Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Design a buildable corsage that can be taken apart and added back together again to give you more styling options without damaging your design.
- 6 November 2024
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This week I am trying out the all new Wristix corsage unit. I love the idea of designing something that is not only convenient to use but also sparks the imagination for how it can be styled. Each Wristix includes one wristband with a metal base and two BoutStix magnet sticks. The mechanics for this corsage offers options and can be designed and assembled in pieces and can then be combined or separated again to be reused without damaging your design! Can you imagine the possibilities!?! This is such a great opportunity to design in some meaning to your work.
For instance the design can be separated and worn for one half of a function as one "thing" and then be combined for a more dramatic piece to be worn for the other half. Let’s say, for instance, to combine ceremoniously as a symbol of unity or joining of two families or given as a gift honouring two very important people (for instance a dad and a step dad for a graduation). Two corsages effortlessly becoming a wrist corsage.
Or worn as a wrist corsage that then splits into two “thank you” tokens that can be added to two gift boxes.
Or a parasol design and a corsage design (here worn on a handbag) worn for a ceremony (by a mother of the bride and maid of honour, for instance) that then combines as a wrist corsage for the reception or as a take away gift corsage for a wedding send-off .
... I am sure you get the idea... so... wait... let me rather show you how...
Because I use and reuse my Boutstix magnets over and over I always cover them with floral tape to conceal the magic mechanic in my design. I cover some in green, some in white and some in brown depending on the designs I plan to make but in general if I have those three colours in my tool bag I am good to go. No need to remove the tape after use you can simply wipe the glue away and design again.
I do the same with the Wristix design platform. Simply cover it with floral tape.
So that you have a matching set of magnets.
As you cover the round coated-metal base stretch the elastic band to make sure it still moves under the base to give you the most options for where to attach the corsage.
The strap is silky soft and elastic with a Velcro fastener so that it is fully adjustable for a snugly comfortable fit around your wrist... or the object you want to attach the corsage to.
To design the metal base: I find that heuchera (coral bells) foliage is ideal for autumn body flowers and I choose them instead of autumn leaves for my designs. They last for days without a water source and remain velvety soft while keeping their shapes without becoming brittle like most autumn leaves do.
Slip two leaves together to overlap...
Creating a beautiful swirl of foliage to glue to the corsage base with floral glue.
Giving you a lovely start for your design...
Leaving the back completely untouched (without any bulky stems or wires) so that it will fit beautifully when attached.
As design option one you can simply continue to glue in floral details to the corsage... but let's keep going...
Glue the partner wrapped corsage magnets to coral bell leaves...
And allow the natural swirl of the leaf to fold over the magnet.
Design note: for even more design options make sure the designs are similar but not identical. It should be a complementary pair.
Secure the swirl with a tiny bit of floral glue.
Start to glue in the floral details in and around the leaf swirl.
I am also gluing in a few lantana buds to look like sparkles around the rose hips...
Glue the lantana buds into the design.
Glue in a few lantana seedheads for texture...
Cut a coral bell leaf in half....
Book readers turn to page 202 to learn more about petaling and leaf work. For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman
Roll the leaf into a tube...
And glue the tube-leaf-flower into the two designs.
And glue in a lantana seed head into the foliage flower to finish it off.
Simply attach one of the corsage magnets to the base of the wrist corsage and you have another design option. You can wear it as a wrist corsage or a floral piece around a parasol or candle or curtain or handle...
Of course designing in a way that can safely be taken apart requires a bit of consideration. This week in our email I show you how I did this. I send out an email every Wednesday morning (Vancouver time) the moment the latest design is ready for you to to view and I add a bit of "behind the scenes" information so that you can make most of each week's design inspiration. The sign up is below this post.
Because the base was finished off with a leaf swirl the design looks complete... even if you have another half of the design left over....
To use as a matching corsage for a lapel... a handbag ... or... scarf or... the creative possibilities are endless!
Both made using a single wristix set.
or... if you want something a bit more elaborate...
Secure both the magnets on to the wristix metal base...
To create a large unit...
That is securely held into place with the two partner boutstix magnets...
And can be worn around your wrist...
To be worn as an autumn themed wrist corsage.
Huge thank you to BoutStix™ for the cutest package of Wristix™ corsage magnets to try out. I am a huge (HUGE!) fan of the original magnets and I love the newest wrist corsage as well. And not just for making corsages. I use them for everything. It is a staple in my design bag and it is ideal for putting up Seasonal decorations. They open up so many creative design possibilities and now with the addition of a strap and Velcro…!
Here is another video where I demonstrated 21 ideas for how and where to attach contemporary corsages using Boutstix Floral Magnets to inspire you. You can read more about the corsage magnets (and order some for you to try) at Boutstix Floral Magnets
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Tutorials
I used to make baskets full of these when I was a little girl. We had a big Acasia thorn tree and I used to spear my “roses” onto the tree pretending I was the fairy responsible...
Great way to use all the autumn leaves you collect on walks during the season. Slowly build up the leaf rosette and let the leaves dry before adding a few more.
Threaded Heuchera (Coral Bells) rosette with curved stems to kick against the sides of your container to keep it suspended above water.
An armature to display a lovely surprise orchid that developed on the long spike just after the other flowers started to fade.
Wrap ivy leaves around a passionflower vine tendril to craft a flower
Long lasting berries, magnolia leaves and succulent (kalanchoe) flowers that can remain without any water or maintenance for... well... all the way to Christmas!
Just look at that puddle! This design is all about the fresh eucalyptus... but in a cooling down for summer kind of way.
Carefully stack dried physalis berry husks to craft a long lasting pumpkin that you can refresh with fresh flowers and vines.
This is a fast and easy way to hang test tubes in a design
Wrap a foliage circle to9 create a base for a magnetized corsage
Sometimes tiny accessories can be too light to neatly place in a design and needs a bit of weight to stabilize it.
I love these little Boutstix corsage magnets! They are strong enough to hold flowers neatly in place.
Related Designs
I am a huge (HUGE!) fan of the original BoutStix magnets and I love the newest wrist corsage magnets as well. And not just for making corsages. I use them for everything. It is a...
21 ideas for how and where to attach corsages using Floral Magnets. For more detailed instructions on how to make these corsages see my video: Crafting Corsages in 3 ways with...
Beautiful Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid) deserves it's own elaborate frilly skirt display.
This orchid developed at the very end of a long stem... right as the rest of the flowers started to die back so I made a special armature to display the cut stem.
A dried flower and foliage... flower... disk to help me pretend it is autumn
A little bit of effort... that will last for weeks design to roll us in to the Festive Season.
A physalis husk pumpkin to celebrate the last bright rays of Autumn.
I would definitely describe my own personal style as minimalist classic... but with an edgy twist.
Use the same floral ingredients, willow twigs, Lichen, Spanish Moss, Kalanchoe and Gypsophila to make three distinctly different contemporary corsages
The favors at my Floral Fable design demonstration were BoutStix Floral Magnets
Up-cycle the inner plastic ring from a roll of floral tape to make a wrist corsage. This design was also featured in the Italian floral design magazine Blossom Zine