Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Late summer’s crispy twig curls as a mechanic and accessory
- 27 August 2025
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Weave a wreath and set it aside to dry completely...
If you are unsure of how to weave a wreath see the Tutorial below for detailed instructions.
Once the wreath is fully dried in this contorted shape snip a few twigs to unravel...
You want to open up the wreath so that there are wider gaps between the twigs.
Place the rough and unraveled wreath on a smooth glass display container...
And secure the dangling bits of twig to the container to make sure it loosely wraps around and incorporates the glass into the wreath shape like a vine clinging to a structure.
Pour water into the container but make sure the water level is below the dried twigs to help keep the water clean for the fresh flowers.
Reach into the gladiolus spike and snip the flowers so that you have long stems to design with.
Book readers turn to page 92 where I show you how to cut flower stems in creative ways. For more information about my book: The Effortless Floral Craftsman
To get you started I have also added a Tutorial below with detailed instructions.
Carefully place the individual blooms into the wreath so that the wild twigs keep the stems in place.
Add in a few more dried twigs over and under the flowers to gently keep them in place. Take care not to fill the entire container.
This week I tell you more about how I use water in summer designs as a design element. I send out an email every Wednesday morning (Vancouver time) with a few design notes or tips so that you can make the most of each week's design inspiration even before viewing the design. The sign up is below this post.
Design note: To give my design texture I am very deliberately snapping at least some of the twigs rather than cutting them to give the design a bit of a raw edge. The harshness of late summer reflected in the cool water below.
Make sure the twigs protect the delicate flowers by crating a cage around them. This also has an element of... "how did you do that?" adding a bit of mystery by creating an impossibly light and spacious feel but at the same time it is secure and protected.
Add in a few dried autumn leaves to hint at the summer season ending...
As a final touch I wanted to include something that is definitely late summer but because the design is so uncluttered I wanted it to further that light and airy feel. A few shriveled up stems adds that late summer touch...
I am using dried clematis stems for deeper burgundy twists...
And dotted in between I am also adding a few shriveled up nasturtium stems for the yellowish twists to exactly match the colours in the autumn leaves.
And to finish my design I am adding a few dew drop crystals to the twisty stems and twigs.
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