My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Cross stem spacer

Wedge a stem into the container to fit snugly

Wedge in a second stem to cross the first...

Book readers you can also page to page 358 for one of my favourite designs using this technique... with a delicate willow stem knot.

Fill the container with water...

And slip a flowering stem to kick against the stem cross to stay firmly in place.

The cross is so great at keeping the stem in place that you can even balance an entire design from this one point. See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how I made this garland.

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Tutorials
Threaded stem and wire spacer wire garland
10 August 2022
Threaded stem and wire spacer wire garland

Thread stems into a wire to create dangling garlands
Rock Rest for a heavy Protea Flower Head
31 January 2018
Rock Rest for a heavy Protea Flower Head

Create a contrasting base to lift the heavy flower-head to design in
Delicate twig and rosary vine garland
31 July 2012
Delicate twig and rosary vine garland

Spiral stems around a Ceropegia woodii or Rosary vine.
Skewered Foliage Garland
22 March 2017
Skewered Foliage Garland

Create a garland that dries well with rolled up leaves
Stringing wool and Spanish moss
8 August 2012
Stringing wool and Spanish moss

Create veil of wool and Spanish moss
Hanging bamboo from a wired hook
22 January 2020
Hanging bamboo from a wired hook

This design can be hanged from anywhere... a case filled with twigs or a branch.
Twig Chain Garlands
23 July 2014
Twig Chain Garlands

Knot stems into decorative swinging chains
Three Tier Wire Ring Chandelier
29 March 2017
Three Tier Wire Ring Chandelier

Bend and weave three wire wreaths to string up as an air plant chandelier
Threaded stem and wire spacer wire garland
10 August 2022
Threaded stem and wire spacer wire garland

Thread stems into a wire to create dangling garlands
Related Designs
Rock, don't Roll
31 January 2018
Rock, don't Roll

Balance the heavy Protea flower head to lean against a rock.
But wait… there's more!
17 October 2018
But wait… there's more!

Tucked into the box with every advance copy of the book, the effortless floral craftsman is a packet of clips. This design and Tutorial is a bit of inspiration... what will you create with your clips?
Let's hang out
31 May 2017
Let's hang out

Skewer some Eucalyptus to suspend between the orchids
Stringing in the rain
8 August 2012
Stringing in the rain

A veil of green wool, Spanish moss and dried hydrangeas hang over white lilies
Spacer
22 January 2020
Spacer

Armatures are great (budget friendly) spacers for creating large floral designs without using an enormous amount of your resources.
Chain of Thought
23 July 2014
Chain of Thought

Knot small stems into decorative chain garlands
A Twirl
29 March 2017
A Twirl

Suspend a wire chandelier design to twirl
Celebrate!
23 March 2016
Celebrate!

A closer look at my design at the 20th anniversary of Canada Blooms and The Toronto Flower Show
Diamond Jubilee Waterfall
26 June 2012
Diamond Jubilee Waterfall

To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the 20th Anniversary of Friends of Government House Gardens Society a Horticultural event was hosted in the gardens and Great Hall of Government House in Victoria, Canada entitled British Columbia Blooms.
Space holder
10 August 2022
Space holder

Creating a bit of space in a summer design to allow for the plant material to naturally fall as it wants.