My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Craft a padded wooden Dowel to position a leaf cone into the sharp teeth of a Kenzan

Position a Kenzan in a shallow container

Position a Kenzan in a shallow container.

Fill the container with water to make sure the top of the weight falls below the water line

Fill the container with water to make sure the top of the weight (ideally most of the teeth as well) falls below the water line.

Roll a large leaf into a cone

Roll a large leaf (I used a Monstera) into a cone. Secure the cone with a drop of floral glue or pin it with a sharp twig.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to secure a cone.

Rest a dowel in the middle of the folded paper towel

To make the padded stick fold a piece of fabric into a square. I used a paper towel. Rest a dowel in the middle of the folded paper towel.

Wrap the paper towel around the dowel

Wrap the paper towel around the dowel...

And secure the paper towel with an elastic band

And secure the paper towel with an elastic band.

Stamp the covered dowel on your working surface to make sure it is well padded

Stamp the covered dowel on your working surface to make sure it is well padded.

Position the leaf cone on the Kenzan

Position the leaf cone on the Kenzan...

Press the leaf into the Kenzan with the padded dowel

Press the leaf into the Kenzan with the padded dowel.

So that the stem part is skewered into the teeth but the leaf is undamaged

So that the stem part is skewered into the teeth but the leaf is undamaged......

Book readers turn to page 129 of my book where I show you ways to help hydrate your flowers... and keep them in position in your design.

For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman

Cut the stem shorter so that it nestles in the container under the water

Cut the stem shorter so that it nestles in the container under the water.

Place the grape hyacinth flowers so that it is skewered into position

Place the grape hyacinth flowers so that it is skewered into position.

Add a few glittering dew drop crystals into your design

Add a few glittering dew drop crystals into your design.

These dew drop crystals are doing double duty. They are also a treasure map. I tell you more about leaving tiny hints in your designs in our email this week. If you are not yet receiving an email from me every Wednesday morning (Vancouver time) you can sign up below this post. The email is for us to connect. I share something about the design that I have discovered and you can reply to me with your comments, questions... or to say hi and tell me what is happening in your floral world. I love hearing from everyone... please do.

And finish the design with a dangling wire vine

And finish the design with a dangling wire vine, gently secured between the Kenzan teeth so that it remains hydrated.

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

Tutorials

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

A cool and minimal floral design for summer.

12 March 2014 Grass tunnel that stays just so

Snip, roll and glue a few blades of grass to create a design feature

8 July 2015 Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals

It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.

16 June 2021 Shelter grass veil for a round container

A single lily flower design dressed up with a grass veil.

7 January 2015 Securing a kenzan

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

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.

25 May 2022 Give a single upright bleeding heart flower a view through a leafy hole

Flair open a leathery leaf to craft a frame a single bleeding heart flower on its long stem.

15 November 2017 Kenzan leaf rack

Line and position pretty autumn leaves.

14 January 2013 Floral Ice Cream Cones

Weave a few cones and add orchids to make the floral ice cream cones

6 January 2021 Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design

Create a tiny visual tunnel to focus attention.

21 October 2015 Use the stem of an Autumn leaf to wrap, pin and secure it in a roll

A glue-less way of manipulating leaves

4 February 2015 Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon

Fold and glue a Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster) leaf

27 June 2018 Foliage tube armature for long stemmed freesia buds

Curl and pin a few leaves into a tube to create an armature for those "left over" freesiabuds.

23 March 2013 Rolling leaf tubes

Roll foliage to create tubes

Related Designs

10 May 2023 By the cone full

A small design to display those last Spring snippets from your garden...

6 September 2023 Mother Nature’s little magic to let us know Autumn is near

It's the little sun-washed coloured hints that makes you look again to see if you really saw what you thought you saw... yes! There really are signs of autumn everywhere!

24 April 2024 You Just Like You

Support a small bundle of spring florals to stand upright in water with two Monstera leaves.

12 June 2024 Just about enough space

Create a little bit of space to keep a few thin stemmed floral treasures upright in your design

12 June 2019 Almost... all over!

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

12 March 2014 Petrichor

A minimalist design in a shallow tray

16 June 2021 Dream Rescue

Weave the most delicate grass shelter veil for a gorgeous lily.

8 June 2022 Make Believe

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

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

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

25 May 2022 Grateful Heart

Frame a single perfect Bleeding heart flower in a leaf dot.

15 November 2017 Alchemy

Gently stand leaves upright in a Kenzan

30 March 2022 Cone of Gratitude

Sweet spring design to hold some buds

17 March 2021 A scoop of pretty

A tiny budvase design that rearranges basic ingredients, such as a single leaf and an orchid to create a new design concept.

6 January 2021 I tip my (flower) cap!

An enclosed design that invites the onlooker to lean in closer to explore the pretty orchid.

27 June 2018 Look deep

Curl foliage to use as a natural armature for delicate buds.

11 May 2022 Is this new…?

Giving old ideas a new twist to refresh it for Spring