My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Creating a perfectly flat leafy surface... with a few gaps to fit some flowers

Prepare a flat display tray by filling it with water

Prepare a flat display tray by filling it with water. You can also mix in a bit of flower food to keep the design looking fresh for longer.

Cut the stem of the monstera leaf short

Cut the stem of the monstera leaf short

I am also adjusting the stem slightly so that it stands securely in the flat container. I show you how in our email this week. Every Wednesday morning (Vancouver time) I send out an email to let subscribers know that the design is ready for them to view... with a small tip that turns the email into a flower design lesson. The sign up is below this post if you want to join.

Set the beautiful Schizanthus pinnatus or poor man’s orchid floral stems to rest on the flowers with their stems through the gaps in the leaves

Set the beautiful Schizanthus pinnatus or poor man’s orchid floral stems to rest on the flowers with their stems through the gaps (fenestrations) in the leaves.

Book readers... for more inspiration turn to page 318 (this one, I must admit, is one of my all time favourite designs that I arranged for the book) using the leaf gap for floral support.
For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman

Slip the flower spike into the gap at an angle

Slip the flower spike into the gap at an angle to make sure the flowers are framed in the gap and the cut stems are deep below in the water to remain hydrated.

Drape a few rosary vine stems over the design

Drape a few rosary vine stems over the design.

To softly settle on and around the delicate flowers

To softly settle on and around the delicate flowers.

Glue in a few heart shaped Ceropegia woodii leaves

Glue in a few heart shaped Ceropegia woodii leaves. The vine is a succulent and will not need additional hydration.

Design note: the tiny details placed on the leaf turn the leaf into a platform or backdrop rather than a separate design element. You will need a few more tiny details scattered about so that the design feels tied together rather than two separate design ideas.

Use a pin to place a few sparkling dew drop crystals on the design details

Use a pin to place a few sparkling dew drop crystals on the design details.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how... and why I use a pin to place the crystals.

Add in a few passion fruit tendrils to drape over the design

And finish the design with a few passion fruit tendrils to drape over the design...

Carefully place the vines to emphasize the gaps

to emphasize the gaps so that it looks like it might have grown that way.

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

Tutorials

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.

22 August 2018 Vein Veil For Freesias

Cut a slight veil to frame your flowers with

16 August 2017 Criss-cross Monstera lace-up

Glue short sections of rosary vine into the natural gaps in the Monstera deliciosa leaf

16 August 2017 Water tube bridge

Glue two thin sticks across a gap to support a water tube

11 January 2023 Unfurl winter’s potential in a snow filled monstera leaf shelter

Capture a bit of winter magic by placing delicate flower buds in the middle of two large leaves.

2 June 2021 Two leaf lining your container to shelter your orchids

Create a shallow puddle in a larger container to keep your flowers in place.

24 January 2018 Stack two glass vases to keep a leaf upright in water

Slip a leaf into the gap between two glass containers to keep it upright... and add a plastic lining to support the flowers nestled into it.

4 February 2015 Fold over a tropical leaf cocoon

Fold and glue a Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster) leaf

24 April 2024 Slot together Monstera Twin Leaves to create a design gap

A small bundle of Spring floral treasures framed with lush monstera foliage.

30 January 2019 A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase

Stack foliage to create a rose spiral in a container.

2 August 2017 Two vase, two level Phormium snippets

Design in two levels by using two vases, the smaller slipped into a bigger one.

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.

19 February 2014 Weave a foliage grid for a shallow container

Keep flowers neatly in a shallow container

Favourite Flowers

Ceropegia woodii

Rosary vine, Chain of Hearts, Collar of hearts and String of hearts

Related Designs

3 July 2024 Oh! my word

A perfectly flat leaf to support tiny floral details in the summer heat.

22 August 2018 FreestyleFreesia

Dutch floral designer Pim van den Akker, from Flower Factor invited me to participate in a FloraHolland initiative promoting the versatility of Freesias entitled ...

22 August 2018 Freestyle Freesia design video for Flower Factor

Freestyle Freesia design video for Flower Factor

16 August 2017 Making Ends Meet

Criss-cross corset style connect the gaps in a Monstera deliciosa leaf

11 January 2023 Maybe Still Maybe

... a something to look forward to design that makes you lean in closer to see what might still be.

2 June 2021 Like an open book

Position foliage to create a smaller, shallow pond for your floral details to shelter in.

24 January 2018 How to make a stack of just enough:

Stack two vases to create a small gap at the side to keep a leaf upright

4 February 2015 collywobbles!

Fold foliage butterflies

24 April 2024 You Just Like You

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

30 January 2019 Around Here

Wind lily leaves to spiral around in a water filled container.

2 August 2017 Grace

Use snips and snippets and leftovers to create a design of it's own

27 June 2018 Look deep

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

19 February 2014 Come on Over

Weave an open foliage flower frog

8 May 2024 I mean… did you!?!

Playing with shapes to frame the light in a dramatic floral design.