My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Racked up dried Twig Snippets to display a few flower buds

Place a long and deep container on your design table

Place a long and deep container on your design table.

Place a twig at an angle in the container

Place a twig at an angle in the container.

Place the next twig to face the opposite way

Place the next twig to face the opposite way.

And the next one facing the other way

And the next one facing the other way.

Keep adding twigs to build up the armature

Keep adding twigs to build up the armature.

Keeping the angle to create a neat line that runs through the middle

Keeping the angle to create a neat line that runs through the middle.

Rack up the twigs right up from one end to the other

Rack up the twigs right up from one end to the other.

Creating a fun armature to design with

Creating a fun armature to design with...

Fill the container with water

Fill the container with water.

Remove the foliage from the vine

Remove the foliage from the vine

Drape the vine over the twigs

Drape the vine over the twigs.

... oh... urhm... well... vines grow rather aggressively even after it has been severed from the plant. to keep the armature neatly stacked they will need a bit of support.

My solution is to add a tiny drop of glue to secure the twig to the vase where the vine might move.
I wanted to explain in a bit more detail so I moved the conversation to our email this week. Especially an easy way to make the glue less visible when you display the design. Make sure you are signed up to receive a bonus, design specific tip email every Wednesday- the moment the design is ready for you. The sign up button is below this post.

Add in the lisianthus buds

Add in the lisianthus buds.

Glue in a few dew drop crystals

Glue in a few dew drop crystals.

There is a Tutorial below if you are curious as to why I use a pin to add the crystals.

And make sure the flowers drape along with the armature lines to keep it tidy

And make sure the flowers drape along in an upright direction with the armature lines to keep it tidy.

Following the basic rules of how flowers grow in your design makes the work look a bit more natural. To read more about this turn to page 273 in my book where I talk about crafting an illusion.

For more information about my book The Effortless Floral Craftsman

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

Tutorials

22 May 2012 Bite and snap a sturdy twig

Break the sturdy twig on the scribe line.

8 July 2015 Using a pin to place tiny dew drop crystals

It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.

22 May 2012 Spiral twig frog

Multiple tiny twigs create a flower frog to keep the delicate buds and leaves in the exact spot you want.

3 July 2012 Twig mushroom

Stack and wire a twig mushroom armature

24 December 2012 Tiny Twig Christmas Treasure Trunk

Wire a small twig gift-box for Christmas presents

2 October 2013 Spiny Twig Porcupine Armature

Glue a few twigs to display Autumn flowers and foliage on

18 June 2014 Sticking a stick curve to create a hollowed out crescent armature

An easy way to create a neat curve in a very short time

21 February 2018 Stem line-up

Line up stems to create a base for the heavy Hanging Heliconia stems

10 September 2014 Twig Bridal Basket

A slim basket design made from twigs

17 February 2016 Stack a Twig Enclosure

Loop and tie a few stacked twigs to create an enclosed floral armature

Favourite Flowers

Passiflora

Granadilla, passionflower, passion vines

Eustoma

Lisianthus, Texan Poppy, Texas Bluebell, Tulip Gentian, Prairie Gentian

Related Designs

18 August 2021 At Play

A quick-to-do-but-looks-impressive way to display a beautiful cut garden vine for an effortless summer design.

12 July 2023 Standing in frond

Standing your delicate flower stems in a fern frond.

17 April 2024 In The Time it Takes To Listen To Learn

Ideal design for those flowers that needs a deep soak to remain hydrated.

22 May 2012 Lean

Place short twigs, leaning to one side to create a flower frog

19 February 2011 Crossing Boundaries

Twig waterfall creates the boundary between the "under" and the "over" of the design. Tutorial: How to cover test tubes with Rainbow Oasis

3 July 2012 Twig-a-tude

Stack and wire twigs to create a twig mushroom with attitude for summer

30 January 2013 It's High Time for Tea: from craft to art, taking a delicious floral journey with wire techniques

This was my last two designs for my It's High Time for Tea Floral Craft and Art Demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging Club meeting

24 December 2012 Please have snow… and presents under the tree

Wire a Tiny Twig Treasure Trunk for small Christmas gifts

20 February 2013 Designing with Mother Nature

Retail florists and wholesalers are already designing, ordering and preparing their product range for Mother's Day. This is my article that I wrote for the Mother's Day Design...

2 October 2013 Prickly

Build a twig porcupine armature for fall flowers

18 June 2014 Stuck stick

Glue a few sticks to create a hollowed out crescent armature

21 February 2018 Impossible things

A cut stem flower frog for the heavy Hanging Heliconia flowers

10 September 2014 Creativity will come

My Twig Bridal Basket design and Tutorial featured in the Extraordinary Wedding Flowers issue of the New Zealand Floral Design Magazine

17 February 2016 Where would you put it!?!

Tie a twig armature enclosure for fresh flowers

18 January 2017 Look at you!

Tie twigs to shape a hanging armature

19 February 2020 The Upside of being Inside

A creative design that has some height to it without blocking the view. This can easily be scaled up or down to match the environment you want to display it in.