Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
A woven grass grid cage for flying Column and Augmented petal Phalaenopsis orchids
- 26 July 2023
- click to send Christine a smile
Use the sharpest knife from your tool bag to cut away the petals from a Phalaenopsis orchid.
Looks a bit like a bird, right?
Pour water into a narrow container.
Place a few blades of weaving grass on a flat working surface.
Weave in a few blades of grass. I used a simple over and under pattern.... which I prefer for my work because it is less distracting than more elaborate patterns. But you might find your design needs a bit more...?
If you are new to weaving or looking for more inspiration on how to incorporate weaving into your designs turn to page 226 of my book where I talk about Mastery.
For more information about my book:
The Effortless Floral Craftsman
... but as always, to get you started I also have a few foundation Tutorials for you linked below this post.
To make it easier to slip the open ended weave into the container I keep them tightly together on one side...
Place the woven grass on your container... make sure the weave stays neatly together.
Design note: If it comes undone it is quicker to take it all out and start again. Be gentle as you lower the weave into the container... handling a loose weave take some practice.
If you find this too frustrating there is a Tutorial below for a Flower Catcher that is secure.
And if you find you love the look of a loose weave I have a Parachute Tutorial below for you to try.
Curve the weave into the container.
Spread out the woven grass supports to create gaps.
Lining the container with a woven grass grid.
Place the Phalaenopsis orchid columns to rest on the woven grid.
And slip a blade of grass over the design in the gaps created in the woven grid.
This part can get a bit tricky to get the grass to remain upright.. and arched in the same way. I have measuring and adjusting tips for you in this week's email. I send out a notification email every Wednesday morning (Vancouver time) the moment the new design is ready... and I add a bit of design details that I think you might find handy to have before looking at the design. The email is also a convenient way for us to connect on a one on one basis. Reply to the email if you have comments or questions... or to say hi. It might take me a bit of time to get to all the emails (yes, I answer them all) but I really enjoy this way of getting to know you better and it makes it feel less like I am talking to myself. So keep them coming!
Cut all the woven blades of grass to the same length, extending from side to side...
and finish the design with a few sparkling dew drop crystals over the grass cage.
Design note: I thought it looks like a rib cage. Marius went with row boat. What do you think?
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Tutorials
For this tutorial I focus on a simple weave pattern that does not require you to soften or prepare the leaves to be more durable or flexible. This is the starting point in...
Snip, roll and glue a few blades of grass to create a design feature
Wrap grass around a flat wire shape to create a delicate bridal basket design
A three in one Tutorial to show you how to weave a clutch purse, how to add a magnetic closure AND how to incorporate a ribbon into a weaved design.
Give your woven grass a water source by designing the basket in a vase rather than placing the vase in a basket
Craft two woven panels to place front and back of a couple of bud vases to create a unit.
My block design is shaped around a Styrofoam block. It is bulky but lightweight and a great way to reuse packaging.
Keep all the fresh flower material hydrated in water by weaving the stems from one side of the vase to the other.
It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
Tangle and shape wire to create a half moon for grass and gyp to rest in
Stack snippets of grass on a wire frame to make a floating pyramid armature
Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature in a way that you can place the stems in two vases to keep it hydrated.
Favourite Flowers
Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid
Related Designs
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Loop a grass veil over a lily stem to create a minimalist summer design.
Some floral fashion inspiration: weave a pretty clutch purse
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Adding just a little something to a bud vase design to connect them... and make it special.
After a long winter it is always fun to use the first spring bulb flowers!
This week I am so excited to share my article and design that was published in the recent issue of the Floral Art Society of New Zealand's Academy Magazine for NZ qualified...
Loosely weave grass to create a decorative grid keeping flowers in place over a square container.
A creative way to keep foliage hydrated for a cool, water filled summer design.
Weave a trap to keep your floral details suspended in a square container.
