My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

A flower, flower frog to keep your design details perfectly put

Place a small bowl container on your working surface

Place a small bowl container on your working surface.

Cut a chrysanthemum stem short

Cut the chrysanthemum stem short enough to nestle into the bowl.

As usual there is a trick to the placement of the flower so that you can place the rest of the design elements to remain upright in the petals without any other support below the water line. I have explained how in detail in our email for this week. Make sure you are signed up to receive your once a week email with a design specific tip. The button is below the post.

Slip the fern between the petals

Slip the fern between the petals.

And use a cuticle pusher to rearrange the petals to uplift and support the fern in the exact position you want it

And use a cuticle pusher to rearrange the petals to uplift and support the fern in the exact position you want it

Design note: A cuticle pusher is so handy to have around! I also use mine when I weave with foliage. You can read more about it on page 19 of my book.

For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman

Insert a few tendrils and guide them with the cuticle pusher

Insert a few tendrils and guide them with the cuticle pusher to twirl around the petals.

For more detailed instructions on how to create wire tendrils see the Tutorial below.

Add an entire shower of dew drop crystals to settle underneath the fern shadow

Add an entire shower of dew drop crystals to settle underneath the fern shadow.

See the Tutorial below for more details on how... and why... I use a pin to glue the dew drop crystals on the delicate surface of the flower.

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

Tutorials

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.

26 July 2011 Wire Tendrils

Curl the wire at irregular intervals to create a natural wire tendril similar to that of a passion fruit plant

2 April 2014 Turning the sellotape over the vase trick up-side-down for a sticky side out frog

Tape a grid over a vase to keep the floral details in place

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.

8 May 2019 Fill a trumpet shaped flower cup with... more flowers!

A hidden water source small enough to fit into a dainty flower.

13 January 2021 Tri-petal (with vines to fill in the gaps) lily flower wand

Pick away petals from a lily to create space for delicate vines to really shine.

9 September 2020 Weave a daffodil corona inspired sweater for a lily

Knit a corona (as in that inside skirt like part of a daffodil) by weaving a Ceropegia woodii vine around the stamen filament of a lily.

11 September 2013 Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower

Split (but don't cut) a few gladiolus flowers to spiral in a vase

30 January 2019 A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase

Stack foliage to create a rose spiral in a container.

22 June 2016 Lily grass spiral in a vase

Twist lily grass slightly to create a spiral for the orchids to nestle in

7 May 2014 Rethinking the traditional Komiwara technique

Komiwara is a classic and traditional Ikebana technique used in a Rikka design. Designers would usually bundle straw to keep the flowers in place.

Favourite Flowers

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum or "mums"

Related Designs

19 May 2021 In the little gap

Use the petals of your flower to cleverly keep all the other floral details of your design firmly in place.

1 March 2011 FLOAT

Reflex Tulip and Passion Fruit Tendrils in a wax disk

2 April 2014 Apricity

Turning a stand-by floral technique sticky side out

24 February 2021 Picked up some proper Pruning

An early Spring design with a twist on using an old favourite: composite flowers.

7 August 2019 Point Out: this is a single bunch of gladiolus!

Cut stems of Gladiolus to place in a radiating summer design.

8 May 2019 It takes more than one person to invent a trumpet!

Filling a trumpet flower cup... with more flowers!

13 January 2021 It's in there

Complete the picture by drawing a lily flower with delicate vines.

9 September 2020 Daffodillily

Weave around the stamens of a lily to create a daffodil like inside.

21 August 2019 All in one pod

Fold open a lily bud to conceal a clever little BoutStix floral magnet for an unusual corsage.

11 September 2013 Making it last

Split and spiral a few gladiolus flowers in a way that the stems remain intact, to spiral in a water filled filled vase for a long lasting composite flower

30 January 2019 Around Here

Wind lily leaves to spiral around in a water filled container.

22 June 2016 Perfection

Spiral grass to create a nest for the lady slipper orchids

7 May 2014 Serendipity

Be inspired by traditional Ikebana techniques