My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Designing an odd one out wreath

The wreaths are woven from Eucalyptus stems and the green stems are willow.

Strip a few green weaving strips of foliage.

Strip a few green weaving strips of foliage.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to weave a wreath and how to strip foliage from weaving stems

Press the stem end into a gap in the wreath

Press the stem end into a gap in the wreath

Wrap the stem around and through any gaps in the wreath

Wrap the stem around and through any gaps in the wreath

Continue adding green stems to the wreath

Continue adding green stems to the wreath. Add a few stems so that it loops away from the wreath shape to give the flowers a place to nestle in

Add your fresh floral details

Add your fresh floral details. I kept my stems long so that I can position them and keep them hydrated. I make tiny straw test tubes for watering the stems. The tubes are cut short and glued into the back. Weave a few more stems over the flowers to somewhat cover up the straws

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to make drinking straw test tubes

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

Tutorials

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

11 February 2015 Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

1 November 2011 Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling...

24 May 2017 Chain link wreath weaving

Weave a few small wreaths to connect

7 September 2016 Willow flower crown

Loosely weave willow tips to create an ethereal crown

19 February 2013 Manipulating stems: Snapping at an angle, Bending, Spiraling, Curling and Straightening

Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without...

25 January 2012 Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball

8 July 2015 Overgrown Willow web inspired by a traditional Dream-catcher

I wanted my willow armature to hint of a web-like dreamcatcher that grows in the wild rather than being a precise replica of the traditional craft technique. But I did weave it...

Related Designs

24 May 2017 Link

weave a few wreaths to link

14 March 2018 Old, new trends

My article and willow birdcage design for wedding rings featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.

21 March 2018 Bring some Spring

Just like the weather is only hinting at spring, so is this design only hinting at being a basket

18 April 2018 Swing Vine

Weave a delicate vine swing to nestle a small vase with spring flowers in

22 June 2022 You Say Tomato I Say Tomato

Tiny tomato vine design to celebrate Summer.

28 June 2023 Catch and Release

Ah... yes summer time designing. Anyone else seeing more insects hiding between the petals this year?

8 April 2011 Large Open Weave Twig Basket

Easter Basket used in the Durbanville Flower Club Easter Parade Demonstration

10 April 2011 Feeling Funky

I wove vine wreaths to form a pyramid, one just slightly larger than the next. In the natural cavities between the wreaths I placed the roses and lisianthus in plastic covered...

11 April 2011 Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Bright and sunny cymbidium orchids and roses, lilies, lisianthus and pincushions

12 April 2011 Intimate Dinner For Two- Table Setting Competition Class

Floral Sushi Dinner, for two

1 November 2011 On The Street Where You Live

A floral design snapshot of what it looks like when walking down the streets of Vancouver this week.

19 October 2016 There are Octobers

Autumn wreath

7 September 2016 You are all invited!

My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine

17 August 2016 Strangeness

Weave a wreath to display air plants on

8 July 2015 How To Catch A Dream

Take inspiration from a traditional Dream-catcher design to create a floral armature