Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
How to fake a blizzard in floral designs
- 13 November 2019
- click to send Christine a smile
When you add a permanent design element to your design like this branch it often comes with ready to use details...
Like the artificial snow on this branch for example...
It is always easier to work with what is already there so Carefully inspect where the snow is placed on the branch...
And make sure you add the bulk of the snow fall in the wreath at the same angle...
Adding a bit of snow to the design details...
And the bulk of the snow where it would have been if the twig was out in a blizzard. It's a tiny detail but your eyes pick up things like this. Going through the extra effort to make it realistic helps the design form a unit and your flower illusion look realistic.
Book readers turn to page 273 for more design inspiration on how to create an illusion in your designs.
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Tutorials
You can use any type of paper to make flowers. I use tissue paper, Crêpe paper, cardboard, newsprint and coffee filters (new and used) to make sweet peas, carnations, paper...
Just a few adjustments can transform a boring artificial wreath into a high end looking designer decoration.
Brushing a shiny bauble with an almost dry brush with just a bit of paint on turns it into a beautiful almost antique snowball.
I wanted my design to look more "found this way" than "designed this way" so I strategically tangled the ribbon to dangle down the design rather than tie it in a neat bow.
What if you absolutely HAVE to decorate with faux plants? Here are my guiding rules when it comes to styling with permanent botanicals
Use delicate sprigs of cypress or juniper, fir, pine, eucalyptus, ivy or a combination of them all to create a winter themed kissing bough
Cover a cardboard shape in cotton and bark to create a floral armature
When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.
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"
Related Designs
Design 1 of my three week pre-Christmas designing series looking at How to style with artificial plants and branches using quality faux plants and stems. This week: a wreath
