Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Just hatched willow twig egg armature
- 16 April 2025
- click to send Christine a smile
I use dried wreaths to weave the egg shaped armature.
For detailed instructions on how to weave a wreath see the Tutorial below.
Slip the one wreath over the other to create an "x" shape.
Fit this shape on to another wreath to create a base. Secure the wreaths with wire.
Start to weave in fresh willow twigs from the one end...
Around the base and out the other end.
Weave in another twig next to that... in from the one side, round the base and out on the other side.
You need three willow twigs to wrap through in this direction.
Turn the egg basket and weave in the next willow stem to cross over and under those twigs.
Again you need three stems from this direction to shape the base of the basket.
If you want the basket to sit upright pull the willow stems tight so that the egg shape rest on the bottom wreath. But I wanted my design to sit at a jaunty angle... so...
Carefully adjust the weave so that the overlapping fresh willow stems create a new and balanced base for the armature to rest on when placed at the angle you want for the design.
This week I share with you a few notes and a trick to make it easier to dry the twigs at the exact angle you want for your design in our email. I send out an email every Wednesday morning (Vancouver time) the moment the design is ready for you to view with a design note that will help you make the most out of the week's design inspiration. The sign up is below this post.
Adjust all the stems to create an open cup egg shape while the stems are still fresh and easy to manipulate...
Book readers turn to page 284 for more detailed instructions on how to manipulate stems for crafting armatures. For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman
Add your own touch to the design by cutting the stem ends of the egg shaped willow Easter basket or you can even weave them in and around the egg or shape a basket handle (see the Tutorial below) or let them dangle... whatever design you want to create. And set the egg shape aside to dry so that you have a strong armature before adding the heavier chocolate eggs and floral details.
For my design I chose to take the longest dangling willow twigs and weave them around the opening.
Add in a few dew drop crystals to the dried armature so that you can layer the flowers over them.
Carefully glue in clusters of Kalanchoe flowers to sit like blossoms on the willow egg.
No need for a water source. These succulent flowers look delicate but will look pretty from now all the way to after Easter without any water at all.
Place flower clusters all the way around, inside and out of the egg shape.
Glue the cut end of a long rosary vine into a cluster of flowers...
And weave the vine throughout the egg shaped basket.
Just like the flowers these vines are also succulents and need no water source. You can read more about them below in the links.
Carefully hide a few delicate chocolate Easter eggs in the design...
So that the Easter eggs can be discovered...
... between the delicate flowers.
And finish the design with a pretty bow... if you want to.
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Tutorials
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...
Use the "over and under" weaving pattern to weave a round, upright hat with a flat top and no brim.
Harvest some cuttings to root in a wild and overgrown floral design.
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...
The hardest part of this is actually making the tendrils. From there it's a few twists... and we are done!
After the last petal drops cut the blossom twigs into snippets to craft a basket with.
It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
The dried plant material keeps the vine from flopping over in the vase as it continues to grow and flower and the vine lifts the dried material far above the water to prevent it...
This is the basic technique used in traditional Easter crafts to plait a crown of thorns.
This is the basic technique used in traditional Easter crafts to plait a crown of thorns.
This design is meant to be long lasting and ever changing... make now and enjoy all the way to Easter and beyond
Arrange sprouting willow twigs to twirl and frame a beautiful Paphiopedilum (slipper) orchid
Craft a delicate bridal basket from twigs and tulle.
I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball
Wrap grass around a flat wire shape to create a delicate bridal basket design
A bit of a planned-messy woven basket that is sturdy enough to carry small items.
Favourite Flowers
Christmas Kalanchoe, Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë
Rosary vine, Chain of Hearts, Collar of hearts and String of hearts
Curly Willow, Chinese Willow, Tortured Willow, Globe Willow, Dragon's Claw, Hankow Willow
Related Designs
A wire and twig permanent display basket with tiny water sources for a few fresh flowers that can be replaced as needed.
The flowers will continue to open around the nest… and the eggs… well surely they will disappear and you will need to replace those before Easter.
A clean Easter design. The tiny blossoms are Kalanchoe 'Calandiva Pink'. Tucked low in the paper eggs are a few Cymbidium orchids and the twigs are contorted hazel. The...
Advanced level Workshop: For my Easter Parade Demonstration I made 6 hand-tied designs within armatures. The concept was to pick up the design while demonstrating and to literally...
oh yes... Spring is definitely rolling in with some fresh growth on the willow just to prove it!
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My article and winter white Tulle bridal basket design featured in DIY Weddings Magazine.
My article and woven heart basket design featured in the third anniversary issue of DIY Weddings Magazine
Weave a wreath to thread a dome for an Autumn leaf design
My article and grass wedding basket design.