My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Filling a vase with water without disturbing the design details

Pour the water over the back of a spoon.

This creates a gentler stream of water that can be controlled.

You can also pour the water over the back of your cupped hand and let the gentle stream spill into the design.

This is also great for topping up water in an intricate design.

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Tutorials
Double down on the Fall magic with the earliest hint of bare (but sparkly) Twig Season
13 November 2024
Double down on the Fall magic with the earliest hint of bare (but sparkly) Twig Season

A double vase to keep the bit of sparkle you add to transition a Fall design into Christmas nice and dry... while the fresh plant material remain hydrated.
Suspend delicate stemmed orchids in a Willow Infinity Weave Flower Frog
24 January 2024
Suspend delicate stemmed orchids in a Willow Infinity Weave Flower Frog

Create a little grid that fits the stems exactly to position them above and below water in a large container.
New growth Spring frog
26 April 2023
New growth Spring frog

Willow cutting left in water will root and sprout... perfect for a all natural flower frog to admire as is or to keep long stem flowers upright.
Loop a Monstera leaf stem to craft an underwater hold for a knotted orchid stem
27 January 2021
Loop a Monstera leaf stem to craft an underwater hold for a knotted orchid stem

Use the unique qualities of each stem to create a submerged design in a water filled glass vase.
A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase
30 January 2019
A round, around a round foliage… spiral in a vase

Stack foliage to create a rose spiral in a container.
Stem line-up
21 February 2018
Stem line-up

Line up stems to create a base for the heavy Hanging Heliconia stems
Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water
17 January 2018
Creating contrasts in shallow containers with pebbles and water

Such a peaceful design with just enough float and "stay put" elements
Two vase, two level Phormium snippets
2 August 2017
Two vase, two level Phormium snippets

Design in two levels by using two vases, the smaller slipped into a bigger one.
Bamboo frog for a shallow container design
10 August 2016
Bamboo frog for a shallow container design

Cut short bamboo lengths to keep your flower material upright in a shallow and narrow container
Meadow in a bowl
18 March 2015
Meadow in a bowl

Inspired by a classic and traditional Ikebana technique used in a Rikka design called Komiwara. Designers would usually bundle straw to keep the flowers in place.
Securing a kenzan
7 January 2015
Securing a kenzan

Temporarily adhere a traditional Ikebana Kenzan or pincushion to a shallow container.
So many ways to use a Kenzan to hold floral materials
7 January 2015
So many ways to use a Kenzan to hold floral materials

How to place various sizes of plant material in a Kenzan
Replacing water in a shallow container design without disturbing the design elements
8 October 2014
Replacing water in a shallow container design without disturbing the design elements

Our goal as designers is to create the best environment for our flowers to stay as beautiful and fresh for as long as possible. When we condition flowers we always remove any leaves that will fall below the waterline of the design to prevent the leaves from deteriorating and rotting. Decaying leaves encourages bacterial growth which plugs the vascular system of the flower stems preventing water uptake.
Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower
11 September 2013
Longer lasting Gladiolus Composite Flower

Split (but don't cut) a few gladiolus flowers to spiral in a vase
Related Designs
Fall-a-la-lah!
13 November 2024
Fall-a-la-lah!

Transitioning into the Christmas season... gently
I mean… really!?!
24 January 2024
I mean… really!?!

Using fresh twigs to bind a little twig platform to suspend the beautiful orchids from.
Oh So Me
26 April 2023
Oh So Me

Snip and grow willow to create a Spring new growth support for your tall flower stems.
Knot how it was supposed to go
27 January 2021
Knot how it was supposed to go

When you figure out the "how to" tricks of manipulating plant material it is possible to respectfully set them into seemingly impossible new directions.
Around Here
30 January 2019
Around Here

Wind lily leaves to spiral around in a water filled container.
Impossible things
21 February 2018
Impossible things

A cut stem flower frog for the heavy Hanging Heliconia flowers
Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place
17 January 2018
Flowering Between a Rock and a Hard place

Create a subtle contrast by floating or anchoring some of your design elements.
Grace
2 August 2017
Grace

Use snips and snippets and leftovers to create a design of it's own
Saved up
10 August 2016
Saved up

Cut lengths of bamboo to place in a shallow container as a flower frog
What a find!
14 October 2015
What a find!

Roll autumn leaves to create a frog to keep flowers upright
Spring Dreaming
18 March 2015
Spring Dreaming

A bowl full of miniature Chrysanthemums
Any Which Way
7 January 2015
Any Which Way

Using a traditional Ikabana Kenzan to place flowers in a shallow container
Pluviophile
8 October 2014
Pluviophile

Float grass snippets in water
One of one of everyone
19 March 2014
One of one of everyone

Float flowers using a bubble wrap raft
Making it last
11 September 2013
Making it last

Split and spiral a few gladiolus flowers in a way that the stems remain intact, to spiral in a water filled filled vase for a long lasting composite flower
Lean
22 May 2012
Lean

Place short twigs, leaning to one side to create a flower frog
Ichi-go, ichi-e
30 August 2011
Ichi-go, ichi-e

Freely translated it means Each Moment, Only Once. It is a saying associated with Japanese tea ceremonies.