My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Pinecone and delphinium table top tree

Gather a basket full of pine cones. Try to gather the cones on a dry day when the scales are open. If the forest floor is wet, the cones will be closed tightly and you will have to wait a bit for the cones to open up as soon as they dry out.

Roll a large sheet of cardboard into a cone. Secure with hot glue.

Cut the top part of the cone so that it can stand flat

Place the cone on a large working surface

Glue the first pine cone to the paper cone.

Start on the next row of pine cones. Leave large gaps between the cones for the fresh flowers.

Glue in the next row of cones...

... and the next row...

Glue cones all the way down to the bottom

Slip the paper cone over a stemmed vase or place on to a pedestal or cake stand

Glue in tiny test tubes to keep the flowers hydrated. Add a few dangling jingle bells (see Tutorial below)

See Tutorial below on how to make drinking straw test tubes and how to fill them easily

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Tutorials
Drinking straw "test tubes"
4 January 2011
Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.
Fast way to fill a lot of test tubes in awkward places
16 August 2011
Fast way to fill a lot of test tubes in awkward places

I do not believe in arranging flowers without a water source of some kind. I want my flowers to remain as beautiful for as long as possible and I often get quite creative to ensure a water source for even finer stems and blossoms.
Wired dangling Jingle bells
24 July 2013
Wired dangling Jingle bells

Wire the tiny little bells so that they dangle loosely and will jingle with the slightest breeze
Patina Copper Spiral Bauble and Pinecone Cascade
22 December 2021
Patina Copper Spiral Bauble and Pinecone Cascade

A beautiful pinecone dressed up for Christmas.
Related Designs
It’s the most… it’s the most… wonderful Patina Copper Spiral Bauble Christmas of all!
22 December 2021
It’s the most… it’s the most… wonderful Patina Copper Spiral Bauble Christmas of all!

This is the fifth of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. This week I will show you how to add a mostly blue patina to pinecone shaped spiral baubles.
Getting into the competitive spirit of things
24 July 2013
Getting into the competitive spirit of things

Retail florists and wholesalers are already designing, ordering and preparing their product range for Christmas. This is my article that I wrote for the Christmas Design Issue of Canadian Florist Magazine