Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Foxtail wreath frog with a leg in water
- 24 May 2023
- click to send Christine a smile
Fill a wide neck container with water for your design.
Groom the foxtail fern so that you have a generous stem that can be placed under water.
Gently manipulate the stem so that it is at an angle.
Book readers 284 where I show you how to manipulate stems without breaking. Be extra careful, the stem should curve but not snap. For more information about my book:
The Effortless Floral Craftsman
To get you started I will also include a Tutorial that shows the basics below this post.
Weave the fern so that it remains in place.
If you need more advice on how to weave a wreath see the Tutorial below.
The idea is that the foxtail wreath looks like it is gently resting on the edge of the vase... but with the stem in the water so that it remains hydrated...
... without it tipping out. It is tricky this one! I have a tip for you on how to do this in our email this week. I send out this once a week email (always on a Wednesday morning) with a bonus tip about something that I found interesting and would like to share with you in greater detail. You are welcome to reply to the email if you have questions, comments or to say Hi. The sign up is below this post.
And if you get it just right let me know... I would love to see!
Place the violas to rest in the wreath with their stems in the water below.
Again, see the email for more details.
Drape a gorgeous wire vine around and over the flowers.
And finish the design with a few dewdrop crystals
See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how, and why I add the crystals with a pin.
Sign up for my weekly newsletter
Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.
Tutorials
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...
Create a sturdy platform from bark to design an entire forest floor on a single foxtail fern frond
It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
Tiny stems are often also delicate stems... place your cut flowers directly in a small glass of water. A perfect fit for this basket.
Split bamboo stems to create a water source for dancing orchids
Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container
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...
Weave tiny vine wreaths on the leave stems of a stripped Wisteria vine
Related Designs
A lush wreath that remains green so that you can design once... and cut and cut and place your violas to make sure you have flowers all season long.
A tiny carry basket to gather the shortest stems from your cutting garden... with a place for water and your cutters.
Every designer knows how to stretch their supplies. We use and re-use our dried plant material until our fellow designers feel like hiding it from us. I formed such an...
Split a few bamboo sections to create a happy water source for miniature orchids
Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container
My article and Willow Crown design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine
