My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Breezy lily grass ripple

Place a Kenzan in a small container

Place a Kenzan in a small but shallow container...

Book readers turn to page 160-165 for loads of tips on how to design with a Kenzan. But to get you started I have also added a Tutorial below to show you how to fix your Kenzan to a container.

Fit the shallow container to sit snugly in a taller vase

Fit the shallow container to sit snugly in a taller vase.

Fill the tall vase with water

Fill the tall vase with water.

Fit the shallow container on the tall vase to make sure the water wont spill out

Fit the shallow container on the tall vase to make sure the water won't spill out.

Slip a blade of grass into the tall vase to dangle over the side

Slip a blade of grass into the tall vase to dangle over the side.

Add in more grass to radiate out of the vase

Add in more grass to radiate out of the vase...

This is the easiest way to space out the grass. Simply add the grass into the vase all the way around with big gaps in between... and then...

Add in blades of grass in the middle of each gap

Add in a blade of grass in the middle of each gap...

And another blade of grass in the gap that is left over

And another blade of grass in the gap that is left over...

Place the container with the Kenzan in the vase

Place the container with the Kenzan in the vase...

And space out the grass to neatly radiate out

And space out the grass to neatly radiate out.

I wanted the blades of grass to be long and wavy so that they sway in the slightest breeze once placed. This week in our email I explain how I used the mechanics to do exactly that. The sign up is below the post if you would like to register to receive the email every Wednesday morning (Vancouver time)

Fill the container with water

Fill the container with water.

Drop in a few glass chips to conceal the Kenzan

Drop in a few glass chips to conceal the Kenzan.

Slip in the orchid

Slip in the orchid...

Place three blades of curled grass to dangle from the orchid out and over the edge of the vase

Place three blades of curled grass to dangle from the orchid out and over the edge of the vase.

I have added a Tutorial below on how to curl grass and Book readers you can also turn to page 288 where I show you an alternative method for curling grasses in the chapter where we discuss creating a floral illusion.

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

Tutorials

7 January 2015 Securing a kenzan

Temporarily adhere a traditional Ikebana Kenzan or pincushion to a shallow container.

15 April 2015 Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

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.

7 August 2019 Use a drinking straw to push foliage horizontally deep into a Kenzan to leave space for stems to rest on top of them

The teeth of a Kenzan (or pin cushion) is rather sharp. Here is a pain free way of pushing down the plant material into the teeth to keep it securely in place.

8 June 2022 Eucalyptus leaf and twig blossoms in a radiating puddle of stems

Just look at that puddle! This design is all about the fresh eucalyptus... but in a cooling down for summer kind of way.

12 June 2019 Loop-over grass veil for a cool summer design

A cool and minimal floral design for summer.

29 January 2020 Weave a long lasting (without using floral foam) in a vase floral design basket

Give your woven grass a water source by designing the basket in a vase rather than placing the vase in a basket

24 July 2018 Lemon Aid Container Stopper

Keep flowers in place by placing a lemon on the narrow rim of the container.

22 June 2016 Lily grass spiral in a vase

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

29 September 2021 Over the edge flower, floral support

Hook the calla lilies over the edge of a vase to create a support for your taller floral details.

15 November 2017 Kenzan leaf rack

Line and position pretty autumn leaves.

Favourite Flowers

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid

Related Designs

20 July 2022 The tiniest drop

A radiating summer design that waves in the slightest of breezes.

22 February 2023 Jump out at you

Early iris flowers in a bud vase.

22 March 2023 Grow a floral craft pantry

I am launching something new this month. I am teaming up with Plant Something BC, our local government and the landscape and nursery societies here in British Columbia, Canada and...

22 March 2023 ... and just like that we spiral back to... Spring!

A spring spiral design... with a hint of a root nest. Easy to do

30 August 2023 Courage, now

A bit of a rethink as the season is getting ready to change. How can I give my design idea a fresh twist?

20 September 2023 Did you see that!?!

Take a handful of grass... but then add just enough design to make it interesting.

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

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

8 June 2022 Make Believe

Ever seen an eucalyptus flower? This is... and is not one.

12 June 2019 Almost... all over!

Loop a grass veil over a lily stem to create a minimalist summer design.

7 January 2015 Any Which Way

Using a traditional Ikabana Kenzan to place flowers in a shallow container

29 January 2020 Peekaboo

A light and airy (no floral foam but still long lasting) floral design for those days that you are really, really looking for signs of Spring.

25 July 2018 Lemon Aid

Use a lemon as a stopper to keep floral material in place

25 January 2017 What is in a basket of spectacular?

Weave a basket with dangling edges for a single orchid display

22 June 2016 Perfection

Spiral grass to create a nest for the lady slipper orchids

29 September 2021 Creative Direction

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

6 June 2018 Hi-Lo

Perfect stems, perfect flowers. Needs nothing more.

15 November 2017 Alchemy

Gently stand leaves upright in a Kenzan