My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Large wax snowflakes

4 December 2013
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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"

Scrape wax with a knife to create large and crumbling snow flakes.

Crumple up the flakes

Scatter the flakes on flowers and water. It will not dissolve and will float freely.

or scatter the wax snowflakes to soften hard textures

Or pour out a few drops of wood glue on to the twigs

Sprinkle the wax on the glue

The wood glue dries clear leaving the wax snow securely in place

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Tutorials

15 November 2023

Water dip Wax to match the flame petals of a Cyclamen flower for a layered Twig and Leaf armature

Dipping wax in a deep bath of water makes the most beautiful streams of wax that looks just like the petals of a cyclamen flower.

1 February 2023

Spiked Tulip Fan

Fanned out Tulips for a snowy winter display... that stays just so.

20 January 2021

Trapped Bubble Double Shallow Vase Design

Trap air between two vases to create a third circle... and frame for a small feather hint to a hopeful Spring

20 January 2021

Curve a feather

A small adjustment to the shape of the feather creates a more whimsical look.

30 December 2020

Suspend design elements around a poinsettia forest floor display

A low design that is still light and airy using a lot of convenient prepare ahead of time design elements.

16 December 2020

Cardboard base for a roasting-by-an-open-fire fishbowl vase snow globe

… ideal for fresh floral displays because it has a hidden water source that can be refilled and the candle can be switched on and off without disturbing the design.

9 December 2020

A Twig and personal inner Gyp flurry melted snowman

Remember how Olaf from Frozen remained cool? With a personal flurry, of course! Two fishbowls, stacked and you are very nearly done.

2 December 2020

Ice skating pond inspired grid for a winter floral design

Turn the tried and trusted tape over the vase grid idea sticky side out... and adding artificial snow for a Christmas in Winter design solution.

2 December 2020

Lost and found snow mittens

Artificial snow covered cardboard mittens to add to a winter themed design.

12 February 2020

Manipulate Blossoming Twigs To Hang Fluttering Woven Grass Hearts

These peach blossom branches needed only the tiniest bit of help to frame the woven hearts to perfection.

29 January 2020

Weave a long lasting (without using floral foam) in a vase floral design basket

Give your woven grass a water source by designing the basket in a vase rather than placing the vase in a basket

11 December 2019

Twig and twinkle Christmas Tree

A light as snow twig and Christmas light armature

11 December 2019

Swirly Twirly Silver Dollar Eucalyptus baubles

Inspired by seedpods... Glue Silver Dollar Eucalyptus leaves into 3 dimensional Christmas decorations.

4 December 2019

Eucalyptus collar for a snow-covered Christmas candle

Not only will your home smell wonderful while crafting this design you will also have a ethereal and long lasting design to enjoy.

27 November 2019

How to make a just-picked-it-a-moment-ago snow covered icicle and mistletoe hanging branch bunch

Gather a few branches to hang as a magical winter wonderland Christmas decoration.

27 November 2019

Fake real stems-ends for real fake branches

Add a real stem to shorter artificial branches to incorporate them into a design.

27 November 2019

Perk up faux plant material and flowers that are not wired

A sprig of wired faux plant material is easy to bend back into a more natural position. Plastic plant material without a wire in their stems need a bit of help to get back into shape.

20 November 2019

Use wired faux elements to secure your design

When you use wired branches they double as... well... wires to secure your other design details. This is such a quick and easy design solution!

20 November 2019

Cracked ice, freshly fallen snow and fire... in a bud vase

It looks like these candles are thoroughly snowed and iced in place but they actually rest just below the edge of a bud vase so that they can be taken out to switch the battery on and off when needed.

13 November 2019

How to dress a shop bought artificial wreath to go from meh to: it looks so real!

Just a few adjustments can transform a boring artificial wreath into a high end looking designer decoration.

13 November 2019

How to fake a blizzard in floral designs

Part of the charm of contemporary designing is adding elements to your work that create a story.

13 November 2019

Turn shop bought baubles into designer frosted snowballs

Brushing a shiny bauble with an almost dry brush with just a bit of paint on turns it into a beautiful almost antique snowball.

13 November 2019

A tangle of ribbon instead of a bow for an unusual winter design

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.

13 November 2019

How to use artificial plants or faux plants to create beautiful and long lasting decorations without it looking tacky or... sad.

What if you absolutely HAVE to decorate with faux plants? Here are my guiding rules when it comes to styling with permanent botanicals

17 April 2019

Cross cut Spring Twig Armature

Give a sturdy twig a cut to stay put in your Spring design.

27 December 2017

Pine NeedleTube

Glue pine needles to a up-cycled disk to create a winter scene

6 December 2017

Barely there twig tabletop Christmas tree

Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree

6 December 2017

Fluffy pillow filler tree skirt

The fluffy stuffing found in pillows create beautiful, water repellent tree skirts.

22 January 2014

That good old double vase trick

Create a dry layer by placing a smaller vase inside the larger vase

11 December 2013

Dried twig dome

Mix glue and twigs to create a twig armature for a Winter Christmas design

Related Designs

15 November 2023

Freeze… just for a moment!

Not quite winter but also a bit late for autumn design that is somewhere between sparkle and flying leaves.

1 February 2023

Why When

An old tulip trick in a new way to keep the flowers fanned out

20 January 2021

Hope Bubble

That good old double vase trick... but this time I deliberately added a bubble between the two layers to create a third circle in the design.

30 December 2020

All is Calm, All is Bright

An easy to do ahead of time winter wonderland themed design for the calm days just after Christmas but before New Years Eve.

16 December 2020

Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Snow Globe

...ok not really that fancy- it’s paper pulp. Cardboard boxes, really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered. This week it's a snow globe platform that is quick to make and hold a hidden water source and an easy to get to the on off switch battery candle button.

9 December 2020

Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Gyp flurry Snowman

...ok not really that fancy- it’s paper pulp. Cardboard boxes, really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered. My list of inspiration would not be complete without showing a but-we-have-been-doing-this-forever “just wrap an empty box and place it in a design”, design.

2 December 2020

Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Lost and Found Snow Mittens

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. A cardboard box snow mittens… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered.

12 February 2020

Parallel Hang Ups

While waiting for the blossoms to open... why not weave in a touch of Valentine's Day love?

29 January 2020

Peekaboo

A light and airy (no floral foam but still long lasting) floral design for those days that you are really, really looking for signs of Spring.

11 December 2019

A Very Merry eucalyptus bauble Christmas!

For this year's Christmas tree I wired and glued a wild and wintry twig armature... but... these little eucalyptus baubles are just the cutest!

4 December 2019

A Very Merry eucalyptus-collar-candle Christmas!

An easy and naturally fragrant winter white candle decoration to bring nature into your house this Christmas.

27 November 2019

The struggle is real!

Design 3 looking at How to style with artificial plants and branches using quality faux plants and stems. This week: mistletoe! And also .. give your faux a reason for being there.

20 November 2019

Not just a pretty face!

Design 2 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: wired branches

13 November 2019

It’s unreal!

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