My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Loosened Wreath Armature

4 May 2016
and more

The armature is made from a wreath. See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how to weave a wreath

Place a large wreath on a flat design surface and make a few cuts so that it is easier to loosen the wreath.

Gently lift the layers of the wreath to separate

Work your way through the the twigs to loosen it up

Hook one of the wreath twigs over the rim of the container to secure

Let the spirals of the vine wreath drop naturally

Glue in small test tubes to keep the flowers hydrated

See the Tutorial below for detailed instructions on how I make test tubes from drinking straws

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Tutorials

1 November 2011

Weaving a twig wreath

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 copper wire into the weave

11 February 2015

Stripping foliage from weaving stems

Remove foliage from stems to weave with

4 January 2011

Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

8 July 2015

Overgrown Willow web inspired by a traditional Dream-catcher

I wanted my willow armature to hint of a web-like dreamcatcher that grows in the wild rather than being a precise replica of the traditional craft technique. But I did weave it in a similar way.

14 August 2012

Pine scale wreath

Break pine scales from the cone and glue on a wreath frame to create a continuous pine scale wreath

12 August 2012

Twist your own Wire Wreath frame

Make a wire wreath frame with wire and cover it with growth mesium or moss to design on

25 January 2012

Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball

10 September 2025

Hug winding wreaths over a glass container for a jaunty gerbera, caladium and chilly almost autumn display

Using handmade wreaths as mechanics that gives that cozy early autumn vibrance.

27 August 2025

Late summer’s crispy twig curls as a mechanic and accessory

Humble and even unwanted heat shriveled stems become precious design elements because they add a unique quality to your design.

23 October 2024

Four wreath harvest basket that looks like it grew that way… because now some of it still is!

Harvest some cuttings to root in a wild and overgrown floral design.

27 September 2023

Turn some gladiolus leaves into a pumpkin vase collar

A collar for a vase that you can use throughout the season... simply replace the water and the flowers inside the vase.

24 May 2023

Foxtail wreath frog with a leg in water

Twirl the fern into a wreath so that it can remain hydrated.

6 October 2021

A quick and easy way to Craft a Twig Basket Using Wire Tendrils

The hardest part of this is actually making the tendrils. From there it's a few twists... and we are done!

15 September 2021

Wire wrap for a shallow container to keep a twig arch armature neatly in place

Wrap a wire around both ends of a shallow container to keep the twigs in place.

28 July 2021

Craft a wreath chain to link a few bud vases together

All you need is a few twigs to craft this design- it's a perfect floral meditation activity.

7 April 2021

Spring breeze tangled ribbon wreath

Using branches pruned from a fruit tree... with a few dried flowers and just a few orchids to make a fresh Spring design.

19 August 2020

Tangle a perfect vine around two wreaths for a split armature

Passion fruit flowers never lasts long. Not even growing outside on a vine. But the buds continue to open once cut making a wreath display ideal for an even changing passion fruit flower display.

5 December 2018

Long Lichen branches to dress up a curvy vase

Secure two lichen covered branched to rest around the neck of a curvy vase.

21 March 2018

Craft a Spring basket from a wreath

A wide gap nearly basket for nearly spring

7 March 2018

Phormium bubble frame

Curl and secure a few blades of flax into a bubble to frame your flowers

27 December 2017

Pine NeedleTube

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

4 October 2017

Display wreath that hover around a big shiny pumpkin

For this design I wanted my wreath to be light and airy so that it just whips around the solid pumpkin like a breeze.

27 September 2017

Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

Reshape a vine wreath into smaller wreaths to combine as a pumpkin

9 November 2016

Loosen up a vine wreath to create an upright armature

Soak a vine wreath to make it easier to manipulate into an armature deep enough to nestle plant material in

Related Designs

26 August 2015

Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils

21 October 2015

Watch the leaves turn

Roll autumn leaves to create a wreath

6 November 2013

This is the Fragrance of November

Weave a wreath to thread a dome for an Autumn leaf design

11 April 2011

Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Bright and sunny cymbidium orchids and roses, lilies, lisianthus and pincushions

10 April 2011

Feeling Funky

I wove vine wreaths to form a pyramid, one just slightly larger than the next. In the natural cavities between the wreaths I placed the roses and lisianthus in plastic covered Oasis