My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Gently peel leaves from the stalk to create a twisted stem end

Make a small cut into the stem right where the leaf and stem meets.

Gently peel the leaf from the stem.

... allowing the stem end to curl.

Roll the leaves into tubes and secure with a small drop of glue.

See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to curl leaves into tubes... and how to remove floral glue spills.

For my design I place the leaves in bud vases to keep my floral material in place.

Top up the water level to make sure the fresh flower material remains hydrated for as long as possible.

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how to make a syringe with a tube.

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Tutorials
Syringe with tube
3 January 2011
Syringe with tube

Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase
Rolling leaf tubes
23 March 2013
Rolling leaf tubes

Roll foliage to create tubes
Removing Oasis Floral Adhesive glue spills
30 August 2011
Removing Oasis Floral Adhesive glue spills

The finish of every design should be flawless. Make sure there are no bits of glue visible in your design by carefully removing all traces of spills.
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes
11 November 2015
Balancing the curved stems of dried Autumn leaf tubes

Long stemmed autumn leave tubes as a floral armature
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog
14 October 2015
Roll hundreds (yes! hundreds) of autumn leaves so create a natural, upright flower frog

Rolled leaves offer support for floral stems
Folded leaf nest
5 October 2016
Folded leaf nest

Leaf armature made of rolled mini Monstera leaves
Bundle Support
4 July 2018
Bundle Support

Tie a bundle of lily grass in a bundle to offer support for your flowers.
Stem line-up
21 February 2018
Stem line-up

Line up stems to create a base for the heavy Hanging Heliconia stems
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.
Rethinking the traditional Komiwara technique
7 May 2014
Rethinking the traditional Komiwara technique

Komiwara is a classic and traditional Ikebana technique used in a Rikka design. Designers would usually bundle straw to keep the flowers in place.
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
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design
6 January 2021
Rolled leaf shelter for a lean-in-closer tiny bud vase design

Create a tiny visual tunnel to focus attention.
Related Designs
So happy together
8 May 2013
So happy together

Glue a sisal bubble for a few delicate flowers to rest in
Balancing Act
11 November 2015
Balancing Act

Bend dried fall leaves to balance on the edge of a glass container
Today I'll be
23 March 2013
Today I'll be

Silhouette design using glasses filled with water
What a find!
14 October 2015
What a find!

Roll autumn leaves to create a frog to keep flowers upright
I found it this way: Leaf nest design
5 October 2016
I found it this way: Leaf nest design

This was the third design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration
Wonder
4 July 2018
Wonder

Tie a bundle of grass to support your floral details
Impossible things
21 February 2018
Impossible things

A cut stem flower frog for the heavy Hanging Heliconia flowers
Sprout
27 April 2016
Sprout

A sneaky way to condition new growth to add into your Spring design
Grace
2 August 2017
Grace

Use snips and snippets and leftovers to create a design of it's own
Lean
22 May 2012
Lean

Place short twigs, leaning to one side to create a flower frog
Serendipity
7 May 2014
Serendipity

Be inspired by traditional Ikebana techniques
Saved up
10 August 2016
Saved up

Cut lengths of bamboo to place in a shallow container as a flower frog
Perfection
22 June 2016
Perfection

Spiral grass to create a nest for the lady slipper orchids
I tip my (flower) cap!
6 January 2021
I tip my (flower) cap!

An enclosed design that invites the onlooker to lean in closer to explore the pretty orchid.
Putting your own spin on it
22 May 2019
Putting your own spin on it

I would definitely describe my own personal style as minimalist classic... but with an edgy twist.
Favourite Flowers
Lilium
Lilium

A Rock by any other name, lily design
Lathyrus
Lathyrus

This design was entered in the craft section of a show. I grew my bag over 12 weeks. Each day I would guide the tiny fresh growth of the Sweet Pea plants to completely cover the...