Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Cardboard base for a roasting-by-an-open-fire fishbowl vase snow globe
- 16 December 2020
- click to send Christine a smile
… ideal for fresh floral displays because it has a hidden water source that can be refilled and the candle can be switched on and off without disturbing the design.
Trace the opening of a fishbowl vase on a cardboard
Cut out the cardboard shape.
It should fit neatly on the vase.
Place a rubber seal from a water tube on to the cardboard and set the fishbowl vase over it. Move the seal to the place where it can fit the tallest "tree" inside the vase. Mark the spot.
Trace the outline of a rubber seal of a water tube on to the cardboard.
Cut a hole in the cardboard with a sharp knife.
Fit a water tube through the hole and secure it with hot glue.
Place a flameless candle next to the tube and trace the outline to mark the position.
Cut the candle shape out of the cardboard with a sharp knife.
Fit the candle...and...
Test the battery.
Place the bowl over the base to make sure you are happy with the positioning before decorating the globe.
Paint the cardboard with wood glue...
And sprinkle it with artificial snow.
Set the base aside for the glue to dry completely.
Place the snow covered cardboard base on a small decorative container
Design tip: If the container is transparent place a bit of snow to hide your mechanics.
Glue a tiny twig over the small candle to build up the "fire".
Add twigs to support the first...
Add twigs all around leaving gaps so that you can see the flickering flame.
Add tiny bits of snow so that it blends in with the rest of the snow globe look of the design.
If you are unsure of how to add snow to twigs see the Tutorial below.
for the Christmas tree, measure and cut the Foxtail asparagus fern in the position you glued the water tube.
Strip the bottom most part of the stem.
Fill the water tube.
For a Tutorial on making this syringe with tube see the section below.
Slip the seal over the fern stem and secure it in the water tube.
Test the fishbowl vase over the cardboard base to see if the fern is the exact right height
Remember... always cut a little bit longer than what you think you would need. You can always trim it once you place it but if it is too short there is not much to do.
Also I have an entire section in my book on where to cut stem lengths when placing stems in water tubes so that they remain hydrated for as long as possible. Book readers turn to page 188.
Sprinkle a bit of snow over the plastic seal to conceal it.
Add some crystals to the tree with a corsage pin. See the Tutorial below for the how and why I do this..
Now normally it is not much of a problem when these crystals drop but in this design every tiny detail counts. So I figured out a way to glue them quickly and securely. It needs a bit of a longer explanation though so I elaborated on this in our weekly notification email. I share a design specific tip every week in my newsletter so that you can ask questions or make a comment while reading. The sign up button is below if you want to join in the conversation.
Decorate the tiny woven gift box to make it look really festive.
See the Tutorial below for the detailed instructions on how to weave a tiny (but real!) giftbox from grass.
And glue the gift into the design.
Fit the fishbowl vase over the cardboard base
As a final touch I glued a few snow covered twigs around the vase...
But make sure to only glue the twigs to the fishbowl vase so that you can easily lift it to top up the water in the water tube and switch the battery candle on and off.
To conceal the vase base, paint glue on the base....
And sprinkle the wet glue with artificial snow.
The wood glue dries completely clear and is easy to remove just by soaking it in warm water. Set it aside to dry.
Once the glue is dry brush away any glue strands and snow with a brush to clean
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Tutorials
Talk about quick and easy! This takes almost no time... the hard part is to find something small enough to put inside... Chocolates... perhaps?
Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase
Artificial snow can be very "chemical" and flowers deteriorate quickly when exposed to it. It also dissolves in water. I use candle wax as "snow"
Use delicate sprigs of cypress or juniper, fir, pine, eucalyptus, ivy or a combination of them all to create a winter themed kissing bough
Create a floral foam cube for a Christmas "gift" table design
Use wood glue to make a light as air table top wreath from pine needles
The wire spirals are supported on wire sections pressed into the wax
Skeleton leaves create a light and ethereal gift box
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