My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Binding a lily bud

Rip a flax leaf in three to remove the vein in the middle

Measure a stick, bamboo or wooden skewer to be just smaller than the flower bud

Wrap the flax around the skewer

Bring the flax around the lily

Loop the flax under the skewer

Pull the loop tight

Bring the flax all the way around the lily again

Wrap it around the skewer and pull tight

Bands of flax around the back

Attach the other half of the flax with floral glue and continue to bind

This is the basic binding pattern. Continue to wrap and bind until you run out of space on the skewer

Tie or glue the end piece

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Tutorials
Ripping Flax
14 January 2011
Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips
Lilies
2 January 2011
Lilies

How to keep Lilies in bud for longer. Removing the pollen. Stringing a Lily Garland.
Keep pod shaped flowers in bud for longer
30 March 2012
Keep pod shaped flowers in bud for longer

Sometimes you want to keep flowers in tight bud for as long as possible to suit your design
Keeping pollen tidy
1 April 2015
Keeping pollen tidy

Most of the time I would gently tug the pollen covered stamens away the moment it becomes yellow and messy. But the Gloriosa looks rather pretty with the stamens on, so I fix it in place
Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl
15 April 2015
Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.
So many ways to use a Kenzan to hold floral materials
7 January 2015
So many ways to use a Kenzan to hold floral materials

How to place various sizes of plant material in a Kenzan
Tri-petal (with vines to fill in the gaps) lily flower wand
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.
Related Designs
Prickly Oasis
8 February 2011
Prickly Oasis

Create the two or more coloured details with Rainbow Oasis.
Crossing Boundaries
19 February 2011
Crossing Boundaries

Twig waterfall creates the boundary between the "under" and the "over" of the design. Tutorial: How to cover test tubes with Rainbow Oasis
A Rock by any other Name...
25 February 2011
A Rock by any other Name...

It's not really what we call things that matter but what they are made of- in this design, it's made of all three types of Oasis and wool.
One Singular Sensation
3 April 2011
One Singular Sensation

Three Lilies plaited to create a sensational, singular flower "growing" out of a Equisetum dome filled with Rainbow Oasis pebbles.
Just Meshing About
27 February 2013
Just Meshing About

create a mesh to drape over the design to create a soft veil.
Than you have to
13 March 2013
Than you have to

Weave blades of grass to create a cover for a glass vase
Any Which Way
7 January 2015
Any Which Way

Using a traditional Ikabana Kenzan to place flowers in a shallow container
It's in there
13 January 2021
It's in there

Complete the picture by drawing a lily flower with delicate vines.
The ties that Bind
1 June 2016
The ties that Bind

Bind a lily to create a trumpet shape as it opens
Favourite Flowers
Phormium
Phormium

Flax Christmas tree "cake" for the Floral Trends Design Group end of the year function. "On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... two turtle doves"
Lilium
Lilium

A Rock by any other name, lily design