliage
Arum lily roll down
17 July 2012
Arum lily roll down

Open an arum lily up by rolling the funnel shaped spathe (petal) over
Pierce and stack fall leaves to rest on the edge of a container
1 November 2017
Pierce and stack fall leaves to rest on the edge of a container

Use one leaf to keep the next in place
Roll gladiolus leaves into tubes to craft a raft for a toad lily stem
20 August 2025
Roll gladiolus leaves into tubes to craft a raft for a toad lily stem

Pin leaf rolls with sharp thorns to craft a natural raft to display tiny stems of unusual flowers cut from your garden.
Autumn leaf Roses
6 September 2011
Autumn leaf Roses

I used to make baskets full of these when I was a little girl. We had a big Acasia thorn tree and I used to spear my “roses” onto the tree pretending I was the fairy responsible for bringing blossoms.
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog
14 October 2015
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog

Rolled leaves offer support for floral stems
Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers
28 June 2017
Skewer leaf rolls to support a tiny water source for fresh flowers

Hide the water source in a rolled leaf
Pin Protea foliage into a curl
22 March 2017
Pin Protea foliage into a curl

The sturdy Protea leaves holds it shape even when dried when pinned into place
Rolling leaf tubes
23 March 2013
Rolling leaf tubes

Roll foliage to create tubes
Kenzan leaf rack
15 November 2017
Kenzan leaf rack

Line and position pretty autumn leaves.
Autumn leaf Christmas tree stack
24 October 2018
Autumn leaf Christmas tree stack

Stack autumn leaves, from big to small to look like a tiny Christmas tree
Folded leaf nest
5 October 2016
Folded leaf nest

Leaf armature made of rolled mini Monstera leaves
Salmon pink Fall leaf armature
13 November 2013
Salmon pink Fall leaf armature

Fashion a fall armature from leaves
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes
11 November 2015
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes

Long stemmed autumn leave tubes as a floral armature
A birch bark spiral wrap to cradle floral details in a wine glass
17 January 2024
A birch bark spiral wrap to cradle floral details in a wine glass

Spiral birch bark strips into two mirror images to create a wintery wrap for a bud vase.
Grass tunnel that stays just so
12 March 2014
Grass tunnel that stays just so

Snip, roll and glue a few blades of grass to create a design feature
Stack banana leaf rice pockets to float as rosettes
4 September 2019
Stack banana leaf rice pockets to float as rosettes

Fold and peg banana leaves into pockets so that they float freely on water. This is inspired by a traditional banana leaf craft used to cook rice in.
Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick
15 May 2024
Threaded rosette foliage frog… with a kick

Threaded Heuchera (Coral Bells) rosette with curved stems to kick against the sides of your container to keep it suspended above water.
Cupped Calla lily foliage sprouting seed pod shelter
8 April 2026
Cupped Calla lily foliage sprouting seed pod shelter

Curve calla lily inside a fishbowl vase to create a minimal foliage pod to display the most delicate flowers.
Vein Veil For Freesias
22 August 2018
Vein Veil For Freesias

Cut a slight veil to frame your flowers with
A summery way for tiny flowers to glow inside a hydrangea composite fan
16 July 2025
A summery way for tiny flowers to glow inside a hydrangea composite fan

Fan out a rose shaped hydrangea leaf composite to create a waste free floral frog.
Spiral Curl Midelino Cane Strips
22 May 2013
Spiral Curl Midelino Cane Strips

Create large and luxurious spiral curls
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design
6 January 2021
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design

Create a tiny visual tunnel to focus attention.
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.
Related Designs
Watch the leaves turn
21 October 2015
Watch the leaves turn

Roll autumn leaves to create a wreath
Somewhere in the Middle
28 June 2017
Somewhere in the Middle

Skewer Dracaena leaves into a roll that supports a tiny water source for the Oncidium orchids
Leaves by Hundreds came
11 November 2012
Leaves by Hundreds came

A rosette of fall leaves to celebrate the beauty of autumn
FreestyleFreesia
22 August 2018
FreestyleFreesia

Dutch floral designer Pim van den Akker, from Flower Factor invited me to participate in a FloraHolland initiative promoting the versatility of Freesias entitled #FreestyleFreesia Here is the extended version of my video.
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
31 July 2013
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

A tiny orchid stem ladder keeps the orchid suspended just above the water line
A Round
1 November 2017
A Round

Create a delicate design that rests lightly on the edge of a container
And that’s when inspiration toad us to hop to it
20 August 2025
And that’s when inspiration toad us to hop to it

Banana shaped rolled foliage Toad lily lookout
What a find!
14 October 2015
What a find!

Roll autumn leaves to create a frog to keep flowers upright
Putting your own spin on it
22 May 2019
Putting your own spin on it

I would definitely describe my own personal style as minimalist classic... but with an edgy twist.
Stand Around
22 October 2014
Stand Around

Fold and roll leaves to create an Autumn swirl
It all stacks up
24 October 2018
It all stacks up

Quick and easy: Stack autumn leaves onto a wire for a... tiny table top Christmas tree.
its a wrap!
4 April 2011
its a wrap!

Banana leaves used to wrap flowers instead of Tissue paper or Cellophane
Foraging
13 November 2013
Foraging

This week's design is part of a challenge issued by Sherry Donnelly of Gertie Mae’s Floral Studio and Flirty Fleurs, Alicia Schwede, owner of Bella Fiori and Chuck Graham, Floral designer at BLOOM by Anuschka to create a design with anything I can pick up close to my design room. And no flowers allowed...
Balancing Act
11 November 2015
Balancing Act

Bend dried fall leaves to balance on the edge of a glass container
collywobbles!
4 February 2015
collywobbles!

Fold foliage butterflies
Perfect!
22 February 2017
Perfect!

Tulips are so perfect just as they are all that is needed is to simply drape their graceful leaves around the flowers
Alchemy
15 November 2017
Alchemy

Gently stand leaves upright in a Kenzan
Wave Wrap
17 January 2024
Wave Wrap

Roll birch bark into a double spiral to cradle some perfect flowers to admire all winter.
Achoo! Season
30 December 2015
Achoo! Season

Fold and roll a rose from Eucalyptus leaves
You Just Like You
24 April 2024
You Just Like You

Support a small bundle of spring florals to stand upright in water with two Monstera leaves.
Petrichor
12 March 2014
Petrichor

A minimalist design in a shallow tray
Gently down the stream
4 September 2019
Gently down the stream

A mindful summer craft using banana leaves to create a floating arrangement.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on
15 May 2024
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the design solution I have been procrasti-crafting on

Beautiful Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid) deserves it's own elaborate frilly skirt display.
I found it this way: Leaf nest design
5 October 2016
I found it this way: Leaf nest design

This was the third design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration
The way I see it
16 July 2025
The way I see it

A hydrangea foliage composite fan for displaying tiny summer flowers
Lei-way
17 June 2020
Lei-way

Allow for a bit of variation by crafting a sturdy armature.
I tip my (flower) cap!
6 January 2021
I tip my (flower) cap!

An enclosed design that invites the onlooker to lean in closer to explore the pretty orchid.