My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Adjusting the curve in plant material

Most stems need to dehydrate for about 30 minutes to curve. For more detailed information on how to manipulate stems see the Tutorial below.

To adjust or add a curve in bigger stems pad the stem with your hand

To adjust or add a curve in bigger stems pad the stem with your hand. Do not bend it at such a sharp angle that the stem snaps.

Create a sharper angle by padding the stem with your thumb

Create a sharper angle by padding the stem with your thumb.

Thinner stems can be wrapped around the container to keep it in place

Thinner stems can be wrapped around the container to keep it in place

See the Tutorial below for more information about designing with new growth.

Soft stems like the Arum lilies can be massaged to curve.

Soft stems like the Arum lilies can be massaged to curve.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to curve arum lilies.

Try to follow the natural curve of the flower and exaggerate that

Try to follow the natural curve of the flower and exaggerate that.

To create curves.

To create flowing curves massage the flower carefully and build up in the curve without damaging the stem..

Set the stems in water to hydrate

Set the stems in water to hydrate again.

The flowers will now gracefully curve down the the design

... and the flowers will now gracefully curve down the design.

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

Tutorials

19 February 2013 Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening

Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without...

13 April 2012 A secret trick to conditioning new growth

Conditioning new growth and sprouts are difficult because the little sprouts have not had time to fully develop its cellular structure to survive being cut and taking up water on...

30 August 2011 Curving Calla Lilies

Follow the flower's natural curve but you can also curve only sections to create an elegant crescent or a curve at the tip of the stem

20 April 2016 Free standing Willow twig armature with a hidden water source

Cut a few willow twigs to split to create legs for the armature

25 June 2014 Musical staff line armature

Drill holes into sticks to create a suspended armature

30 August 2017 Standing a water tube at an angle in lumber

Create a minimal design by placing a single flower on a platform

Favourite Flowers

Zantedeschia

Calla Lily, Arum Lily

Related Designs

16 May 2018 It goes like this...

Gently curve plant material.

9 June 2021 Making Waves

A quick and easy to do cascade design for summer.

29 September 2021 Creative Direction

Hang the arum lilies from the edge of a container to support all the other floral details.

21 September 2022 Balanced Attitude

Getting the balance just so... so that you lean into the first sights of Autumn.

16 August 2023 Canned right after harvest

Pull tab support for "canned" Calla lilies and bunny-tail grass.

18 October 2023 Drops do that!

Collecting drops of autumn that makes me smile back.

27 January 2016 Well, I'll be

Manipulate fresh willow stems to create a sprouting armature for long tulip stems

20 April 2016 That Will Be

Freestanding willow twig armature design

25 June 2014 Fine Tune

Thread cane through sticks to make a music inspired armature

30 August 2011 Ichi-go, ichi-e

Freely translated it means Each Moment, Only Once. It is a saying associated with Japanese tea ceremonies.

13 October 2011 Direct Contrasts

I have always been fascinated, as a designer, by the idea that there is a point when extremes or direct contrasts flip into its opposite.

17 July 2012 So far so green

The only thing I needed to make these avocado green arums perfect was a small admirer...

30 August 2017 If

Place a water tube at an angle in lumber so that the Zantedeschia float just above the base to show off the delicate grass snippets scattered up the stem

9 July 2014 Us two

Wedge a twig into a container to grow your air plants on