My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Phormium bubble frame

Gather a few blades of flax.

Loop the flax

Secure the flax loop with a knot.

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

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.

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

Slip the flowers through the loops.

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

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Tutorials
Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin
27 September 2017
Tendril vine Wreath Pumpkin

Reshape a vine wreath into smaller wreaths to combine as a pumpkin
Cinderella Spiral Pumpkin from Midelino Cane Coils
1 May 2012
Cinderella Spiral Pumpkin from Midelino Cane Coils

Tie Midelino Cane coils to make a spiral armature
Loosened Wreath Armature
4 May 2016
Loosened Wreath Armature

Snip a dried twig wreath to undo the spirals to hang around a glass container
Weaving Willow spheres
25 January 2012
Weaving Willow spheres

I build up the spheres by weaving willow wreaths and then use those to shape the ball
Ripping Flax
14 January 2011
Ripping Flax

Flax can be ripped into fibres creating long and versatile strips
Acorn fork
22 November 2017
Acorn fork

Wire and glue a few acorns into the fork of a twig to create an Autumn armature
Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl
15 April 2015
Stretching leaves and foliage into a ringlet curl

Most leaves and foliage can be slightly manipulated to curve or curl.
Half wire half grass tangle to keep stems in place
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
Interweave a messy grass tumble
19 July 2017
Interweave a messy grass tumble

Loosely wrap and weave lily grass to create a planned-messy looking armature
Coil wire and grass to create a spring frog
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
Spiral Wire Cages
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.
Turn some gladiolus leaves into a pumpkin vase collar
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.
Latch an imperfect stem support for thin stemmed and heavy design details
5 July 2023
Latch an imperfect stem support for thin stemmed and heavy design details

Bundle and tie a few stems to create a support for even heavy design details.
Balloon out grass to craft a framed armature
24 August 2022
Balloon out grass to craft a framed armature

Carefully bubble out a tied bunch of grass to make a cavity to display gorgeous flowers.
Balance a cake stand lid on it’s side to create a leaning design
24 April 2019
Balance a cake stand lid on it’s side to create a leaning design

Suspend a flower for an unusual but minimalist design over a leaning container lid.
Related Designs
Iris Tuft Tassel
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 and military ranks.
As tendrils tend to do
27 September 2017
As tendrils tend to do

Curl a wreath with tendrils to create a twig-pumpkin
Ring-a-round
4 May 2016
Ring-a-round

Open a vine wreath to create a spiral twig armature around a glass container
Veiled Sunshine:50th Anniversary of the South African Orchid Society at the Cape Town Convention Centre.
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
Blue Harlequin
15 February 2012
Blue Harlequin

A small hand held design as an alternative to a corsage.
How do squirrels Cache a tree?
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.
The ties that Bind
1 June 2016
The ties that Bind

Bind a lily to create a trumpet shape as it opens
Beat the summer heat
26 July 2017
Beat the summer heat

Tangle some wire to set flowers in water
Not yet Spring, Spring but a spring
1 February 2017
Not yet Spring, Spring but a spring

Coil wire and grass to create a spring
this NEEDS to be at the top of my (our?) to-do list
27 September 2023
this NEEDS to be at the top of my (our?) to-do list

Autumn bud vase collar made from gladiolus foliage.
The Wiggle Is Part Of The Plan
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.
Hot air balloon
24 August 2022
Hot air balloon

A grass bubble to frame two of the most beautiful calla lilies.
Put aside
24 April 2019
Put aside

Urgh… my glass cake stand broke leaving me with a still beautiful, but now mismatched and extremely inspirational lid...
Twist of its own
7 March 2018
Twist of its own

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

Cymbidium orchids for my Designing your way to profits article that was featured in the Canadian Florist Magazine
Phormium
Phormium

Flax Christmas tree "cake" for the Floral Trends Design Group end of the year function. "On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... two turtle doves"