My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Folded Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath Armature

I used a wreath that I made for a previous design as the basis of my armature. See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions for bleaching Baby's Breath and how to glue the wreath

Place the wreath on a flat working surface and glue in a few green twigs

Place the wreath on a flat working surface and glue in a few green twigs

Fold the wreath in half

Fold the wreath in half

Place a few drops of wood glue in the fold and secure with butterfly hairclips to keep it in place

Place a few drops of wood glue in the fold and secure with butterfly hairclips to keep it in place

Peg a few dried stems into the armature to secure the shape

Peg a few dried stems into the armature to secure the shape. Remove the clips once the glue is dry

Cross the stems to form a grid

Cross the stems to form a grid to both rest the armature on and to place the flower material

Slip a vase under the armature to keep the flower material hydrated

Slip a vase under the armature to keep the flower material hydrated. Fill it with water

Place the heavier pumpkins first

Place the heavier pumpkins first...

Place the orchids in the water and add twigs and autumn leaves

Place the orchids in the water and add twigs and autumn leaves

Add a few more water tubes to add orchids to the armature

Add a few more water tubes to add orchids to the armature

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how I make my own drinking straws test tubes and hanging it with butterfly feeler wire

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

Tutorials

4 November 2015 Bleached Gypsophila

Gypsophila dries really well and can be bleached to a stunning winter white

4 November 2015 Bleached Baby’s Breath Wreath

Glue a radiating wreath from bleached Gyp

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

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

18 January 2012 Butterfly feeler hooks for swinging test tubes

I don't always want to wire my test tubes into the design. I like to create a bit of movement by simply hooking the tubes to gently swing.

26 August 2015 Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

A perfect way to use a Lathyrus vine after all it flowered

24 July 2012 Stacked Twig Roundabout

This is a great way to use all those bits of twigs and sticks in your design room to make a floral armature

Favourite Flowers

Gypsophila

Baby’s breath, soap wort, Gyp, Gypsophila

Related Designs

26 October 2016 Harvest Moon

Fold a fine twig wreath in half to create a moon shaped armature

30 November 2016 All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate): Worth a second look

This was the fourth (and last) design I did in my "All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate)" floral art demonstration

4 October 2017 Whipped up in the autumn breeze

Give a loosely woven wreath legs to stand on to hover lightly around a pumpkin

27 December 2017 Can it be?

Craft a pine tube to display a soft and snow filled winter scene

7 February 2018 Up around the bend

Bend Equisetum into curves to wire into an open wreath shape

23 October 2019 As pumpkins do this time of year

Hanging pumpkins and tiny vases to create a Autumn mobile floral design.

7 October 2020 Let’s circle around to this one

Create a floral circlet to rest the little pumpkin on... but above the water line.

1 September 2021 It’s butter… nuts!

An it's not too early to decorate for Autumn, Autumn design

13 September 2023 I am a fan!

Giving my book a super fan make-over.

4 October 2023 So Into Fall

Keep you fresh plant material hydrated in water... and your dried plant material suspended to keep it from falling into the water.

18 October 2023 Drops do that!

Collecting drops of autumn that makes me smile back.

9 October 2024 As light as a super thankful pumpkin

Create a almost wreath floral display that is light and airy... looking like it was just harvested.

30 October 2024 Those B00OOOoootunias though!

Add something dark and suspicious to your petunias for a fun Halloween display

4 November 2015 Delicate

Bleached Gypsophila wreath with delicate autumn touches

25 November 2015 So white

A dried Baby's breath and fresh orchid wreath

26 August 2015 Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils

26 November 2014 Late Autumn Early Christmas.

Glue a ground foundation for a late autumn design

2 October 2013 Prickly

Build a twig porcupine armature for fall flowers

12 December 2012 It's a swell time…

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

16 October 2012 Bright, brighter… brightest!

Celebrate the bright colours of autumn with lilies and Chinese lanterns

30 May 2012 The Beauty in the Sleeping Woods

As a floral artist I am inspired by the endurance of nature and my work is still re-creating the Sleeping Beauty Castle of my imagination.