My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Fluffy pillow filler tree skirt

Place the tree in a Kenzan to keep it upright

Place the tree in a Kenzan to keep it upright.

This is great for tiny hand-crafted trees. For bigger trees you can place it in a container filled with sand, rocks or set in concrete.

Measure out how big you want the tree skirt

Measure out how big you want the tree skirt

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to use a Kenzan.

Cut a disk out of the stuffing so that it covers the entire base of the tree

Cut a disk out of the stuffing so that it covers the entire base of the tree

Cut into the disk from the edge to the mid point

Cut into the disk from the edge to the mid point

This makes it easier to wrap the stuffing around the tree base

This makes it easier to wrap the stuffing around the tree base

Open up the disk and slip it around the tree base

Open up the disk and slip it around the tree base.

Neatly tuck the stuffing around the tree

Neatly tuck the stuffing around the tree.

Sprinkle with a few bits of artificial snow

Sprinkle with a few bits of artificial snow

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

Tutorials

18 January 2012 Butterfly hairclip claws to hold twigs in place while glue dries

Butterfly hair clips are the perfect little claws to help you hold tiny items in place while you wait for glue to dry

15 December 2011 Measure the height of a table design from elbow to duck beak.

This is an easy and quick way to make sure your table design is the right hight

15 December 2011 Spiral wire support pressed into a candle

The wire spirals are supported on wire sections pressed into the wax

28 December 2016 Adding snow to twigs

Glue artificial snow to twigs

6 December 2017 Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree

Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree

27 November 2012 Fluff cotton wool for snow

Cotton balls can be unrolled and fluffed to create long garlands of "snow"

12 December 2012 Piled Pine Needle Tabletop Wreath

Use wood glue to make a light as air table top wreath from pine needles

4 December 2013 Large wax snowflakes

Artificial snow can be very "chemical" and flowers deteriorate quickly when exposed to it. It also dissolves in water. I use candle wax as "snow"

16 December 2015 Ivy vine Christmas tree mobile

Twist ivy vines around a cardboard shape to create a lace fine Christmas tree mobile.

14 December 2016 Bark and Cotton Candy Cane

Cover a cardboard shape in cotton and bark to create a floral armature

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.

28 December 2016 A bark strip and fluffed cotton disk wreath

Cover a wreath frame with bark strips and fluffed out cotton

7 January 2015 Securing a kenzan

Temporarily adhere a traditional Ikebana Kenzan or pincushion to a shallow container.

Favourite Flowers

Narcissus

The white variety is referred to as paper white, the yellow is known as a daffodil.

Related Designs

6 December 2017 While I sing of beauty's treasure

Glue the most delicate twig table top Christmas tree

11 November 2020 What goes around

Display a single stem flower in an Autumn leaf twirl

30 December 2020 All is Calm, All is Bright

An easy to do ahead of time winter wonderland themed design for the calm days just after Christmas but before New Years Eve.

1 December 2021 It’s the most… it’s the most... Hap-Hapiest Patina Christmas of all!

This is the second of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Craft a three twig sphere snow man to proudly...

15 December 2021 It’s the most… it’s the most… wonderful Patina Copper Christmas Tree of all!

This is the fourth of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Paint copper to add a beautiful patina to a...

12 January 2022 All That Potential

Softly glowing winter twigs for a minimal display

23 February 2022 Plan Together

Leaning Muscari flowers in a snow covered twig armature.

3 January 2024 A Very Merry Gilded Paper Ornament and Yule Log Trendy Christmas/New Year’s Cheer

Paper snowflakes to display small snippets of Festive flowers on.

18 January 2012 Winter’s Green

This contorted hazel twig reminded me of an ancient and wise bonsai tree. It definitely has a story of its own to tell. I wanted to capture that in my design. All it needed was...

23 November 2011 Earthly Angel

Christmas Flower Trends 2011 starts with a Floral Craft Assignment from the Floral Trends Design Group to make an Earthly Angel garden decoration.

29 November 2011 Jack Frost’s Christmas stocking

I used wire, fishing line (mono-filament) and Phalaenopsis orchid roots to make a messy lace Christmas stocking and dressed the stocking with frost green Cymbidium orchids

7 December 2011 Forest Filigree Christmas Wreath

I wanted my Hazel twig wreath to look like forest filigree: mysteriously overgrown, tangled with age and dappled with moss and lichen. The wreath is also dressed with fresh and...

15 December 2011 Rocking around Three Candle Trees

Wire spirals twisted around candles to make small Christmas trees for the Christmas Eve dinner table

27 November 2012 The glories of Christmases long, long ago…

Weave a wire and twig Christmas chandelier

4 December 2012 'Tis the Season

My article looking at contrasts and 6 winter lantern designs featured in the DIY Wedding Magazine

12 December 2012 It's a swell time…

An exceptional moment frozen in time… 12:12:12 12/12/12

18 December 2012 So this is Christmas, I hope you had fun…

Capilano Flower Arranging Club Designing for Christmas Workshop: Yule log

24 December 2012 Please have snow… and presents under the tree

Wire a Tiny Twig Treasure Trunk for small Christmas gifts

2 December 2015 Stacking the odds in your favour

Cover a wire frame for a winter kissing bough.

16 December 2015 Christmas Waves

Twist a Kalanchoe and Ivy vine Christmas tree mobile

14 December 2016 A Candy(cane) Cotton Christmas

A floral cotton candy cane

21 December 2016 A Gleaming Cotton Christmas

Glue bark to a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature

28 December 2016 A Jingle Cotton Christmas

Cover a wreath frame with bark and cotton for a textured Christmas wreath design