My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Phormium bubble frame

Gather a few blades of flax

Gather a few blades of flax.

Loop the flax

Loop the flax

Secure the flax loop with a knot

Secure the flax loop with a knot.

Adjust the flax so that it is secure but not scrunched up

Adjust the flax so that it is secure but not scrunched up

Flair out the looped strands to fan open

Flair out the looped strands to fan open.

Slip some of the top and bottom parts of the flax stems through the loops to keep it flared open

Slip some of the top and bottom parts of the flax stems through the loops to keep it flared open.

Set the flax in a container to hydrate before adding the flowers.

Set the flax in a container to hydrate before adding the flowers.

Slip the flowers through the loops

Slip the flowers through the loops.

Place it back in the vase to hydrate.

Place it back in the vase at a sharp angle so that the stems rest against the side of the vase

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

27 September 2017 Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

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

1 May 2012 Cinderella Spiral Pumpkin from Midelino Cane Coils

Tie Midelino Cane coils to make a spiral armature

4 May 2016 Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container

25 January 2012 Weaving Willow spheres

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

14 January 2011 Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips

22 November 2017 Acorn fork

Wire and glue a few acorns into the fork of a twig to create an Autumn armature

15 April 2015 Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.

26 July 2017 Half wire half grass tangle to keep stems in place

Tangle and shape wire to create a half moon for grass and gyp to rest in

19 July 2017 Interweave a messy grass tumble

Loosely wrap and weave lily grass to create a planned-messy looking armature

1 February 2017 Coil wire and grass to create a spring frog

Twirl and wrap wire and lily grass around a dowel stick to create a spring frog

13 October 2011 Spiral Wire Cages

The cage spirals to form a basket that wrap around the plump ripe berries (or you can slip in a flower) to hang as connections between the twigs.

Favourite Flowers

Cymbidium

Cymbidium, Boat Orchid

Phormium

Flax, New Zealand flax

Related Designs

7 March 2018 Twist of its own

... a quick an easy design. Curl a few flax leaves to frame orchids

24 April 2019 Put aside

Urgh… my glass cake stand broke leaving me with a still beautiful, but now mismatched and extremely inspirational lid...

24 August 2022 Hot air balloon

A grass bubble to frame two of the most beautiful calla lilies.

5 July 2023 The Wiggle Is Part Of The Plan

A easy going summer design that makes full use of the imperfections you harvest from your cut garden.

27 September 2023 this NEEDS to be at the top of my (our?) to-do list

Autumn bud vase collar made from gladiolus foliage.

5 July 2011 Iris Tuft Tassel

Throughout their dangling history tiny to robust tassels were universally used as a finishing feature in fabric decoration and symbols of standing in religious order and nobility...

27 September 2017 As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin

4 May 2016 Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container

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

15 February 2012 Blue Harlequin

A small hand held design as an alternative to a corsage.

22 November 2017 How do squirrels Cache a tree?

Hoard a few acorns in the fork of a twig to show off a single oncidium orchid.

1 June 2016 The ties that Bind

Bind a lily to create a trumpet shape as it opens

26 July 2017 Beat the summer heat

Tangle some wire to set flowers in water

1 February 2017 Not yet Spring, Spring but a spring

Coil wire and grass to create a spring