My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Dried Blossom Caterpillar

Set aside a few blossoms to dry

Set aside a few blossoms to dry.

Bend a decorative wire

Bend a small squiggle at the end of a decorative wire. If you want to craft a more flexible caterpillar make a knot in fishing wire. This is to keep the blossoms in place while you shape the caterpillar.

Thread the wire through the eye of a lei making needle

Thread the wire through the eye of a lei making needle. If your wire is slightly thicker you can pierce the blossoms with the wire.

Thread in the smallest blossom

Thread in the smallest blossom.

Thread in the next blossom

Thread in the next blossom. Make sure the petals face in to give the caterpillar to shape its segments.

Thread in the largest blossom for the caterpillar head

Thread in the largest blossom for the caterpillar head once you have enough blossoms to shape your caterpillar.

Bend the wire one quarter down

Bend the wire one quarter down to finish of the critter with wire antennae.

Bend it again halfway

Bend it again halfway so that you have two double wire bends.

Twist the wire together and shape

Twist the wire together and shape the antennae.

Bend the wire to shape the blossom caterpillar

Bend the wire to shape the blossom caterpillar.

Place the caterpillar in the design

Place the caterpillar in the design.

Design note about placing critters

Design note: always place critters in such a way that they have something to talk to. In my book I wrote: nothing you add into a design should ever look as if it is desperately trying to escape.

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

Tutorials

25 August 2011 Placing orchids in test tubes

Cut the Phalaenopsis orchid with a bit of green stem attached. This will make them last longer.

8 June 2011 Foliage Weaving

For this tutorial I focus on a simple weave pattern that does not require you to soften or prepare the leaves to be more durable or flexible. This is the starting point in...

9 August 2017 Weave a flat top to tip at an angle with flower stems

Craft a platform to highlight small flowers

15 April 2015 Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

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.

1 February 2012 Love Bug

Heart shaped rosery vine and pine love bug

29 September 2011 Twig and skeleton leaf Stick Insect

Made from dried cherry twigs and a skeleton leaf.

5 January 2011 Palm leaf Hopper-flies (grasshoppers and butterflies)

Weave grasshoppers or butterflies (or fireflies) from palm leaves

Favourite Flowers

Cymbidium

Cymbidium, Boat Orchid

Related Designs

3 April 2019 Blossoming like a Caterpillar

Crafting caterpillars from blossoms

14 April 2021 a Yay! You

A tiny Spring detail to add to a cute little floral design.

9 August 2017 Hat tip

Tip a mortarboard inspired top at an angle for a glass design

20 January 2016 A lots of stuff and things

Sticks and twigs create a resting spot for palm and rose butterflies

29 September 2011 Pick-Up Sticks

A twig and stick design with sweet dumpling pumpkins and rosary vine (Ceropegia woodii). I also made a cherry twig and skeleton leaf Stick Insect

4 February 2015 collywobbles!

Fold foliage butterflies

21 June 2017 Playing Favourites

A quick and easy Kenzan design