My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

"I found it this way" Floral art demonstration at the Capilano Flower Arranging Club

This was my "I found it this way" Floral Art demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging club

Concept: As the temperature starts to cool down here in Vancouver and we are heading into early autumn, we are all starting to spend more time indoors, we looked at nests crafted outdoors.

I began all four of my designs with basic armatures made of Twig Tangles (see the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to craft a stable twig tangle) and we discussed the importance of a stable structure as a foundation to a structural design.

The twig tangles create a basic armature for the designs to be suspended from. Each design is crafted that it almost looks like a foraged or "found" natural object

Over the next four weeks I will add the designs with related Tutorials.

The first design: Spiderweb

This is the first design I did for my "I found it this way" Floral art demonstration. The demonstration Looks at flowery nests

My spiderweb is made of wool, beaded wire, and dried tillandsias (see Tutorial below. The web is wound around acrylic rods with a connector piece printed on a 3D printer (but you can, of course build a web with twigs. See the Tutorial below)

My spider is a large Tillandsia Xerographica plant with three stems of rosary vine draped over the web

Here is a link to the mechanics and the Floral Art structures, constructions and armatures used in the demonstration"I found it this way" Design demonstration Floral Art Twig Tangles The second design: Wasp nest

The wasp nest was made from washi tape glued onto a balloons in different sizes to create a nestling effect.

Dendrobium orchids buzzed happily around the structure.

Papyrus stems adds balance to the design.

The third design: Leaf nests

This is the third design I did for my "I found it this way" Floral art demonstration

A leaf nest made of folded over Mini Monstera leaves nestles in the twig tangle to create a home for the Sempervivum “greenwheel” succulents.

Just like the butterflies spin the leaves together and onto the tree I spun the the leaves to the twig tangle with hot glue strands

The fourth design: Birds nest

The bird’s nest is made from bark wire and lily grass.

A flock of cymbidiums adds balance to the one side of the design with cymbidium baby birds inside the nest

Fireworks fountain grass adds movement.

Thank you to the Capilano Flower Arranging Club for inviting me to demonstrate

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.