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Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Why When

  • 1 February 2023
  • and more

“Isn’t it funny

How

Day by day

Nothing changes

But when you look

Back

Everything

is different”

Quote by CS Lewis

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Dew-Drop Crystals
Dew-Drop Crystals

I created the Tutorial for how I add these crystals to my floral designs 11 years ago! Since then I have tried, tested and searched for the perfect crystals that would go from studio‑table picture perfect to show‑day‑dependable and I always come back to these. They remain the absolute best. They’re inexpensive yet have a refined, high‑quality crystal brilliance; they don’t tarnish and their adhesive backing stays reliably tacky even after they were exposed to water.
Tutorials
Spiked Tulip Fan
1 February 2023
Spiked Tulip Fan

Fanned out Tulips for a snowy winter display... that stays just so.
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.
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.
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
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design
20 January 2021
Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design

Trap air between two vases to create a third circle... and frame for a small feather hint to a hopeful Spring
Large wax snowflakes
4 December 2013
Large wax snowflakes

Artificial snow can be very "chemical" and flowers deteriorate quickly when exposed to it. It also dissolves in water. I use candle wax as "snow"
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.
Bubble raft to float flowers
3 January 2012
Bubble raft to float flowers

Flowers naturally float in water. They just don’t always naturally float on water. For that they sometimes need a bit of help.
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
Braiding three Tulip stems
21 January 2015
Braiding three Tulip stems

Plait Tulip stems
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
Winter White Twig Screen
6 February 2019
Winter White Twig Screen

Glue twigs to screen delicate flowers for a wintry 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.
Palm and hazel fan together to support perfect to pick Helleborus stems
15 January 2025
Palm and hazel fan together to support perfect to pick Helleborus stems

Winter treasures in a small vase for an uplifting fresh flower display.
Peg Sunflowers and Quaking Grass in a Kenzan
6 September 2023
Peg Sunflowers and Quaking Grass in a Kenzan

An old trick... but still a great one to support thin stems in the needles of a Kenzan.
Related Designs
To two too!
24 March 2021
To two too!

A Spring Tulip celebration design... with a special message
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.
Hope Bubble
20 January 2021
Hope Bubble

That good old double vase trick... but this time I deliberately added a bubble between the two layers to create a third circle in the design.
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.
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?
Tiptoe through the Tulips
21 January 2015
Tiptoe through the Tulips

Braid Tulip stems to set in water
Grow on it
4 April 2018
Grow on it

Wedge twigs into a vase to create a grid.
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.
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.
What’s that word for it again?
15 January 2025
What’s that word for it again?

A fun way to fan out palm leaves to display some winter pickings
Mother Nature’s little magic to let us know Autumn is near
6 September 2023
Mother Nature’s little magic to let us know Autumn is near

It's the little sun-washed coloured hints that makes you look again to see if you really saw what you thought you saw... yes! There really are signs of autumn everywhere!
Favourite Flowers
Tulipa
Tulipa

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